Free Career Tests
From LoveToKnow Jobs
Free career tests are useful tools no matter what your age or career status. Trying to pick a college major right out of high school? Looking for a career change after 10 or 20 years in an industry, but not sure where to focus next? Career tests, even those sometimes disguised as personality tests, can point you in the right direction or at least get you thinking about careers you may have never considered.
Taking a Free Career Test
Don't worry, you don’t have to study for this one! Most of what a career test will ask has to do with your preferences in different situations. They're based on your personality, not knowledge. Here are a few sample questions:
- Would you say others get to know you easily or have to work at it over time?
- Do you prefer to work alone or in a group?
- Do you keep to yourself and observe others or do you jump right in at work with your own ideas?
- Is it better to lack reason or emotion?
Find Your Test and a New You
You can go to a guidance counselor or a career center for help choosing a career path. If you're not in school, it can be a bit harder to find out what you want to do. Just because free career tests aren't as easily accessible at that point doesn't mean you can't take advantage of one, however.
If you don't have a school counselor to give you the career guidance you'd like, you can easily find websites and books that will set you on the path to a fulfilled life—when it comes to your career, that is.
Where to Turn Online
Similar Minds offers a quick test. First, you put in your gender and the career you currently have or wish to have. Then you answer one page of questions, submit, and get instant feedback on the careers that are ideal for you. As the site will tell you when you're done, the results are dependent upon how truthfully you answer the questions.
Career Fitter is a branch from CareerBuilder.com that asks 60 questions about situations you prefer. In the end, however, you get very little free information other than a general analysis. After answering the questions, you're faced with the opportunity to buy a $9.95 evaluation or a $19.95 report. Before you do buy one, you can view a sample.
Career Path works backwards in a way, asking you to check the boxes beside jobs that interest you right away. Then it launches into the "would you rather..." or "I like to…" types of questions you've probably come to know and love at this point. They're formatted in a way that has you say a statement is true, mostly true, or false. The end result tells you how you relate to the six different personality types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. You'll be shown a list of jobs for which you have an aptitude; from these, choose the titles that interest you and look for jobs that match in your area.
Hit the Books
These aren't necessarily free, but with a library card, it won't cost you a dime to take these tests.
Everything Career Test looks elementary from its cover, but you know what they say: Never judge a book by its cover. This one will walk you through a values test, a skills test, an interest test, a personality test, and several more. This allows you to get a comprehensive look at what makes you, you.
The Complete Idiot's Guide to Discovering Your Perfect Career is another book that got high ratings on Amazon.
Not all books are set up in a "test" format but can prove very helpful when it comes to finding your perfect career.
Whether you choose to take your free career tests in a guidance counselor's office, home in front of the computer, or in the library, you can find a career that's suited to your personality, values, and aptitudes. Keep searching; the right job is out there for you.
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Comments
Liz - One's ability to become employed is tied very closely to the skills they have and what they have to offer an employer. You may want to visit an employment agency in your area where you can take an employability assessement test. This will help you identify the types of jobs your eligilbe for and what type of training you might need to improve your earning potential.
-- Contributed by: Mary Gormandy WhiteHey I am a senior in high school, 18 and I was wondering if there was a decent paying job for women without a college degree. It's kind of hard with out enough money and college is not really something I can afford. Thanks.
-- Contributed by: LizKaruna - Thank you for visiting LoveToKnow Jobs. Your question is answered on our Ask the Jobs Expert page.
-- Contributed by: Mary Gormandy WhiteThis page has been accessed 6,079 times. This page was last modified 16:57, 20 January 2009.
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