Career Assessments
by Jay Markunas, Career Consultant
We’ve talked about career assessments before on our Show, and it is an important first step in finding a career that truly fits.
I was told in high school that I should “do computers”, and based on that high school teacher’s observation I majored in computers. Years later in my junior year of college, I took an assessment known (at the time) as the Strong-Campbell Interest Inventory. Strong & Campbell have since parted ways, and the new test is known as the Strong Interest Inventory. The results of the test? I should be a bus driver. Dejected by the results, I decided that career assessments were wrong. Why would I spend 4 years in college to be a bus driver?!?
What It Didn’t Say
What I didn’t read was “between the lines”, and that is why the Strong must be administered and reviewed by a certified practitioner. First, it wasn’t saying my job title should be “bus driver”. It was saying my job should entail some of the common qualities of a bus driver - control, leadership, management, scheduling. Second, what it didn’t say was that I should be in computer programmer. To be truly happy in life, I would need to move away from computer programming. Years later I took a second exam - the DISC, and it gave me a lot of great information about myself and potential careers - some of which coincided with many of the job titles from the Strong-Campbell. I would come to realize that one assessment doesn’t have all the answers, and using two or more assessments to see the cross-over was the best way to define career direction.
Assessments
One of my favorite assessments is the DISC. We use it in our Destination: New Career and CareerFinder Method programs. This short test has 17 pages of results with not only potential careers to research, but with personality and work preference information. This is a great assessment that really is the first step of finding the work you love.
The Strong Interest Inventory is the old Strong & Campbell assessment after Strong & Campbell parted ways. ”The Strong” consists of 291 items, each of which asks you to indicate your preference from five responses. The Strong is an assessment of interest, and not personality like the other assessments. That’s what makes the Strong a great starting point (or confirming “point”) during career discovery.
Another great assessment is the StrengthsFinder 2.0 was originally based on the book “Now Discover Your Strengths” by Buckingham & Clifton. The Clifton StrengthsFinder is the assessment which is given from the book. The assessment consists of questions which measure your work style and results are your top 5 strengths. Funny words like “woo” and “ideator” may come up on your results. Woo is the ability to sway opinion as in a sales person has the ability to woo a buyer into buying. Ideator is the ability to come up with great ideas. This test is amazing since it gives the participant the ability to find jobs that fit his/her strengths.
Career Direction
Reviewing and comparing the results of two or three assessments can give you a great understanding of career direction. We help you jump start the process and tie it all together in Destination: New Career coming up on Saturday, October 23rd from 8:30am - 12:30pm in Austin, Texas. If you are considering a new career, please consider letting us help you move forward.
Hi Jay,
Good article. When I was developing the program Career Coaching for Students based on my experience in corporate work (helping companies hire the right person for the right job) I too found one assessment was not acceptable. I use the DISC and the Personal Interests, Attitudes and Values (PIAV) assessments for both student career coaching and with companies’ candidates. The PIAV measures the same thing as the Strong Inventory. The reason the two are needed is that DISC measures “behavioral style” which is “how” you do what you do. The PIAV (or Strong Inventory) measures your motivators (“why” you do what you do). When a person looks at both “how” they like to do things and “why” they like to do things, a short list of career options surface that will create “passion”. I find it exciting that you and I came to the same conclusion. Schools are not there yet.
Carl,
I love the great work you do for students. Glad we came to the same conclusion, and hope the schools will catch up soon.
Thanks,
Jay
[...] Once you’ve made your this list, cross-reference your findings with the results of assessments like DISC, MBTI, Strong, Clifton StrengthsFinder 2.0, etc. [...]