Are you looking for your next job and need help figuring out where to begin? Your career assessment is the perfect starting point; you must determine your strengths and weaknesses to get things moving.
In this guide, we'll show you how to do that so that you can create an effective job search strategy.
What is a career assessment, and why do you need to learn about your strengths and weaknesses?
A career assessment tool helps you identify your strengths, weaknesses, interests, and values and matches them with potential career paths. It can take the form of online quizzes, personality tests, or assessments conducted by a career counsellor.
The aim isn't just to match you to a career path but to show you where opportunities lie. For example, understanding your strengths helps you focus on using them to your advantage in your career. On the other hand, recognising your weaknesses can help you work on improving them or finding ways to compensate for them.
Knowing your strengths and weaknesses can also help you avoid career paths that may not align with your skills and preferences, leading to a greater sense of job satisfaction and fulfilment.
The purpose of a career test
As we've already mentioned, career tests are a great way to match you to prospective career paths, but more than that, they are helpful as a self-discovery process. Taking a career test can give you:
● Insightful self-discovery - We don't often realise just how skilled we are, and those hidden and underappreciated aspects of yourself can offer employers more than you think.
● Clarity on goal setting - By understanding where our skills lie and what we need to work on, we can take action to achieve the career path we aspire to.
● A better choice in decisions - The more information you can access in your job search, the better you can prime your CV to successfully apply for a position.
When should you take a career assessment?
If you are looking to start your career or are seeking career change and progression, a career assessment can provide career guidance.
Types of career assessment tools
Let's examine some of the career assessment tools available. A caveat here: not all of these tests are free or necessary. Review the list and speak to your career advisor for specific guidance if you need it.
1. VIA Character Strengths
The VIA test is an internationally recognised personality test that explicitly examines character strengths and values. Often recommended in leadership circles, this tool can help people understand how and where they might flourish in a team.
2. StrengthsFinder 2.0
The StrengthFinder tool focuses on identifying and leveraging your core strengths. By understanding what makes you naturally adept, you can channel your efforts into areas that resonate with your abilities.
3. Holland Code (RIASEC)
Designed to match your personality to suitable career options, the Holland Code categorises individuals into six personality types (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Enterprising, Social, and Conventional). This insight helps you explore professions aligned with your personality traits.
4. Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
The Myers-Briggs test is one of the most commonly used psychological preference testing tools. The MBTI personality test categorises individuals into 16 personality types. Understanding your MBTI type can offer insights into your communication style, decision-making processes, and preferred work environments.
5. 360-Degree Feedback
This tool involves gathering feedback from colleagues, superiors, and subordinates to provide a comprehensive view of your strengths and areas for improvement. It fosters a holistic understanding of your professional impact.
6. Skill-based assessments
These assessments evaluate specific skills relevant to your desired industry or role. They help you pinpoint areas where you excel and identify those that may require further development.
At this point, you are probably asking which personality test insights are accurate and which is best for the workplace. Personality testing first started on soldiers to help manage vast teams of people; the idea was then picked up by industry, where workforces handled complex job roles across multiple sites. Today, you'll find it is most used by HR departments. The choice of test they use varies and is based on company preference. Most of the tests listed above are generally well-regarded.
But can you assess your strengths and weaknesses without a fancy test? Let's take a look.
Assessing your skills, strengths and weaknesses yourself
That is perfectly fine if you want to look at your skills, strengths, and weaknesses without taking a personality test. Here's how we recommend you do that.
Start by listing your technical and soft skills. Include those relevant to your current role and those you aspire to develop. You can use your current job description to do that.
Review your past accomplishments. Identify the skills that contributed to your success and those that can be refined for future challenges.
Review your past failures. Identifying where things went wrong on a project or job can offer professional self-reflection that allows you to grow. It also shows you the types of tasks or roles you may wish to avoid.
Reach out to colleagues for constructive feedback. Their insights can offer a different perspective on your strengths and areas for improvement.
Assess the skills in demand within your industry. Stay abreast of trends and ensure your skill set aligns with current expectations.
Be open to continuous improvement. Regularly revisit and update your skills inventory as you gain new experiences and tackle different projects. Being more open to learning allows you to adopt a growth mindset, essential for shaping your future career.
What comes after your career assessment
Once you have completed a career assessment, it's time to look at transferable skills: the skills that will help you apply for new positions, whether that's a transition to a new industry or applying for something more senior.
Join us in the next step of our Career Services Guide to learn how to use transferable skills to find a new job.
Also, sign up for our job alerts to find your next opportunity!