When you are unsure about the type of job you want or what you would like to do in your next career path, a professional competency test can help narrow down your job options and choose a career path that aligns with your interests, skills, values, and personality.
What is a Job Assessment?
A job assessment is a way to discover the jobs that may suit your skills, interests, and values. There are different types of assessments that can help you identify jobs that may interest you and those that do not.
How Can a Job Test Help?
When you are looking for your first job or considering a career change, it is much easier when you have some ideas about what you want to do. There is a variety of free job tests and surveys available that address interests, values, and skills, but it’s not necessary to find a test that covers all elements.
Please note that some tests are not scientifically validated. However, they are easy and quick to answer and can provide insight into the types of jobs you might want to explore. Take some time to complete a few tests and surveys and look at the results you get. Then, compare the job options they provide to decide which ones are worth exploring further.
Free Professional Competency Tests
The following tests are available for free online and can be a good starting point to identify your next job.
123 Professional Competency Test
This popular test can help you gain insight into the jobs that best fit your personality. You can take the test in minutes by viewing sets of images depicting specific work activities. You will choose the activities you like most and those that do not interest you to discover the types of work environments and professions that suit you best. Allocate five to ten minutes to complete the test.
Job Explorer
It is a free platform for users to assess their interests, personality types, abilities, values, and preferred social and work environments in order to find jobs that match them and lead to satisfying careers. The assessment suggests jobs after responding to a series of questions and will take about 30 minutes to complete. Detailed information is available about each suggested job. Additionally, users can browse professions by categories such as health, nutrition, law, arts, entertainment, animals, food and beverage, politics, legislation, sports, travel, music, engineering, and sciences.
CareerOneStop Interest Test
The CareerOneStop Interest Test is a quick and easy way to receive a list of jobs that may suit your interests. It will take about five minutes to answer 30 questions about what you enjoy doing and what you do not. After completing the test, you will receive a list of jobs that align with your interests, along with information about salary, educational requirements, and job outlook. For the jobs that pique your interest the most, you will be able to review more information about the job and how to start a career in it.
CareerOneStop Values Matcher
Professional values are what a person deems most important in their work. This can be finding a job that pays well, working as part of a team, working independently, or working in a job that helps others. Use the CareerOneStop Values Matcher tool to find jobs and employers that align with your personal values. The test asks questions about different aspects of the job or workplace to help you find the ideal work environment for you. The test takes just a few minutes to complete by ranking cards based on their importance to you.
Matching
Skills on CareerOneStop
The skills matching tool on CareerOneStop allows users to evaluate the skills they want to integrate into their careers. It assesses core skills such as reading, writing, speaking, scientific reasoning, and critical thinking, along with social, technical, analytical, computing, problem-solving, and resource management skills, to find jobs that align with them.
Keirsey Personality Profiler
The Keirsey Personality Profiler assessment helps understand your personality type and discover the type of temperament you have. The test results recommend a dominant personality type, including Artisan, Guardian, Rational, or Idealist. Your temperament influences your job satisfaction, job search strategies, and job performance. It will take about 15-20 minutes to complete the assessment. A free description of your profile will be provided with the option to purchase the full report.
O*NET Interest Profiler
The O*NET Interest Profiler for My Next Move is conducted by the U.S. Department of Labor. Users complete an interest questionnaire consisting of 60 questions that gives a profile of interest trends, including six areas: Realistic, Investigative, Social, Enterprising, Conventional, and Artistic.
You will see a list of jobs related to each cluster and you will be able to categorize those jobs into five job fields that represent different levels of preparedness, ranging from weak job readiness to comprehensive job readiness. The site also contains extensive career information related to a variety of jobs.
Red Bull Wingfinder
Take a free online personality assessment for 35 minutes to identify and leverage your strengths in four different areas of your personality, including connections, creativity, thinking, and drive. You will receive an instant free report that includes an analysis of your strengths, career advice, and guidance from Red Bull athletes who share the same strengths.
TestColor
A team of psychologists, psychoanalysts, and mathematicians guides you through a two-part color selection process to determine your personality and competencies. It only takes a few minutes to complete by first clicking on the colors you prefer, and then those you do not prefer. While the initial results are free and comprehensive, you can pay for a deeper analysis.
Career Personality Test on Truity
The Career Personality Test on Truity evaluates your interests and personality traits to help you find the best career options. You will learn about college majors, jobs, and industries that match your results. The test also provides reports on activities, projects, and tasks that you would enjoy working on. The test consists of 94 questions and takes about 10-15 minutes to complete. A summary of your results and career suggestions are provided for free, but there is a fee for a comprehensive report.
Truity Career Image Test
This test takes only a few minutes, is fun, and easy to use. You just click on the image you like most in a series of pictures to take the free career image test. You will receive a profile of your career interests, and then you can search for jobs and review further information based on your profile.
How to Explore Career Options
Once you have created a list of potential career options, you can take a closer look at what each job entails to see if it’s a good fit for you. Enter a job title into the CareerOneStop job profile tool to get details about the job, including job description, required experience, education or training, earning potential, and job outlook.
The U.S. Department of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook is a career guide that contains information about job clusters and individual jobs. It provides details about what workers do in the job, the work environment, training, education, and certifications required to start the job, average wages, and expected job outlook.
Where to Get Career Advice?
While job tests and proficiency assessments are helpful, seeking professional help is one of the best ways to get assistance in planning your career path. A career counselor or coach can help you explore options, plan your career path, and achieve your employment goals.
Please
Note that many colleges and universities offer free career counseling services for both students and graduates. If you are a college graduate, check to see what services are available.
You may also be able to find free or affordable career guidance services to assist you in the career planning process.
Source: https://www.thebalancemoney.com/free-career-aptitude-tests-2059813
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