Career testing has become more and more popular over the past few years. In fact, many employers now factor in career testing as part of their interview process. If they don’t do that, then they will at least offer career testing as part of a development and training course you take once you are ensconced within their company. This applies to both private sector and public sector jobs.
Career testing is, broadly speaking, a mechanism whereby you are tested in a way which reveals your aptitudes, interests, skills and working styles. Some career tests focus more on personality, whilst others give more weight to your abilities. What all of them have in common is that they may help you to understand how you work and where your skills lie so that you can work more effectively and guide your overall career in the right direction.
A good career test can offer useful revelations to even the most seasoned employee. This is particularly the case with tests that reveal your working style. You may already know that you are quiet in meetings, but a good test will investigate the reasons behind this – and will assure you that being quiet in meetings is not necessarily a bad thing.
Excellent career tests include the Myers-Briggs test and the Keirsey Temperament Sorter.
