As a holistic career consultant, I love encouraging people to take self-assessments. Knowing who we really are inside, what motivates us, and how we behave in different situations is key, not just in finding the right job or career, but in being happy and fulfilled in our lives and finding that sweet spot where we just plain fit in. I know from experience that it’s sometimes hard to look in the mirror and do a deep dive into who we really are (compared to that professional face we often put on), but it is so worth it.
Many of you have probably taken some kind of assessment before, and maybe you found the results interesting but not particularly practical or actionable. I have. Yeah, it’s nice to know our tendencies and personality types, but you probably knew that before and never did much with the information.
Getting the Right Information
Getting usable and actionable information is key to putting self-knowledge into action so you can take control over where you are going in your career. That’s why I prefer tools I can make use of, apply in real life and have some meat to them. They give you the best bang for the buck in terms of really understanding your needs and preferences so you can be sure you are a good fit for the work you are doing, and the career path you’re on. Knowing what really matters to you and how you react in certain situations gives you not only clarity but a sense of control, so you can make the best decisions that are right for you.
For you hiring managers out there, they are also a great way to make sure you are bringing in someone who is the right fit and will work well with your team. No one wants to invest time, money and energy into an employee who won’t stick around for long because the job or work environment isn’t a good match.
I’m big into career exploration since I’ve seen too many people settle for less in the work they do. To find a career where you really can shine and be your best self, the assessment process is key. Without knowing your work style, motivations and behaviors, you will probably find yourself taking the same career path that you always have, trying to fit in in a job where you don’t belong, and not living up to your potential.
There are many assessments out there but I like what a company called TTI Success Insights has to offer, so I became certified to administer a bunch of them. Here are some that I find particularly useful.
Assessments I Use
Do you want to know if you are in the job that’s right for you, based on your preferred work style? Then take the brief but insightful Task Quotient assessment to see how close you are to your ideal job. It actually measures that with numbers, which can tell you if you are in the wrong job!
Are you interested in what motivates you in your life and career and tells you why you do what you do? The 12 Driving Forces report breaks it down into categories that move you to action, and those categories that turn you off and can cause conflict with others. It takes the mystery out of those vague emotions that tell us that we aren’t happy but we don’t know why.
Do you want to know your specific work behavioral style, how to use that to best communicate with other people and how much you are adapting your style to your actual job? Then the Career Planning Index is ideal. It’s based on the super popular DISC assessment, and it shows not only your strengths and areas of potential workplace conflict, but it gives you a list of careers that best fit who you are as a person.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t add an assessment I use often from a different company, called Skillscan. If you want to do a deep dive into their specific skill set and see which ones they want to focus on most moving forward (and how to promote them), it’s a great tool. For career changers, knowing what skills to not emphasize as you are thinking of making a change is important.
The Takeaway
If you are a career changer, someone new to the world of work, or even an experienced worker who wants to better understand what they really need out of work and life, it would be to your benefit to not only understand the how and why of your actions, and actually measure them! And yes, they can be measured in comparison to how thousands of other people have responded.
Knowledge is power, and self-knowledge is power with control over your life. With that, you can position yourself with confidence as you move along your career and life path. I’ve always said that a career should serve your life, not the other way around. In the end, having self-awareness helps you create the life you want, which is what it’s all about. Then you can find the job and career that supports it and adds to your overall happiness. So don’t be afraid to look into the mirror and do an honest assessment of who you are, what you need in life, and what you have to offer in this world. Only then can you take control over your career path and feel confident about your next steps.
