Good, neutral, career aptitude tests?

March 31, 2010 8:25 PM

Good, neutral, career aptitude tests?

Asking for Daughter-the-Younger, who is in her mid-twenties. She doing some self-evaluation, trying to find a new career that she will enjoy. She has some books but would like to also find an online career aptitude test that isn't a front for a training program or recruiting firm.

Can you recommend any sites of that type? Thanks!

posted by trinity8-director to Work & Money (5 answers total)

I'm guessing she probably has What Color Is Your Parachute? but if she doesn't, or if she hasn't done all of the exercises, she definitely should. The Myers-Briggs test is also excellent. Both helped me enormously - they didn't exactly tell me anything I didn't already know, but they helped me better understand my own interests and needs, and how impact my career. There are a million places online to take the Myers-Briggs.

BTW, I really think that, especially at her age, career interests are probably more important than aptitude. It's a lot easier to learn a skill if it will help you do something you really want to be able to do than it is to learn to love something you just happen to be good at. I wish I had learned this a lot earlier.
posted by lunasol at 8:57 PM on March 31, 2010

Try the Strong Interest Inventory (not free, however) I think the best way to find out about careers is not through a test but by trying them out, and through informational interviews with people in different careers.
posted by lsemel at 9:40 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]

Second the Strong Interest Inventory - it compares your interests to the interests of people in many different fields. It's not about aptitude but rather matching your personality to typical personality of people in the profession. It suggested several things that I would have never thought about but after reflection I could see how they might be a fit.

Meyer-Briggs never did anything for me but if it is free, sure, go ahead and try it.
posted by metahawk at 10:47 PM on March 31, 2010 [1 favorite]

I've recently taken two different career assessment tests. Both were subsidized by my university to around $10 each so I'm not sure what the regular price is but you can purchase and take both of the tests online.

Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS) "outlines your areas of interest, and how your interests compare with those of people in different occupations and educational programs." (This sounds a lot like the Strong Interest Inventory mentioned above.)

Typefocus is focused on personality type and identifying careers that might fit the person's strengths.

I'm glad I took both tests but if I had to take only one I'd take the JVIS.

[She may already have this but I wish I had this book when I was 20: The Adventures of Johnny Bunko: The Last Career Guide You'll Ever Need]
posted by lmm at 3:08 AM on April 1, 2010

Not online but a serious aptitude test: Johnson O'Connor.

It takes about a day and a half, and it isn't cheap, but it is very thorough and for someone casting about trying to find a new career, it's worth every penny. Ironically, the more different aptitudes a person has, the more challenging it can be to find a career that puts them all to use.

It isn't a front for any other training or recruiting, and it is much more thorough than any other aptitude or skill sorting test I've ever taken. Feel free to MeMail me if you have any questions.
posted by ambrosia at 8:51 AM on April 1, 2010