<p>I was just wondering about other peoples experience with carrer tests. When i was in year 11 (i think that translates as junior year, the year before your final year) my school had my whole grade do a carrer test which was supposed to give us a list of carrers that would suit our interests and personalities. My top carrer was supposed to be a parole officer! I have no idea how they came up with that suggestion but it deffinately does not fit with me (frankly i would be frightened). My friends sister got a bus driver, she is now working in administration after getting a degree in computing. </p>
<p>I was just wondering has anyone found these tests to be helpful? Has anyone ended up working in the fields they suggested, or like me were the suggestions somewhat more of a joke than a vaild carrer?</p>
<p>Basically they figure out the two biggest components of your personality and say what you should be based on that. For example, for mine I was scientifically oriented as my first thing and creative as my second, so I was listed as a "biologist." Personally I was quite amused by that because I really don't like bio! ;)
Interestingly most of my friends were told to be "dictionary editor": amusing because there are probably about ten of them in the entire country I figure. Oh, that and the test did not have "astronaut" as a career option yet had all sorts of depressing options instead... yeah.
I've yet to hear of anyone actually following through with what the test told them, but some people did start thinking about their careers around that time so it probably served as a catalyst in that regard.</p>
<p>I think that the catagories that the test gives you may be useful in narrowing your interests, but the list of jobs (at least with the test I took) is ridiculous. I remember when I took the test in 8th grade, one of the top jobs in one of my catagories was "Blue-collar-worker supervisor"! I took the test again in 10th grade and the general fields it assigned me (something along the lines of data-oriented, and science/technology) is close to what I'm majoring in in college</p>
<p>Darn it. I just realised i spelt Career incorrectly and it seems it is too late to edit. I am horrible at spelling so its a good thing they did not suggest a dictionary editor for me!</p>
<p>In one of my favorite Candid Camera episodes, they gave a "Carrer Test" to a group of super-achieving, type A highschool students and told them individually in their follow up interview that the career they showed the most aptitude for was to be a shepherd!</p>
<p>We've never had much luck with career tests until just lately. My son's High School subscribes to a site: <a href="http://www.careercruising.com%5B/url%5D">www.careercruising.com</a> I think you do have to pay for this but it was really accurate. I did it and it came up with a dozen careers that were interesting and included one that I do. My husband did it with the same results. I talked my oldest son into trying it and it listed game designer, his current interest, as the #2 choice and had many more interesting careers.</p>
<p>Besides listing the career interests it allows you to explore each career by giving a description, a short interview with two people that do it, salary ranges and the education you would need to get it. Another big section of the site is college exploration and you can go from a certain career to finding out what colleges would support it. Would have been nice to have last year when my son was a junior. As a disclaimer, I am not connected to this site, just a fan.</p>
<p>Ya know what? I think we should extend the logic of tests to all of the great choices in life, long term and short term. Before you do any of the following, you owe it to yourself -- nay, to society -- to pass an aptitude test. Of course, some of these couldn't use standardized paper-pencil methods, but I'm sure we can come up with practical equivalents. Why leave anything to chance?</p>
<p>Bottle or breast fed?</p>
<p>Paper or cloth diapers?</p>
<p>Pacifier?</p>
<p>Ween at 6 months or not?</p>
<p>Single sex school?</p>
<p>Music lessons?</p>
<p>Emphisize speeling (even if not as a "carrer")?</p>
<p>Sports camp, or debate camp?</p>
<p>Sex?</p>
<p>Drivers license at age 16?</p>
<p>Sex?</p>
<p>College close to home or not? Core curriculum? Big or small?</p>
<p>Boxers or briefs?</p>
<p>Sex?</p>
<p>Mac or PC-Windows?</p>
<p>Electric or gas range?</p>
<p>DANG, so many choices, and so few useful tests!</p>
<p>Does anyone know the name of the company that does the weekend long career/interest evaluations? I friend of mine told me about it a year or so ago, and I am terrible with names.
His wife had used them during her senior year of college, and was so impressed that she had talked about it for years. She finally talked him into going for the weekend, and they didan evaluation for retirement - hobbies, and possibilities for career change after early retirement.</p>
<p>I don't know about the weekend long interest eval, but D recently went to career services and took the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (one of the most common). They can also do the Stong Interest inventory or DiSC (Dimensions of Behavior ).</p>
<p>
[quote]
Yeah...so what came up at the top of my list of careers???</p>
<p>Rabbi!</p>
<p>Umm...A) I'm not Jewish....B) I'm female....two primary requirements to become a Rabbi...
[/quote]
<em>lol</em> ophiolite! My father <em>WAS</em> a rabbi, and I'm sure his career test would have shown an aptitude for something completely different!!! ;)</p>
<p>Ya'll are too funny. Momrath, thanks for the priceless candid camera memory..
I am also supposed to be a priest according to my Meyers Brigg of years gone by. Not catholic. Not male. But at least if I converted to Judaism, I would have a shot at being ordained as a Rabbi.</p>
<p>Our friends' son took a test the HS offered & was told he should be a preschool teacher (he wants to be a pediatrician so he was very offended & upset). My son has refused to take the test because he says it's not valid.
I took the career cruising test & it came out with my current profession as my 1st choice & my prior career as my 2nd choice (love both). I agree that it's helpful.
The thing is that we change so much over time & due to experiences we have, it's not that easy to KNOW for sure what's even out there, which colors our answers as well.</p>
<p>my son at the Duke is an "undecided" freshman who loves Duke sports (all kinds), the arts, history, geography and sciences and generally seems to be majoring in a fulfilling new social life and programming his new "free" hahahahaha Ipod, which is integrated into one of his course's curriculum this semester. No, really he does work hard and does fine in academics. But. I anticipate mine will be one of the "Lost Boys" till about junior year re major, just as he was always the last person to think up his science project, choose his Eagle project (completed two days before deadline of his 18th), mail off his college apps (numerous drives on dark December evenings to the last open post office to get postmarks on last possible application deadline dates) or for that matter to pick a college..yes, we went to three Accepted Students Days and he was still dithering on April 29.<br>
He is scheduled to take the Myers Brigg in a week (with a little pressure from us.) I realize it may mean zip, and that he also may be destined for the priesthood or dogcatcher test results, but it makes me feel better to know that in order to take the free inventory tests he had to locate the Career Office, walk in and open a file.</p>
<p>That's the test that told my daughter she should be an athletic trainer. This for a girl that was into english, choir, acting and all things service oriented but had zero interest in sports except that the band got to go to the football games.</p>