Career Testing: Find What Suits And What Doesn'tWhat Is Career Testing If you want an alternative to free online career tests, quizzes and self-help books, here's something worth trying. Testing out possible careers simply means doing any activity that allows you to discover by hands-on experience what you most enjoy or dislike doing. Why Career Testing As children, you and I would have enjoyed simple things like kite flying, bike riding, swimming, running through a field, finger painting... All these activities required us to learn something new, in our case, to acquire gross and fine motor skills and physical coordination. Career testing is simply the adult version of learning something new. It's about trying out a job description to see how well it sits on you. There is nothing like getting sweaty, grubby or paint-splattered - and doing it repeatedly over a period of time - to discover how much you like or dislike something. It's a natural, fun, no-stress way to try something out, a precursor to the more complex choices and decision making that are part of the life journey. Ways To Do Career Testing In his book 59 Seconds: Think a Little, Change a Lot The same can be said of changing careers. Instead of shrinking from change, why not reverse the equation? Embrace change. Pursue change. Make a deliberate and conscious choice to open yourself up to new experiences - and see what happens. Wiseman makes several suggestions on how to create intentional change in your life. To these I've added my own insights and adaptations in the context of career testing.
Do you aspire to be the next Jamie Durie? Why not start by attending some DIY workshops at your local Bunnings hardware store and learn to lay pavers, build a timber deck and build a sustainable garden? Next, try out your newly acquired knowledge on your own backyard (or a willing friend's). Get a feel for the challenges of landscaping and designing an outstanding outdoor room. You will quickly find out if this is something you can learn to love and turn into a second career - or if you'd rather leave it to the professionals. Do you feel strongly about protecting the environment? How about joining a group of like-minded individuals and committing some of your weekends to clearing waste from the local river or beach? Besides meeting new people who share your values and making a difference in a practical way, you also open yourself to a new direction in your career. The organization may have a vacancy for someone with your passion and experience, or be able to provide leads in the right direction. Your volunteer experience shows prospective employers that you are able to meet the job description criteria for your new career and that you walk the walk. The workplace of today requires us to absolutely master certain critical 21st century skills, or at least be on the path to acquiring them. Boost your employability and skills by using career testing scenarios to gain: The next time you read in the school bulletin that your child's school needs helpers for Family Fun Day or a fundraiser to buy musical instruments, why not volunteer your time? An involvement of this kind is a tremendous opportunity to develop marketable skills in a real-world context and to build credibility, visibility and contacts. Again, your new skills can be worked into your CV when you are reviewing your career. If you think your local church or grocery store is in dire need of its own website, why not be the person who makes it happen? You don't even need to be a geek. All you need is passion, enthusiasm, a willingness to do whatever it takes, and the right tools. If word gets out about the amazing job you did, you may just land yourself a new job. We can get so caught up with the busyness of our daily routines that there is no room for new relationships. After a long day, you just want to put your feet up and do nothing. Maybe watch TV or read the newspaper. Chat with your family and close friends. Getting to know new people can be tiring. But making the effort to cultivate new friendships can be rewarding and incredibly refreshing, not just socially but in a career sense as well. We've all heard it said that it's not who you are but who you know that matters. Effective networking is a vital skill and a must-do if you are keen to change careers. It's about getting out there and being visible, taking chances and letting new people into your life. Discovering your strengths and seeing how you can help each other do more and be more. This is career networking at its finest. Consider the potential benefits for both parties. I suspect midlife career changers have an edge here. Being a bit older and wiser, we are free to let go of the hangups we had when we were younger. We are able to demand less of ourselves and others. To be more forgiving, more generous and less serious. We recognize the value of 'help and be helped'. If you have ever tapped into the mommy network at school, you already know what I mean. These are the sort of qualities you want in a friend or prospective colleague/employee. Cultivate them, and you help each other go that much further in the search for a compatible, fulfilling career. Is it time to upskill? Your certificate, diploma or degree may have got you to where you are. But is it enough to get you where you want to be? Studying is a great way of career testing. Provided it is offered by a reputable educational institution, a course can be a practical way and a safe environment in which to acquire skills that are relevant, up-to-date and needed in the marketplace. Return from Career Testing to Career Change Confidence Home
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, psychologist Richard Wiseman advocates changing your life by pursuing intentional change. 