AIU Online CareerPointers If you want things to be different, perhaps the answer is to become different yourself. — Norman Vincent Peale
HOMEADMISSIONS & FINANCIAL AIDDEGREE PROGRAMSVIRTUAL CAMPUSCONTACT USCLICK TO TALK September + October 2005, Issue 32
In Focus Return Home
  Career Advice
Assessment Measures--Finding Your Niche
It's common to be uncertain about your career path. Most college graduates haven't found their career niche. To avoid aimless interviews and eliminate the potential for wasting time working at a job that you don't enjoy, a career assessment can be a helpful tool.

Career assessment tests have no right or wrong answers. They are designed to extract your strengths, weaknesses, likes and dislikes. You can determine how you react in certain situations, and gain a better understanding of your ideal work environment. The results will help define your niche, and direct you toward a compatible career—perhaps one that you've never considered.

The internet is an excellent resource for career assessment tools. Various assessment tools are available online. There are several sites dedicated to assisting people in finding compatible occupations. Some are fee-based and range in cost from $10 to over $100. However, many sites provide free tests and detailed results.

Personality Type
A personality test may reveal ways in which you process information, react to others, solve problems or make decisions. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is one of the most reputable personality tests, however incurs a fee and requires assistance in interpreting the results. The Keirsey Temperament Sorter is a shorter analysis and similar to Myers-Briggs, yet the test and results are free of charge.

Skills
There are several surveys geared toward helping you identify your qualifications, and matching them to several job categories. The majority of online skill identification resources are fee-based services, however The Skills Profiler, provided by America's Career InfoNet, is a comprehensive free tool that matches your skills to occupations, and identifies skill gaps and suggests areas where you can take the necessary steps to work toward the career of your choice.

Values/Interests
These assessments help determine your interests and reveal factors that motivate you to succeed. The Career Focus 2000 Interest Inventory assesses your interests and identifies matching occupations. Ansir's Self Perception Profiling System is another wonderful free test that provides insights into the way you think, work and emote.

Self-assessment tools can have interesting findings; however it's not recommended that you base your academic and career decisions on the results of one test. Take several assessments, and weigh the results carefully. If you still haven't found your niche, your AIU Online Career Services Representative is available and willing to help.

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Selecting the Right
Career Field
Labor Statistics—
What Careers Are Hot?
Informational Interviewing
In Focus
Selecting the Right Career Field
Assessment Measures—Finding Your Niche
Labor Statistics—What Careers Are Hot?
Informational Interviewing


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