Why Career Assessments Don’t Work

Career assessments can be so frustrating!  There is so much junk on the internet, some free and some quite expensive.  How is a consumer to know the difference between a waste of time and something that will lead them to the answers they are looking for?

Regardless of what assessments you choose to take, remember that the magic of assessments come from 2 things:

1. Taking an assessment at the right time in the career counseling process, after at least one private or group session
2. Having a qualified career counselor interpret your results so you can make sense of what to do

Taking an assessment ‘cold’ rarely works.  There is too much clutter in the way, or you wouldn’t need an assessment in the first place.

First get some career counseling, then an assessment, then action planning. Those are the steps.

Once you are ready, having a professional interpret the results is key. For instance, results like ‘farmer’ or ‘musician’ or ‘bartender’ may not seem practical.  But, there is still valuable information to cultivate if the assessment has been taken properly.

Assessment results are static, the list of jobs just sits there and stares at you.  Find a real career counselor who can  interpret your results in your local area by visiting the National Career Development Association website at www.ncda.org.  I wouldn’t recommend spending a penny on the internet unless you are under the guidance of a qualified career development professional – a career counselor, not a career coach.

Remember the difference between a career counselor and a career coach is someone who is trained in the practical application of career theory, helping individuals identify, clarify, and remove barriers to career paths.  A resume does not do this.  A resume comes waaayyy after this.

Find a counselor who can correlate your interests, values, skills, personality, maturity, beliefs and barriers to real opportunities available to you in the labor market.  It’s a fascinating journey with a lifelong effect and worth every minute and every penny.

I love being in the business of changing lives for the better through career development.  If you are interested in my career assessments package, I’d love to work with you.  You can learn more by visiting www.julielacroix.com/career-assessments.

Julie LaCroix, M.A.,  has a private practice in Newport Beach, CA,  which serves adults of all ages looking for help with how they got “stuck” in their careers.  Maybe it’s the wrong job, maybe it’s the wrong field altogether.  Or maybe you just don’t know what else is out there.  Her practice is designed to help you, wherever you are in your career journey. She earned a B.A. in Psychology from UCI and an M.A. in Educational Clinical Counseling from Azusa Pacific University.  Contact Julie at www.julielacroix.com.