Career Assessment Test
A career assessment test gives you an opportunity to reflect over your current career, your educational and professional training, your accomplishments and your career advancement–or lack thereof. The career assessment is where you be brutally honest with yourself and acknowledge not only your strengths, but your weaknesses and what you need to improve on in order to move forward, whether it’s within your current profession or on to a new one.
Some key criteria covered in a career assessment test are position overview, objectives, job performance and achievements, working environment, job interest, educational background and training, language proficiency, company environment, personal needs and other issues that are important to you.
Your position overview in a career assessment test should include information such as your name, your position and title, name of the company and department you work for, whom you report to, how long you’ve worked there, your level of responsibility and job duties, and your current salary and benefits. Include how your current salary is comparable to similar positions outside your company.
State your key objectives and goals you wish to achieve within the next 12 months. List all of your key achievements. Provide information on your performance reviews for the last six to twelve months, including ratings. Include on your career assessment test any unique experiences you had during your tenure in your position, such being the team leader on a special project. Give a summary of your progression through the last 5 to 10 years of your career.
Do an assessment of your key skills and competencies that are necessary for you to effectively perform your job. Include your educational achievements, on-the-job training, and language proficiencies (i.e., if you are bilingual or multilingual).
The company/working environment and job interest section of the career assessment test helps you see just how satisfied you are with your current job, as well as gauge your job security against trends in and outside your company . Be honest with yourself. Do you look forward to coming to work everyday or have you grown to dread it recently? How well do you work and get along with your coworkers, your subordinates or your boss? Are you satisfied overall with your job and your company? Do you see room for personal and professional growth within your current position or company? Do you feel you are in a key position that is vital to your company’s function? Could your company function without you or your department? If your job was vacant and you interviewed for the position, do you feel you would still be chosen over other internal or external candidates?
On the personal end of things, what are your personal needs and wants? What are your financial goals, and what type of work/family balance do wish to achieve. In other words, are you looking to spend more time with family and stop working 70-hour workweeks? A career assessment test can help you make what could be some tough decisions, as well as informed ones.