Strong Interest Inventory
I am a big fan of the moto “Always be prepared”, that is especially true when it comes to career planning. I have met so many people who know exactly what their career destination is, until something happens and that destination becomes either unlikely or somewhere they no longer want to go. What happens then? At these pivotal moments I suggest taking the Strong Interest Inventory assessment (SII).
Once you take the assessment you will receive up to a three-letter code which indicates what you are most interested in. The six themes are:
Realistic – Machines, computer networks, athletics, working outdoors
Investigative – Science, medicine, mathematics, research
Artistic – Self-expression, art appreciation, communication, culture
Social – People, teamwork, helping, community, service
Enterprising – Business, politics, leadership, entrepreneurship
Conventional – Organization, data management, accounting, investing, information systems
The novel thing about the SII is that it uses data collected over many years and compares your results to that information. People who have the same jobs tend to answer the assessment in the same way, therefore doctors are different to nurses, physical therapists, dentists, and biologists even though one might assume that they would have similar interests and traits. The assessment provides the top 10 occupations that you answered most similarly to. That doesn’t mean that you should now focus on those career paths but that you should investigate what skills those jobs utilize as you probably want to use them in the future.
There is also a section on personal styles, it will provide you information on five different attributes. How do you like to work? What learning environment do you prefer? What is your leadership style? How likely are you to take risks? Do you like working in teams?
Once you have all of this information you can begin self reflection on what skills, learning and work environments you are most interested in. You can also consider whether management or leadership positions are opportunities that you wish to aim for. Once you have performed the necessary reflection you should also review whether you currently have the skills and background for that career path or whether further training is required.
I have met with many individuals over the years for the SII who are interested in STEM in some way however the results have been fascinating. Don’t assume by looking at the list above that you know where you will score as you may very well be surprised. It is through discussion with an experienced practitioner that the surprises will come into focus and could lead you to an unexpected destination.
When I talk through these steps with people sometimes they are reluctant to put in the necessary effort to figure out what career path they truly want. However, as a sign in my office reads “There is no elevator to success, you have to take the stairs”. To take complete ownership of your future at some point you will need to consider some important questions. This assessment is a great start to that process.
Contact me to discuss the assessment and we can discover your interests and career path together.
