Unhappy with Career Choice and Seeking Assessment

Darlene writes: I need your help. I’ve surfed the net looking for a site where I can go to for a free career aptitude test, and there is no luck for me. I’m a student in college about to finish an AA degree in social work. The problem is I really don’t know if I love what I’m studying. I need a site where I can research on careers and how much they pay and what the demand is for them. Can you please guide me into finding a career? Thank you.

The Career Doctor responds: I’m going to provide you with a link to a section of Quintessential Careers that lists several of the best (free and fee-based) career assessment tests, but before I do, please let me add a warning. Only you can really decide what you want to do with your life; no test will provide the answer for you. Yes, there are tests that say that people with these certain interests and aptitudes fit certain careers, but that doesn’t mean that the test result is right for you.

So my advice is this: before you even think about taking one of these tests, sit down in a quiet place and contemplate who you are, what your likes and dislikes are, what kinds of experiences or courses get you fired up, and what you are passionate about. Why did you originally choose social work as a major? What kinds of jobs do you see yourself having in the future? Do you plan to get education beyond the associate’s level?

Then, and only then, should you take one or more of these assessment tests. Go to the career assessments section of Quintessential Careers.

Finally, go to the career exploration section of Quintessential Careers, where you can find numerous resources to help you explore career opportunities, including one of the best sources, the Occupational Outlook Handbook, from the U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.