I'm working in my dream job
And I love it.
Aptitude tests... They do have their uses, honestly. I really don't trust the free online ones, though (and especially the ones that say 'send us $50 and we'll send you your full report'). Those kind of tests should be administered and interpreted by a trained assessment counsellor (I'm actually qualified to administer some career assessments, though as I've never actually done this as part of my job I wouldn't trust myself to do it! I have taken assessments, though, and I've read the results of assessments clients take).
I know what you mean about forced-choice questions, where you
must choose one even if your preference is none. I don't like them either, but on studying the science behind these tests it's clear that there's a reason. If you answer too many 'don't knows' then the test can't assess you properly. So they ask you to consider it as 'least worst' - let's be honest, even in a list of three things you really don't want to do, there'll be one you like least or dislike least. And you'll find the same options turn up again, set against different alternatives - that's all to do with helping the software to rank your options.
Aptitude tests just measure
aptitude - things you're good at. You then need to take your interests into account - for example, in my aptitude test I was told I'd have aptitude for being a scientist, an accountant, a salesperson a lawyer, a teacher and many other things. I'd rather slit my wrists than work in sales, and when I did accounting for one summer I found it dry and boring. That's
me - everyone's got different interests and work preferences. Aptitudes only tell you what you'd be able to do with your skills and abilities.
Anyone who's not sure what you'd like to do, particularly if you're still studying or a recent graduate - go to, or phone, your school/university career advice centre. They all have LOTS of vocational assessments. Ask for aptitude and interest assessments, and maybe even work values - people value different things from work. Some value financial reward or status. Others value doing good to other people, or the social aspect of work, spending time with people you like. That can affect your attitude to your job. I hated doing research, a major part of my last job, even though I had an
aptitude for it, because it didn't feed my
work value of face-to-face interaction with people I am helping in a practical way.
Oh, and - unless you're within a few years of retirement - it's never too late to change career direction. Everyone's got transferable skills, and it's just a matter of working out what skills you can bring from one role into another. I've seen a lawyer become an employment counsellor and a teacher become an administrator
without having to go back to college or university. Maybe there's no reason why your dream job just has to stay a dream
Wendy
