Is Taking a Career Path Quiz Actually Helpful? 

Graduating high school feels like standing on the brink of the unknown. Faced with perhaps the most monumental choice of your life, many students do not know how to transition into a new career.

Guidance counselors, teachers and parents may advise taking a career quiz, but what do these quizzes actually measure? More importantly, are they helpful in the long run? Using the right resources can guide you toward the future of your dreams. 

What Do They Measure? 

Career aptitude quizzes analyze skills, interests, motivators and values. It matches the skills and personality traits of the test taker with professionals in different fields, resulting in one or two possible careers the user might enjoy. 

Some tests zero-in on personality traits like extroversion or introversion, while others focus on concrete skills like coding or writing. By combining these factors together, the best quizzes get a well-rounded idea of a test-taker. 

The Best Career Path Quizzes

To find the right career quiz, you need well-researched and tested examples. These three are tried and true examples that thousands of students take each year. 

1. My Next Move

This career path quiz is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor and is completely free. Their focus centers on interests rather than concrete skills. If you are someone who feels overwhelmed by all your possibilities, this quiz helps narrow down some options.

At the end of the quiz, the user will find job boards and resources so that students can jumpstart their journey. 

2. What Career is Right for Me? 

By allowing users to rank their skills, style, values, interests and financial goals, this quiz gains a clear picture of a person’s desired future. The results page will also list more than just the job title. You can find firsthand accounts of industry professionals, as well as education requirements and skills to harness. 

3. Truity: The Big Five Personality Test

Truity’s free, 10-minute career quiz measures your ability to handle stress, adapt to new situations and manage your energy levels. Jobs are not just about skills and tasks throughout the day. Interacting with coworkers, customers and public speaking are all factors that many people do not consider before diving into a field. With this key information, Truity’s test helps match you with a potential path. 

Power In the Process

Career path quizzes can be incredibly beneficial for some people. After being in the same school setting for around 12 years, the idea of transitioning to a completely new lifestyle can be daunting. To have the metrics and clear options about your future, you can explore fields you may have never considered before. 

Remember to take all results with a grain of salt. If you have been dreaming of being a biologist for years and instead receive the result of swim instructor, do not throw away all your aspirations. After all, an online test cannot really know the real you. 

However, if the quiz suggests a certain career like a teacher, perhaps it is finding key traits like encouragement, creativity and understanding with children. Ultimately, career path quizzes are foundations for further exploration into your innate abilities and interests. 

Limitations and Losses

On the other hand, some students find these tests to be discouraging and too generic. Results for some tests may only cover jobs like a nurse, teacher and manager, and not get into higher specifics. 

In fact, 85% of 2030’s job market has not even been invented yet. There are so many titles and opportunities just waiting for fresh-faced graduates and go-getters. Your online test cannot list every job title in existence, so the results can be limiting. 

Despite what society may tell you, there is no one true path. You can change your career, interests, hobbies, opinions and even your major as finances allow. People are not static beings, and it is OK to explore as you grow older. 

Use a career path quiz to explore potential options, reevaluate your skills and collect your thoughts. Once you have this information, survey these places for further information and guidance: 

• Internships
• Job fairs
• Career shadowing events
• Meetings with mentors and teachers
• Events hosted by college admissions 
• Interviews with family, friends and neighbors
• Quiet time with yourself to research and review

Take Heart

Trust yourself first and foremost. While career quizzes are beneficial for many students, they are not the ultimate answer. Instead, use their results to guide you into this next, exciting stage in life.