Which is the best career for women?
Which is the most satisfying career for women?
Which of the best careers for women pays the most?
What percentage of newly launched business are started by women – 9%, 21% or 40%?

According to Forbes,  teaching is the most satisfying and some of these postions pay as much as $94,000.  Which ones? Chief executive positions and medical professions pay the most at $165,000 and $130,00 respectively.  Surprisingly, nearly half of all business are now started by women.  So the correct answer is 40% .  That’s the stats.  Find out much more about Best Career for Women.  What about the best career for you?

What about you? If you had to choose a new career for yourself, which one would you choose.  What is the best career for you as one of many women?

Post your answer at Facebook/#!/TheCareerProfiler and LIKE the page to receive a 33% discount coupon to use at www.TestEts on any career test or career test package for yourself.  TestEts contains the best career tests available on the market today.

All true career personality tests use subjective measures to assess career relevant factors.  There are several points to be aware of when choosing subjective career test assessments which encompasses all career personality tests.

Career Personality Test Limitations:

Career Personality Tests use Subjective Measurements to Extrapolate Career Test Results

First of all, career tests based on SUBJECTIVE MEASUREMENTS means that results are based on what you “think” or deem to be the correct answer.  Your answer response could be a guess, but it should be more like a “gut” response.  In other words, the answer to an item should result from your first impression to a question or statement. The best results to subjective measures such as career personality tests come from answers generated by a quick, automatic reaction to each question/statement item presented in the career test.

Secondly, career tests using subjective measurements (all career personality tests) provide word based options from which to select your answer.  In other words, the subjective test is BASED SOLELY ON WORDS OR LANGUAGE.  All words within any language carry subtleties in their meaning and you must think of words in accordance to the dominant or most common meaning in order to obtain the best results.  Not all individuals associate words with their common usage such as “Specialist” as determined by the THAB career
ability test.

Another way to understand the impact of language in subjective measurements is to consider the following example.  If I say the word “black”, what pops up in your head immediately. It is _____.  Well, over the past 15 years, I have received 39 different responses to this word including Halloween (in May), blue collar worker, night, and white.  The most common answer is white.  Therefore, if a career personality test included a question of “black” as part of their career test, the answer “white” would be one of the choices for example.  If you don’t think of “black” in terms of “white”  you might have either a difficult time selecting from the answer options or you might attribute a different understanding to the word altogether.  As you can see, your personal understanding
of a word is, therefore, critical to producing accurate results on any career personality test.

Career Test Confustion occurs when you have not had enough opportunities to discover who you are

Thirdly, career tests based on subjective measures such as are all career personality tests are impacted by the OPPORTUNITIES you have had to know yourself.  For instance, if you are a young adult who grew up in a household where your parents determined your activities, you watches a lot of TV, you held no prior jobs, and you engaged in no voluntary activities, you likely will not have had enough opportunities to know your personal responses to various situation or to know your interests in a variety of categories to
produce accurate results.  This would make it very difficult to know how to respond to any question and deliberation over your answer could yield inaccurate results.  While this example presents an extreme situation, it is relevant for our society today.  Many young adults have their lives so programmed by their parents; lack of self-knowledge is one of the unintended consequences of their good intentions.

There are more subtle examples of the lack of opportunities to know oneself.  Most, if not all, career test takers are “stumped” by at least a couple of questions.  Rather than react to it as they should, these test taker then ponder over the question and their answer subjecting it to inaccuracies.  Bottom-line, the greater your personal self-knowledge,
the better and more accurate your career personality test results.

Fourthly, career tests based on subjective measures are subject to PERSONAL MANIPULATION. In other words, you might be taking a career personality test as part of work team and know that the result of your career test will be shared with the group.  You deem certain characteristics and traits to be more valued by the group and the company and so select answers that reflect the deemed desirable traits.  You have thereby skewed the results of your career tests and the career test results are not accurate.

Finally, the factor of CHANCE plays a role in every career test.  For instance, if you take a career personality test on a “bad hair day”, subsequently you will likely receive “bad hair day” results. Chance as well as all the other limitations is factored into the reliability and validity of career personality tests which we will review inthe next blog.

Which career personality tests are the MOST SUSCEPTIBLE to these limitations?  Myers Briggs tests top the list, but that doesn’t mean that it’s not a useful, reliable or valid tool.  It is. The publishers have recognized its susceptibilities and published a “test the test” process that The Career Profiler had begun using with clients years before.

If ever you have taken a career personality test and QUESTION the ACCURACY of YOUR RESULTS, please contact a career test expert such as The Career Profiler to review the results with you.  There are many factors that can reviewed to determine accuracy and alternative solutions to retaking the career test is sometime possible.  OR, you can simply retake the test at www.testets.com and choose exactly the kind and amount of information you wish to gain from it.  Getting a career test consultation is alwasy recommended as it provides you with better understanding of your results, ways to apply the results in real-life working situations and brief descriptions and examples of your occupational matches.

Given all of these limitations . . . Why would you want to take a Career Personality Test?  What to do if you have taken or wish to take a Myers Briggs test?  Which career
personality tests produce the most accurate results?  These questions, the limitations and specific reasons to take career personality tests will be presented in the next blog (part
6b).  Stay tuned.

Career Personality Tests fall into three categories: occupation generating, occupation matching, and non-occupation generating or matching career tests. Each type of career personality test provides unique features and satisfies specific career needs.  The information presented below should help you determine the right career test for your income, current or desired career arena, career needs.

Occupation GENERATING career tests are inexpensive, simple to use, and quick tests most appropriate for persons wanting numerous career options, needing an inexpensive  options, seeking a non-online career test format (paper career test), and most appropriate for individuals working in the lower levels in corporations, in trades or front-line service.  Among the most common and best on the market are: COPS system testsand SDS tests. Click on the career test name to access additional information and view samples of career test report.

Occupation MATCHING career tests have conducted extensive research between career personality traits and corresponding factors of occupations necessary for career success and/or career satisfaction.  These are, therefore, particularly useful for persons seeking to discover their first career, a new career, finding a career direction, determining an ideal career, obtaining clues to define a career niche, and changing careers to a more satisfying one.  These best career tests of this kind include Strong Interest Inventory and Myers Briggs Type Test. Click on the career test name to access additional information and view samples of career test report.

NON-OCCUPATION generating or matching career tests are well researched tests that do not produce a list or a set of occupations matching career personalities. Instead they produce descriptions of how a person would likely behave on the job.  The FIRO-B, one such career test, assess and describes how one behaves in relating to others on the job such as boss, co-workers, teams, and colleagues.  Another such test, the DISC test, measures and describes one’s natural and adaptive ways of communicating, contributing, leading, interacting, and performing at work.  These tests, therefore, are used primarily for job performance improvements, employment screening and personal or company initiatied career development purposes. Click on the career test name to access additional information and view samples of career test report.

Select the right career test for your income, current or desired career arena, career needs.

Some of the career trait theory tests do not measure personality characteristics but instead measure abilities, aptitudes and values. While these do not fall into career personality theories, tests of this nature should be considered as part of your career decision process.

Career ability tests are almost the same as career aptitude tests with an expanded and more detailed explanations for career applications such as the Highlands Ability Battery. They identify where a person’s ability to perform in a certain career role and could be viewed therefore as providing some insight to career success.  Career values tests, of which there are few useful ones on the market with the exception of Career Anchors, assess ones current priorities critical for making a final career decision.

In addition to career type and trait theories, there are factor and life span theories.  Holland’s typology could be categorized as factor theory in that it classifies occupations by certain task factors.  The Strong Interest Inventory is the best career test example of this career theory.  Others include Self-Directed Search and Campbell Interest Inventory.

Life span career theory is the final other type of career theory.  Donald Super constructed the life span and life space theory identifying the critical influences on a person in different roles and life stages. Few tests are available for life span theories.  Assessment of life span typically relies on paper pencil exercises or career interviews with a career counselor or career coach.

Career personality testing is usually one of the first steps a career coach or career counselor should take you through once they have assessed a person’s career needs.  A Life Span assessment should be included in the assessment or career profiling phase and ideally should follow the career personality testing phase.

Career Life Span Assessments identify key career and work values and the current priority of these values which a person uses to ultimately decide upon one of the possible suitable career paths.  It also identifies current lifestyle needs and influences of others on the decision.  If ever a person struggles with choosing between career options, it is wise to engage in a  type of life span assessment.  The Career Profiler identifies the life span assessment phase as the nurture part of the profiling step.  See Career Steps Model.

The two most prevalent career theories of career personality are trait and type.

Trait theory classifies specific individual characteristics in terms of effectiveness in specific occupations and assesses the degree of each characteristic in a person. An example of career trait theory would be John Holland’s theory which assesses interest factors.  Career tests that utilize trait theory are Strong Interest Inventory or Self-Directed Search.  Click on the career test name to view samples of the career test.

Type theory classifies collection of career traits that persist over time into broad general categories associated with various occupations and assesses persons trait collections to determine their type and associated careers.  An example of a career test that is based on type theory  is the Myers Briggs type Indicator.  Click on the career test name name to view samples of the career test.

For other career theories (read part 4).

A Career Personality consists of interest styles, operational styles, behavioral
response styles, and interpersonal styles on the grand scope.  Each of the gross components is measured by a different type of personality test.

Career Personality also consists of more specific characteristics.  These include decision-making, problem-solving, leading, energy orientation, perceiving, relational needs, relational response, communication, and team styles.  This list of specific
career personality traits encompasses the most common personal characteristics
assessed by career tests.  Each career personality test measures multiples of these characteristics based on its theory and measurement type.

What is your Career Personality?  It is important to know so that you can select projects, jobs and activities that utilize your career strengths, talents, style – your career assets.  When you choose work that matches your career personality you select work that engages your career assets.

Career Secret:  When you utilize your career assets in work,  you are set up to experience career success.  When you don’t you set yourself up to struggle and even fail.  Know your career personality – know career success.

A complete definition of career personality could not be readily located online or in a
dictionary even though it is a key factor of the career testing industry. Given
the prevalence of the concept in its components within the career industry, and
the assumed inherent understanding of the term itself, it was necessary to both
articulate its definition and to explain the meaning of associated features.

According to The Career Profiler, the definition of career personality is “the unique combination and patterns of behavioral characteristics embodied in an individual affiliated with success and satisfaction in an occupation or profession”.  The career
personality definition used here is based on a combination of individual definitions of career and personality found at www.dictionary.com.

I worked in a department that was being phased out even though I personally expected to be spared the cuts. This proved to be the perfect incentive to begin the career advancement quest.  I started working with The Career Profiler immediately.  Through a process of discovery and exploration using some of the best career tests, I gained a solid understanding of my gifts and talents and strengths.

When an ideal executive job opened up, I again worked with The Career Profiler
to position myself for career advancement. I received the executive job, even after initially being told the company was looking for someone with different qualities. I suspect this delay occurred because I held firm to my career life balance boundaries and yet effectively communicated my boundaries.

Thanks to The Career Profiler for providing key insights and strategies enabling me secure an executive position and still maintain the integrity of my personal life.  Career secret: Leaders know their strengths and boundaries and communicate them
effectively. Janelle W.

I worked with The Career Profiler for several years to position myself for the executive track. When we first met, I had few qualities or qualifications for moving up the career ladder. I held a production-like computer job and possessed no college degree.
Moreover, I had developed no critical connections or mentoring relationships.  With career coaching from The Career Profiler, I progressed rapidly in my career. I advanced three times, established a couple mentoring relationship and neared completion of my bacholers degree all within only a two year period.

The Career Profiler stressed the identification and development of relationships with key mentors.  The mentoring relationships not only advanced my managerial skill sets, they became “corporate angels” delivering many more opportunities for advancement than I could obtained on my own.   In all honesty, I am now sought after by several departments within my Fortune 500 company.

I call The Career Profiler my “life line to success” for teaching me how to “mine” the secrets that make leaders succeed. The Career Secret: leader are connected to key and influential leaders. Lisa S.

I couldn’t seem to get my career jump-started. I was stuck had a job that bored me and had grown desperate to escape it when I finally decided  to work with The Career Profiler.  We began by identifying my talents through some career tests to find my dream career - the job I’d  love doing most. Then a career strategy was set up to position me to move forward towards my dream career.

However, I continued to be frustrated by indecision – re-analyzing
and perfecting the career choice. The Career Profiler applied her career
coaching expertise to help me realize dream careers begin in the present and in
reality. Once I stopped struggling with and resisting my present circumstances
and reality, I was able to apply focus to my career search.  And that’s when career opportunities showed up.

I am so thrilled to finally be working in a fulfilling and challenging career that uses my talents and captivates my interests.  I love what I do now and I can finally see the beginnings of my dream career becoming a reality for me in the future.  Career Secret: Act and move forward in the present career situation – don’t be immobilized by the grandeur of the dream.  Keith M.