Now that we have looked at Classification and Concept Organization separately, let’s see what careers are available for the whole spectrum of scores. Want to be a successful writer? A teacher? Have a specific career in mind? Double check that the career you desire uses the scores you have in Classification and Concept Organization. If you still don’t know your Convergent Thinking score, take The Highlands Ability Battery today!
Convergent Thinking is a driving ability, which means that if you pursue a job that requires a CL or CO score you do not have, you will not be very happy or successful in that job! Find out if you are an inductive reasoner or a process thinker, a decisive reasoner or deductive reasoner. Then consider a job that uses both of those aptitudes.
Which reasoning combination are you?
High Classification, High Concept Organization
High Classification, Low Concept Organization
Low Classification, High Concept Organization
Low Classification, Low Concept Organization
High Classification, High Concept Organization
These thinkers think “to the max.” They are called consultative because of their ability to solve problems quickly and explain well to others. A lot of outlets are needed through which to express their full-steam-ahead way of organizing, thinking, and explaining. Take note that follow-through is not your strong suit. You are better at thinking up solutions to problems, not implementing those solutions.
Find a career that requires solving lots of problems quickly and explaining the ins and outs of them. Consultative thinkers are known as the classic “law combination.” The Highlands Ability Battery notes: “A lawyer sizes up the facts of a case, works with curveballs along the way, and must communicate with clients, other lawyers, and judges their rationale.”
The Consultive combination: the law combination.
Many professionals who score high in Concept Organization are in the sciences and mathematics. Other careers include engineers, accountants, secretaries and office managers, writers and editors, teachers, travel agents and tour planners, event planners, political and advertising campaign planners, and computer programmers.
Adjust to your high Classification need to explain problem-solving by working in environments within these fields that require human interaction. For example, a computer programmer might find a niche in customer service, where she could explain solutions to customers. Accountants can find a niche in financial advising, where they discuss the solutions to financial problems.
High Classification, Low Concept Organization
This combination is called diagnostic, which gives you a clue as to what kind of job would suit this person. A medical doctor can use these aptitudes to come with the solution to a problem quickly. She can put many seemingly unrelated pieces together and come up with a diagnosis. Unlike the consultative combination, these people find
High classification, low concept organization: Diagnostic
it tiresome to explain their reasoning to others. They would rather just connect the dots, solve the problem, and move on with it! According to Highlands Ability Battery test-takers, diagnostics feel “at home in fast-paced environments [requiring] a strong need to problem-solve.”
However, their low Concept Organization sets them apart from consultants in that diagnostics are not always great at explanations and communication. Like a doctor, they’d rather figure out the problem, prescribe the solution, and go to the next patient! If you are a diagnostic thinker, take this tendency to not communicate well into account and try to find a way to minimize that kind of activity in your job.
Low Classification, High Concept Organization
“Naturally logical in problem analysis and thorough in ensuring all things have been considered, [the Analytical combination] can be slower to arrive at conclusions.” These well-organized, thorough thinkers
Low classification, high concept organization: Analytical
work better in slow environments. These thinkers are analytical. Most careers will reflect this title: financial advisors who analyze a financial situation and discuss solutions with their clients. Or
statisticians who think through all the information before forming a conclusion. They go deeper in problems, more slowly. They are excellent researchers, in it for the long haul.
If you are an analytical thinker, be sure that your job provides you with enough time and depth to understand information. If you work in a fast-paced environment that is only interested in surface-level explanations, happiness and success will be hard to come by!
Low Classification, Low Concept Organization
Don’t overlook these “low” scorers! Called experiential workers, they gather most of their knowledge and problem-solving ability from past experience. The Fundraising Coach says, “This is probably the ideal executive or managerial problem-solving type. Given their ability to apply past experiences to present situations, it may be advisable for people with this combination to get as much varied work experience as possible early on in their careers.”
Experiential thinkers can make great teachers
They tend to be patient with people, and thus are usually better implementers than the impatient diagnostics or consulters. The latter are better at brainstorming ideas, rather than following through with a plan. Experiential thinkers often find success as teachers. After years of teaching experience, they know how to address a learning block and how to best approach explaining a concept to students.
What Now?
Now you know the many careers that best fit people with different combinations of Classification and Concept Organization thinking. This information is highly valuable for people who are looking for a new job, trying to improve in their career, or are planning their career trajectory.
If you don’t know your Classification or Concept Organization scores, it’s time for you to find out! The Career Profiler recommends The Highlands Ability Battery as the best aptitude test. Then you can get a FREE consultation with her to discuss your results. If you already know your Convergent Thinking score but are not sure how to apply it to your life, a meeting with The Career Profiler will help you! Make a plan that guarantees happiness and success in your career.