Ever wonder what actually makes you successful and happy in a career? It’s not only the external factors of your job. It’s actually your aptitudes!

In my twenty years of experience as a career coach, I’ve noticed that some of my successful clients, who climbed the ladder to top positions in their company, were still not happy! They hated what they were doing despite the fact that they were successful. The reason they came to me is because they realized that they valued happiness over success. I showed them how they could have both.

Let’s start at the beginning. How did you choose your current profession? If you’re like most people, it was some combination of interest and circumstance. You may have floundered at college, looking for a major that seemed right. Finally, you settled on what seemed easiest and most fun because you always heard to choose your passion and the money would follow. Or maybe you picked a business major so you could get a management position right out of school. Maybe you just happened to stumble upon a job ad, or have a friend who recommended you.

Unfortunately, what you didn’t know is that all of these are set-ups for an unhappy career. Picking a career for any of these reasons is like planting a tree upside-down and expecting it to grow. First, you have to know what your innate aptitudes are in order to branch out and find a career that makes you happy.

What are Career Aptitudes?

Aptitudes are not skills that can be taught. They are talents that you are born with. However, most of us have never heard of them and don’t have any idea which ones we have, or how they affect our job performance. But doesn’t everyone know what their talents are? No, in fact, not everyone. We’re not talking about a talent for music or sports. The aptitudes that determine career fit, success, and happiness are underlying abilities and drives that make a person easily and happily achieve success as an athlete, musician, or CEO.

You may say you have a talent for engineering, when in fact it’s a result of your aptitude for spatial organization. Or maybe you’re interested in finance and like paperwork, and thus think you would make a good accountant. However, it’s actually visual dexterity and memory aptitudes that determine if you would be happy and successful in accounting. There is a set of aptitudes that correspond to every job, from receptionist to rocket scientist. The most successful and content professionals in every field have natural aptitudes that make that job suitable for them. Click here to learn more about aptitudes and why they make you happy.

 

Our aptitudes tell us the  fields in which we can achieve success, and even the jobs within each field that will suit us best. Knowing your abilities can help you develop a career pathway that will give you a lifetime of fulfillment and financial well-being. Isn’t this what you want?

Even though you may not be aware of your aptitudes right now, it’s it’s easy to find out! You can find your abilities by taking an aptitudes test. The Highlands Ability Battery measures 19 different areas where each person has innate talent or a lack thereof. This is the aptitude test that I most strongly recommend. After identifying your career aptitudes, it gives you a list of careers that fit with these aptitudes. This is a great head-start on your new job search.

Finally, it’s also a great idea to make an appointment with The Career Profiler, or even just shoot me a question! Want to know which of your aptitudes are most important? Maybe you’re just not sure what to do with all the information! Fill out the form below and never guess again about whether you’ll love or hate your next job. Know what to do and be… with certainty!