Assess to Decompress: How You Can Use Career Assessments over Break


As the semester draws to a close, we are quickly approaching winter break and the alluring promise of time free of assignments, tests, projects, and other responsibilities. However, if you are anything like me, you also like to pick at least one thing to work on that you normally do not have time for during the semester. It can be a great opportunity to reflect on the semester and consider your next steps in terms of your major and career. You may be reevaluating your major after this semester and want to explore a new path. Or maybe you have decided on a major, and you want to use some time over break to explore your options for a career path. Whatever your situation may be, utilizing the career assessments offered by the UGA Career Center can be a great place to supplement your career and major search so you are more prepared when the next semester begins.

Read on below to learn about a few of the career assessments we offer, their benefits, and how you can access them!

  1. O*NET Interest Profiler
    The O*NET Interest Profiler assesses your interests in relation to how much you would like to complete specified work activities and tasks. The assessment then matches you up to jobs based on these interests and the level of preparation you choose. You can then click on each individual job to see a summary page with helpful information, including knowledge, skills, education, salary, and job outlook. I find these summary pages very helpful, and they can also point you to related jobs that you may have not previously considered. You can use the results as a starting point to explore new career interests and paths. This assessment is free, and no account is required.

    To give you a better idea of the information that this assessment provides, I chose a job to walk through as an example. I want to work in healthcare administration, so I chose to look at “Medical and Health Services Managers.” From this summary page, I learned that these managers oversee operations of medical facilities and personnel. Also, people who have attention to detail, dependability, cooperation, and adaptability are best suited for this role. Finally, the page also tells me that a bachelor’s degree is usually needed for this position, the job outlook is bright, and the average salary is $104,280 in the country. Try this out with your own jobs of interest!
     
  2. TypeFocus
    TypeFocus is a thorough assessment that measures your personality in terms of your personality type, interests, skills, values, and success factors to create a personalized list of career recommendations. Once you have your results, you can use the other areas of the platform to assess your competencies, create a career roadmap, and prepare for interviews and the job search. One of my personal favorite aspects of this assessment is that it matches your results to majors at UGA that may be of interest. To take this assessment for free, call the Career Center at (706) 542-3375 for the access code. You can input that access code when you create an account.

    When I took this assessment, I gained several insights, including learning that my personality type is ISFJ (Introvert-Sensing-Feeling-Judging), my top interest is the “social” category for job types, and I have top skills in the categories of social and management skills. TypeFocus then gave me 6 occupations that matched all 4 of my assessments. For one of them, Occupational Therapy, it told me that the Kinesiology major at UGA could prepare me for this field, it has a bright job outlook, and it has an average salary of $83,000. Even if your top job choice is not in that first group, you can see lists of occupations that matched fewer assessments as well for further exploration.
     
  3. Strong Interest Inventory
    The Strong Interest Inventory matches your interests, personality, and what you are looking for in a job/job environment to a specific list of jobs. This assessment has a fee of $30, and you can call the Career Center at (706) 542-3375 to make the purchase for access. This particular assessment also requires that you make an appointment with a Career Consultant to interpret the results. Browse the linked website for more information and to see sample reports, but keep in mind that you will not purchase the assessment through this website. If you have taken both of the assessments above and want to explore further, then taking this test is a great next step.
     
  4. Outside Resources
    Beyond the ones offered through the Career Center, there are plenty of other assessments online that you can take for additional insight. You can find free versions of many of these assessments online, but several of them do vary in cost. I personally love taking assessments, so if you find yourself wanting to learn more, check out some of these options below!


It is important to remember that these assessments serve as guidance and inspiration. Just because your dream job is not listed as one of your matches, does not mean you cannot pursue it! They are designed to provide you a foundation for further exploration and maybe introduce you to a path you had not previously considered. It can be fun to learn more about yourself and your interests, so take your time with them and enjoy the process!

Once you work your way through these assessments, you should schedule an appointment with your Career Consultant on Handshake to discuss and interpret your results. If you need additional support, you are also welcome to visit Career Center drop-in hours, which occur Monday through Friday from 11 am to 2 pm. During drop-in hours, you’ll meet with a Career Center team member for 10-15 minutes, with Monday through Thursday sessions occurring in person, and Friday sessions taking place virtually on Zoom through our Handshake link. You can also check out our “What Can I Do with a Major In…?” page that gives information on jobs, skills, and career outcomes for the majors available at UGA. The “Finding Your Career Fit” Career Guide can be a great supplemental resource to these assessments also. Finally, our Arch Ready program has events in the spring for exploring majors and career paths as well. Good luck on finals, have a great break, and most importantly, go Dawgs!

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