Did you take one of those "career" test, which was supposed to tell you what career you were best suited for? Did it work?

fuzzybuddy

fuzzybuddy

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On a good day, I was a B student. I took one of those career tests, which were supposed to tell you what career to follow. The results came back that I should be a DJ or radio announcer. My career was supposedly in the entertainment "talking" field. So, of course, I became a psychiatric nurse- which, to be honest, is not so far off the mark. Yet, it is strange that I thought about being a DJ way before I took the test. Another thing is, I love stand up comedy. I love telling jokes. I'm not bragging, but I'm good with a come back. Now whether or not I could have made a living at comedy or DJing, I'll never know. Did you take one of those "career" test, which was supposed to tell you what career you were best suited for? Did it work?
 

I did, many years ago. I got 3 suggestions but I only remember 2; detective and fashion designer. I actually did a favor for a state police detective friend by getting some information, but no, I never went into either field.
 
I never took a "Career Test." I never even heard of one. I doubt it would have changed my line of work, anyway.
Nothing bored me more than school.
 
I took a big battery of tests when I wrapped up my 31 years in the Navy. The objective was to help steer us into successful second careers. Following the tests, we all had one-on-one counselling with an advisor who told me:

- That I was a happy individual and that about 25 % of the people in the program were basically unhappy.
- That I had been well suited for my career in the Navy, and as an Engineer. I had fallen into that line of work when I was 17.
- That the optimal work setting for me would be a small high tech company situated in the middle of a national forest. (Good luck with that)
- That I would never rise to a CEO position because I was "not angry enough."
- That I could make it to upper middle management (which I did).
- That I should never take a job requiring me to work more than 60 hours a week. (Maybe I am slightly lazy.)
- That I would like teaching, but would hate campus politics.
- That guys like me do not like noise and construction or noisy factories would not be a good fit.

Overall, the effort was well worth my time and I went into a civilian career that was virtually an extension of what I had been doing in the Navy. One thing that did surprise me is the amount of time I spent using the skills I had learned as an enlisted technician (E5 & E6) versus the training I had as part of my engineering Master's degree. (Maybe it should not surprise me, even as an O-5, I often found smarter people among my enlisted folks than my college graduate Officers.)

I think that I got excellent steerage when I first went to boot camp in 1960. The battery of tests I had there took most of an entire day.
 
I remember filling in the form and being interviewed but it was all rather inconclusive. It was all pointless anyway because shortly after I left school, I went to live in Africa. There wasn't a great deal of choice when it came to work, so I took what was available...working in a hairdressers.
 


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