What's Your Calling?
A self-assessment test can help you identify a career that fits you better

By Dana E. Blozis
for The Bellingham Herald

Choosing or changing a career can be a complicated process, even for those whose goals are clearly defined. To get started, it is useful to perform a self-assessment like the one below.

Know yourself

1. What activities interest you?
2. Identify your strengths and weaknesses.
3. List your skills and education. Is it important to you to utilize these?
4. List five careers that interest you and five careers that you admire.
5. What motivates you (for example, money, benefits, rewarding work, recognition, etc.)?
6. Do you like working with others or would you rather work alone?
7. Which interests you most: working with people, statistics and numbers, raw materials, or ideas and concepts?
8. Are you a self-starter or do you prefer daily supervision?
9. Are you creative or analytical?
10. Are there any obstacles you must consider when choosing a career (schedule, transportation, etc.)?

Your work environment

1. Do you want to work indoors or outdoors?
2. Do you prefer working for a large corporation or a small business?
3. Do you want to work on site, at home or on the road?
4. Are you willing to commute? Would you relocate?
5. Is a flexible schedule important to you? How many hours do you want to work?
6. Do you prefer a fast-paced environment or one with a steadier, more even pace?
7. Which appeals to you more: a more formal environment like an office or a hospital, or a less formal environment like a retail store or a machine shop?
8. If new skills or training are required, are you willing to take additional courses?
9. Do you prefer project based work or ongoing, consistent work?
10. How much responsibility do you want? Are you interested in managing others?

Rich Sandeen of WorkSource in Bellingham recommends a comprehensive guide to careers and education in Washington State called, "Where Are You Going?"

"We use this one quite a bit," Sandeen said of the online guide. "It's a good starting point for people."

This guide is available at www.wtb.wa.gov/cg2004.pdf.

Other self-assessments, career quizzes, and personality surveys are available online, and job seekers are encouraged to meet with a trained career advisor.

Bellingham offers several career planning centers including WorkSource, Western Washington University, Bellingham Technical College, and Whatcom Community College. In addition, there are a handful of private career counselors in town.

This article appeared in Great Places to Work on April 17, 2005.

Copyright © 2005 by Dana E. Blozis for The Bellingham Herald