Historically a person’s career path has been able to be determined many ways. In the early-mid-20th century, Katharine Cook Briggs and her daughter Isabel Briggs Myers created the ‘Myers-Briggs Type Indicator’ (MBTI). This assessment indicator was later reformed with Carl Jung’s Psychological Types in 1921. The MBTI was one of the first modern assessments that gave insight into a person’s possible career tracks based on their personality.  

One of the most common recent methods is to assess a person’s potential to be successful after graduation and then track their progress in their post-graduation career pathways through a career assessment tool called the Career Transition Index.

But the best metrics are also the most subjective, allowing the person’s future selves to judge a future career. Some have looked at the value of an education and the size of a bank account, others the quality of service, and still others the type of work a person is interested in doing.

This is based often on factors like salary, education, experience, growth potential, and longevity. This is generally the most important factor to keep in mind if a person is thinking about starting a career.

Parents and educators have a notable role to play when it comes to a career path, but it is not uncommon to see students who pursue courses just because their parents dictated it or compelled them to study it.

Specific tools are used to help students know their attributes. These tools give data values, skills, motivations, preferences, and aptitudes required for different career lanes.

Some of the best career path assessments come from tools like:

  • Myers-Briggs Assessments
  • Keirsey Temperament Sorter
  • MyPlan.com
  • Big Five
  • iseek Clusters
  • MyNextMove
  • MAPP Test

 

Parents and Educators can use results from career assessments to:

  • Know a child’s talents, skills, aptitudes, and disposition.
  • Measure their wards limitations and strengths
  • To know the possible career options the child can choose from
  • To gain some satisfaction and understanding
  • To reduce the chances of making errors when it comes to counseling their child
  • Helps parents encourage the candidates to choose a career that matches their goals, objectives, and talents
  • To reduce depression caused by a lack of career focus
  • Career path assessments can also help a child identify himself/herself in society (self-worth)

Parents and educators should never force their expectations on their children/students. Students should be allowed to make the final choice because the career path is their path. It can either make or break them in life. Even if you think they are making a mistake, it is best to advise them rather than trying to impose certain expectations and career.

Successful mentorship and support, both emotionally and financially, is required from parents and teachers because such a critical stage of life comes with its own degree of stress.

For the candidates, Career path assessment has numerous advantages; they include but not limited to:

  • Helps you identify your interests and passions
  • Helps you pinpoint your strengths and weaknesses
  • Gives you insight on your marketable skills
  • Gives you a sense of value
  • Helps you identify your ideal profession
  • Build future happiness