About Assessments
I am qualified to interpret several kinds of assessments and can do so if you wish. I have extensive experience and training with:
That said, I also often find that an in-depth conversation with the right questions asked gets to the heart of the matter as well as or better than a formal assessment.
You may take any of these assessments (below) on your own, and discuss the results with me. Bear in mind that if there were an assessment that would tell you what to do with your life, we all would already have taken it. My view is that all assessments are great conversation-starters; they get you into exploration mode, and that's always good.
SKILLS:
The Career Driver Online (also referred to as SkillScan) is an exceptionally useful tool that I would recommend to any client, whether you've ever done a skill survey or just need a refresher. It's a bargain at $14.95. If it's been more than a year since you've done a skills inventory, I'd strongly suggest working through this assessment and all of the many wonderful resources on the site. The sheer number of resources can be a bit overwhelming, so focus on the skill survey itself and we can explore which of the other resources you may also want to utilize. View a sample report here.
STRENGTHS:
StrengthsFinder2.0: $9.95 from the Gallup Company. A useful inventory of your top five strengths in order (Gallup measures you on 34 common strengths, but since all their research shows that people only use the top five, that is what they give you in the report). You get a good explanatory report with your results. You can view a free sample of what the report looks like here. StrengthsFinder2.0 is helpful when thinking about career issues, as research shows it's easier to build on strengths than to eliminate weaknesses.
Another choice of strengths inventory is the more recent StandOut by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham worked closely for years with Donald Clifton, who created StrengthsFinder (the assessment just above this one), but he eventually left Gallup and created his own inventory. This assessment streamlines and measures nine major strengths. You get information on all nine of them in the order of your preference. The inventory is about $15 and has excellent follow-up via regular emails giving you hints on how to use your top strengths. Like StrengthsFinder, StandOut is highly recommended. The differences: StandOut slightly more geared towards leaders, but not so dramatically that it can't be used by anyone; it focuses on nine, versus thirty-four strengths; and it has more followup than the Gallup StrengthsFinder. View a sample report here.
INTERESTS:
For about $40 you can take the iStartStrong™ version of the Strong Interest Inventory®, and get a report with your results. This recent version of the Strong is the first to include online, clickable links to information relating to your Holland Interest Codes. Much of the US Department of Labor's information on jobs and careers is based on the Holland Codes, so they are useful to know. View a sample report here, by scrolling down and clicking on "view sample report" (you have to look carefully to find it).
Also available is the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey™ (CISS®), created by David Campbell who was a graduate student of Strong's (Strong Interest Inventory, above) and learned at the master's knee. Campbell eventually went out on his own and created this instrument, which measures both skills and interests. Cost is about $19. See a sample report here.
PERSONALITY STYLE:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (also known as the MBTI®): Did you know you can now take this assessment on your own? To do so, visit the site and read about it (the FAQ is very helpful). It will cost you $49.95. This assessment, while powerful and useful, can also be easily misinterpreted; for that reason, I would strongly suggest we discuss your results in a career coaching session after you have taken it. What it will do: Help you gain understanding of your personality, and by implication, what that might mean for you at work. What it won't do: Tell you what work you should be doing.
Other Inventories: I'm always surveying the internet for fresh approaches, preferably free but based on good research. Check with me to see what might work for you.
- SKILLS: SkillScan/Career Driver Online
- STRENGTHS: StrengthsFinder, or StandOut
- INTERESTS: Campbell Interest and Skill Survey, or the Strong Interest Inventory®
- PERSONALITY STYLE: the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (MBTI)
That said, I also often find that an in-depth conversation with the right questions asked gets to the heart of the matter as well as or better than a formal assessment.
You may take any of these assessments (below) on your own, and discuss the results with me. Bear in mind that if there were an assessment that would tell you what to do with your life, we all would already have taken it. My view is that all assessments are great conversation-starters; they get you into exploration mode, and that's always good.
SKILLS:
The Career Driver Online (also referred to as SkillScan) is an exceptionally useful tool that I would recommend to any client, whether you've ever done a skill survey or just need a refresher. It's a bargain at $14.95. If it's been more than a year since you've done a skills inventory, I'd strongly suggest working through this assessment and all of the many wonderful resources on the site. The sheer number of resources can be a bit overwhelming, so focus on the skill survey itself and we can explore which of the other resources you may also want to utilize. View a sample report here.
STRENGTHS:
StrengthsFinder2.0: $9.95 from the Gallup Company. A useful inventory of your top five strengths in order (Gallup measures you on 34 common strengths, but since all their research shows that people only use the top five, that is what they give you in the report). You get a good explanatory report with your results. You can view a free sample of what the report looks like here. StrengthsFinder2.0 is helpful when thinking about career issues, as research shows it's easier to build on strengths than to eliminate weaknesses.
- Another way to take StrengthsFinder is to buy the book, StrengthsFinder 2.0. Each book has a code in the back that will take you to the Gallup site and allow you to take the inventory for free (assuming you buy your book new and the code hasn't been used by anyone else--it's only good for one use). The book costs about $15.50 and includes detailed descriptions of all 34 strengths measured by Gallup. But--you still only get your top five strengths in your report.
Another choice of strengths inventory is the more recent StandOut by Marcus Buckingham. Buckingham worked closely for years with Donald Clifton, who created StrengthsFinder (the assessment just above this one), but he eventually left Gallup and created his own inventory. This assessment streamlines and measures nine major strengths. You get information on all nine of them in the order of your preference. The inventory is about $15 and has excellent follow-up via regular emails giving you hints on how to use your top strengths. Like StrengthsFinder, StandOut is highly recommended. The differences: StandOut slightly more geared towards leaders, but not so dramatically that it can't be used by anyone; it focuses on nine, versus thirty-four strengths; and it has more followup than the Gallup StrengthsFinder. View a sample report here.
INTERESTS:
For about $40 you can take the iStartStrong™ version of the Strong Interest Inventory®, and get a report with your results. This recent version of the Strong is the first to include online, clickable links to information relating to your Holland Interest Codes. Much of the US Department of Labor's information on jobs and careers is based on the Holland Codes, so they are useful to know. View a sample report here, by scrolling down and clicking on "view sample report" (you have to look carefully to find it).
Also available is the Campbell Interest and Skill Survey™ (CISS®), created by David Campbell who was a graduate student of Strong's (Strong Interest Inventory, above) and learned at the master's knee. Campbell eventually went out on his own and created this instrument, which measures both skills and interests. Cost is about $19. See a sample report here.
PERSONALITY STYLE:
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® (also known as the MBTI®): Did you know you can now take this assessment on your own? To do so, visit the site and read about it (the FAQ is very helpful). It will cost you $49.95. This assessment, while powerful and useful, can also be easily misinterpreted; for that reason, I would strongly suggest we discuss your results in a career coaching session after you have taken it. What it will do: Help you gain understanding of your personality, and by implication, what that might mean for you at work. What it won't do: Tell you what work you should be doing.
Other Inventories: I'm always surveying the internet for fresh approaches, preferably free but based on good research. Check with me to see what might work for you.