The Secret to Ensuring a Long-Lasting, Fulfilling Career

“What do you want to be when you grow up?”

The phrase itself pulls you back to grade school as you think of your answers. Maybe you were one of those kids who always knew what you wanted to do or who you wanted to be. Maybe your career manifested itself and made your life abundantly clear.

For the rest of us, we have struggled with this question from the first time we were asked. Our career happiness has evolved with each phase of life, leaving some of us wondering what exactly constitutes that all-too-perfect lifelong career and how it is that we find our true calling.

Many blogs and resources ask you a few main questions to get to the root answer or offer up steps to complete that will ultimately lead you to your decision.

They are not wrong, but let’s address the elephant in the room:

These blogs are using a form of assessment to match individuals with their dream careers.

By “surveying” your passions, needs, and workstyle, these questions give you a generalized idea of what fields may provide you with long-lasting career success and an ideal work/life balance. While this can be helpful, we would offer clients even more specific options to provide the most accurate results, matching top candidates to satisfying positions with reputable companies.

Look at the Futurelink staff’s approach to a long-lasting, fulfilling employer-candidate relationship:

1. Employee Personality Profile (EPP)

One of the first assessments you should consider is the Employee Personality Profile (EPP) assessment. If you are starting from scratch, a great starting point is to assess yourself and your needs. The EPP measures twelve unique personality traits that will allow you to see your work style and preferences. The assessment is 140 questions in length, spanning an average of ten minutes to complete.

Nothing compares to accurately measuring achievement, assertiveness, competitiveness, conscientiousness, cooperativeness, extroversion, managerial, motivational, openness, patience, self-confidence, and stress tolerance in record time.

2. Criteria Basic Skills Test (CBST)

For our next assessment in the series on the path to employment satisfaction, we have the Criteria Basic Skills Test (CBST). Criteria is touted for their work in the industry and data collection. The CBST is designed to assess four major educational components: grammar, math, spelling, and language. This test is 40 questions in length and takes about 20 minutes to complete. The scores offer insight into job readiness for a wide range of positions.

Just think, in 20 minutes, you could be matching your knowledge with roles that suit you.

3. Myers-Briggs Strong Interest Inventory

Our last staff pick is certainly not the least but can be used as a standalone for a general overview. The Strong Interest Inventory assessment helps identify a potential candidate’s work style and personality using RIASEC, which stands for:

Realistic

Artistic

Investigative

Social

Enterprising

Conventional

It then breaks those areas down into 30 separate categories that describe one’s interests as they relate to study, careers, and leisure activities.

The Myers-Briggs Strong Interest Inventory recommends the top career matches, down to very specific roles.

While these are our staff picks, there are a wide assortment of assessments that go on to delve deeper into personality, cognitive styles, and even emotional intelligence.

Click here to get started using our 21st-century-centered assessments and get started on understanding how your values, interests, personality/preferences, and skills can benefit your career success.