Desires or Interest | Career Test
Desires or Interest Tests | aka Motivational Tests, are designed to help you identify careers or jobs that might appeal to you. Think of this as more of a thought-organizing tool than a career test.
In these assessments, you might be asked to select the job task you find more interesting (pet sitting or accounting, for example). You might be shown pictures of different career objects or career professionals and then asked to choose the one you like best.
Example Question: Select the career picture you like best.
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Appropriate Test Taker
These assessments are a starting place to generate ideas about which careers might interest you so that you can do some further research and exploration. They will not tell you, however, if these jobs are a good fit for you, nor help you differentiate why these jobs appeal to you.
Did you choose the picture of the diver because your father is was a professional diver? Yet, you may not have the desire to be a diver. Or, perhaps you chose the diver because you want to be like your father.
Strength
This assessment may help you organize your thoughts and desires. They are often free.
Self-Discovery: This assessment may help you identify your passions, hobbies, and interests, some of which you might not have consciously recognized before. This could be a starting point for learning about the variety of jobs and careers that are out there.
Confidence Building: It may reaffirm your self-perceived strengths and interests, which could boost your confidence and self-esteem.
Weakness
There is no connection between the career picture you choose and your personality strength.
There is no scientific standard for this type of test.
Broad Interpretations: An assessment may categorize interests and skills broadly. This can overlook the nuanced differences within career paths. For example, an assessment may suggest a career in healthcare, but this can range from a surgeon to a health data analyst.
Overemphasis on Interests: Some assessments may overemphasize the role of interest and underemphasize the importance of other factors that contribute to job satisfaction and career success, such as skills, work environment, job market, financial considerations, etc.
Examples
Many school and college career counseling offices have a range of such assessments, aimed at guiding students in the crucial phase of career planning. Given the prevalence of numerous unverified versions online, it is wise to engage with these interest or desires tests under the astute guidance of a trained career counselor.
Among these assessments, the Holland Code (RIASEC) Test categorizes users into six personality types—Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional—attempting to pinpoint compatible career paths based on the user's reported desires. Here are more details about the Holland Code Test.
Comparison
Desires or Interest Tests | aka Motivational vs. The Career Assessment Test by CareerFitter
While the Desires or Interest Tests are helpful for observing careers or tasks that interest you or that you respond to positively, another tool is the CareerFitter assessment.
Although it is not traditionally categorized as an interest test, it offers a unique blend of work personality assessment and a secondary Aptitude Aversions Assessment. This hybrid assessment allows users to identify specific job characteristics they might find incompatible or undesirable, such as working with animals or enduring the demands of high-stress environments like an Emergency Room. The insights are instrumental in tailoring one’s career path to align with one's genuine personality at work, desires, and constraints.
Moreover, the CareerFitter assessment test goes a step further by comparing the test results against the characteristics of over 900 careers and jobs. This enables examinees to see which careers align most closely with their natural characteristics and personality traits, and it illuminates any conflicts exposed by the aptitude aversion assessment. The outcome of this comparison is quantified as a ‘Fit Score’ for each career, serving as a tangible metric to guide individuals in their career exploration and decision-making processes.
Careerfitter generates a list of careers in the premium report.