Before you choose a direction · 6 min read
How should I compare career assessment results before choosing a direction?
Line up what each assessment measured, look for themes that repeat, treat clashes as clues, and test the strongest two directions before you choose.
The short answer
Compare career assessment results by what each one measured, not by which jobs they listed. Put interests, values, skills and personality results in one table, and look for themes that appear in more than one. Treat clashes as clues about the conditions you need, such as liking people but not crowds. Then pick the two directions with the most support, check their daily tasks and practical demands, and try a small piece of each before you decide.
On this page 4 sections
Put the results in one table
| Assessment | What it measured | Your main result | Theme it suggests |
|---|---|---|---|
| O*NET Interest Profiler | Interests | Investigative, Social | Working out problems that help people |
| Work Values Matcher | Values | Independence, Achievement | Owning your own work |
| Skills Matcher | Skills | Writing, critical thinking | Explaining and analysing |
| 16Personalities | Personality | Introverted | Fewer, deeper conversations |
Look for repeats and clashes
- Repeats: a theme that shows up in two different kinds of assessment is worth testing first.
- Complements: different results that combine, such as analysis plus helping people, often point to work you hadn't considered.
- Clashes: ask what conditions would make both results true. That usually tells you about the setting you need.
Turn themes into two directions
Write each theme as an activity, then search for occupations that involve it, using O*NET's job duties search or mySkills myFuture if you want to start from a job you've held. Choose two directions that combine the most themes and meet your practical needs, then test them.
Questions people ask
- What if my career test results contradict each other?
- Most contradictions come from tests measuring different things. Someone who scores high on helping people but low on sociability might prefer one-to-one or behind-the-scenes support. Ask in what conditions each result is true.
- Should I pick the career that appears in the most results?
- Not on that alone. Several tests can measure similar things, so three matching results aren't three independent pieces of evidence. Use repeats to choose what to test first.
- How many assessments should I take?
- Usually one interest inventory and one values or skills tool are enough. More tests tend to add confusion rather than evidence.
- What do I do once I have a shortlist?
- Read the tasks, talk to one person in each direction, and try one small task from each. Choose on what happened.
Exercises are practice, not evidence of career fit or a qualification. How to read our guides and report a correction.
Sources
- O*NET Interest Profiler · O*NET Resource Center, U.S. Department of Labor
- Skills Matcher · CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor
- Work Values Matcher · CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor
- mySkills myFuture · CareerOneStop, U.S. Department of Labor
How this page is written
Sources support the factual background, not a guarantee that an exercise predicts career fit. Fictional practice material is labelled. Dates record content updates; no independent expert review is implied. More about OffLadder.