Try a Career Research Quiz

Doing career research obviously takes desire, active or proactive investigation, and as well, a self-knowledge, or an understanding and awareness of what your qualities are, what skillsets you have or have the potential of having, and what jobs call to you (or click for you). You can use numerous online and hard copy tools to do your own career research, regardless of where you are now, how old you are, or how much schooling you have completed. For examples, consider the career research tools below:

Try a career research quiz—You can start with a simple, cute quiz at kidzonline.com, or can investigate your choices and abilities and qualities more thoroughly by taking a more comprehensive survey (or test, if that label doesn’t freak you out). You can do the latter in the career research center or department at your school or college, or can access some tests online at places like careerfitter.com, using ERIK, or using psychometric testing and career skills assessment tools at psychometrics.co.uk, mindtools.com, or changingminds.org.

Check out career research books—While the following titles have helped many, many people in all stages of career-making, they are older versions of what you can find by the hundreds in bookstores and online. Still career research books like WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE? and THE BOXES of LIFE, by Richard Bolles, are books and workbooks that offer detailed, categorical studies by way of interesting, engaging tests of what you like, what you do for fun or hobby, etc..

Consider a career research checklist—at such comprehensive sites as www.quintcareers.com, you can methodically follow a career research checklist, completing such preparatory or decision-making activities as taking assessments, reviewing career-focused books, looking at current job markets by checking out listings in existence now, and research career journals.

Consider career research databases, articles, and sites—For ideas, suggestions, guidance, information, and statistical projection of ideal careers, check out the Index to Careers Guide, provided by the U.S. Department of Labor/Bureau of Labor Statistics. At the site, www.bls.dol.gov, you can also learn about tasks, duties, and other specific to general details, including information on job salaries, working conditions, descriptions of the character of the job (what’s involved in each particular job), training and other qualification requirements, the stats on jobs and positions held in that field and the competition involved, and projected job openings for that particular career.

Be as thorough as you can in your career research, for, after all, this about your life—this is about doing something for more waking hours than anything else you do.