What is an assessment?

Career assessment is a way to learn more about how well a variety of careers might suit you. Different types of assessments focuses on specific areas, such as skills, interests, or values. Typically, an assessment asks you to answer questions about what you like, don't like, what’s important to you, and what your strengths are.

Since assessment results may relate to as many as 900 different occupations, don't panic if your results include careers that don't interest you. Experts recommended that you take more than one assessment to broaden your ideas before you make a decision. It can also be helpful to talk with a career counselor, family and friends before making a career decision.

Try these assessments to start:

• The Interest Assessment is a quick 30-question assessment that identifies your interests and matches them to careers
• The Skills Matcher identifies your skills and matches them to careers that use those skills
• The Work Values Matcher is a card sort that helps you identify the qualities that are most important to you in a career and the place you work 

Want more career assessment guidance?

• Follow the steps in the How-to Guide: Find career ideas.
• For personal help with understanding and applying your results, talk with a career counselor at a community college, community agency or your nearest American Job Center.