Interest assessments measure the degree to which a person's interests are similar to those of professionals who are already employed in specific occupations and career fields. These assessments can help you determine what types of careers you might or might not enjoy. Interest measures ask questions about whether or not you typically like (or think you would like) certain types of activities, and your responses are compared to the responses of people in a wide range of occupations. The underlying premise of interest surveys is the belief that people in different types of careers report similar interests, which tend to cluster together.
Interest inventories are most often used by high school and college students to help guide their search for possible careers, but these assessments are also useful for adult career-changers to determine possible vocations that may better fit their interests.
Most interest-assessment surveys are based on Holland's theory of vocational choice. According to Holland, people are more satisfied when their career field matches their personality and interests. He describes six different personality types (Artistic, Conventional, Enterprising, Investigative, Realistic, or Social) and contends that different professions can be classified into the same categories, depending on the activities performed and skills used.
Teachers are typically described as exhibiting a combination of Social, Artistic, and Enterprising skills and abilities. According to the theory, teachers who are good at communicating ideas, supervising, organizing, and persuading others will experience greater job satisfaction than those with fewer skills in these areas. However, it is very important to remember that not all successful teachers have these qualities. Many people hold jobs that may seem dissimilar to their personality type, and they frequently report that they find their careers rewarding.
Helpful Services
Free
The Career Key is a service to help you with career planning, conducting a job search, and choosing a college major or training program. This site contains a free online assessment that measures your skills, abilities, values, interests, and personality. Information is also provided on job search strategies, career counseling, networking, career exploration, and informational interviewing.
Fee-Based
The most widely used interest assessments are Holland's Self-Directed Search and the Campbell Interest and Skills Survey. You can take these assessments online for a small fee, typically about $10-$20. These measures can be very helpful in determining whether you would find teaching to be a rewarding career path.
Once you have determined your interest types, you can use them to find a career that best suits your personality. Try our online career-matching tool.
Keep in mind that converging evidence from several different assessments is considered more valid than a single test used alone. Also, results from such assessments should be interpreted with caution, more as a general recommendation than an absolute "must." Job context variables (such as management and level of autonomy) play an important role in job satisfaction beyond interests and personality.
