Find the right fit

Jason from South Yarra has recently completed a series of tests designed to help him find some career direction. He says he was somewhat underwhelmed with the results, which indicated that his "ideal occupation was teacher".

Having been a teacher for a short period and finding it was not for him, this recommendation was less than helpful. He asks, is there any value in career testing?

The answer is that it depends critically on three factors:

■The quality of the tests used.
■The quality of the counsellor or coach employing them.
■ The quality of the interpretation of the tests. This means that career testing can (and does) range from potentially damaging junk to a useful and powerful process.

The tests

The quality of tests is probably the most difficult thing for a member of the public to gauge but nonetheless it is critically important.

Tests that provide scores of some form, for instance that report you are interested in scientific pursuits more than artistic ones, or your interests in science are stronger than 75 per cent of the population, need to meet appropriate statistical standards.

The coach should be able to show you evidence that the tests have been demonstrated to be reliable measures of what they claim to be assessing.

Think of it like this: if I asked you to measure the length of a barn door, you could walk from one end to the other and measure it in paces. Alternatively, you could use a tape measure.

The tape measure will give you a more reliable figure - it will give close to the same result on each occasion and close to the same result regardless of who is using the tape measure.

Pacing up and down will give more variable results and is likely to differ depending on who is doing the pacing. This matters, because some tests couldn't hit a barn door irrespective of the skill of the coach.

The counsellor

The quality of the counsellors is also critical because they get to choose what tests are appropriate for you, they administer them or, if it is online, they may choose the tests and review the results.

The career industry recently implemented professional standards that require a postgraduate qualification in career development for professional membership of the relevant associations.

The interpretation

The results should be interpreted within the context of the client's personal circumstances and story.

Think of it like this: suppose you try to start your car and the low-fuel warning light does not come on. It could mean a range of things.

For instance, it could indicate the car has insufficient fuel for the journey but it could also mean the battery is flat. It could be that there is fuel and the battery is fine but the fuse to the warning light has blown.

Friends may have played a prank and disconnected the battery. It could mean practically anything.

However, if you know that you haven't filled up for a long time or that you left the lights on all night, you can begin to construct a more reasonable interpretation.

In the same way, someone who scores highly on interest in science and low on arts might prefer science over the arts, or they may simply have limited experience and knowledge of other areas.

Testing can be useful to help a person with career planning but it depends upon getting the right test, the right professional and the right approach to interpretation.