I am using a few careers aptitudes and interests tests with school age students, as well as with young adults post-secondary education.

Career coaching is not the same as it was in the early 20th century. Vocational advisory services used to suppose that the advisor was all-knowing and could, therefore “test and tell” the client. Today careers coaching or career counselling is supposed to support the individual in making their own educated decisions by means of discussion and learning activities.

However, the role of psychometric testing continues to play a very important part of the process. The reliability and validity of these assessments are really sound and so the information gathered is extremely helpful to the student, or indeed to recruiters and job candidates in the recruitment process. I’ll cover the use of psychometrics in the recruitment process at another time.

Key reasons why career assessment tools can help students

I am finding that career assessment tools are really beneficial, as they:

• help year 9, year 10, 11 and year 12 students and beyond to clarify their strengths, values and work style.
• offer an understanding of the way personality preferences can impact behaviour and therefore their suitability to certain work roles.
• provide a really comprehensive report that shows the student a lot of information in an easy-to-read layout.
• allow the student to focus on particular strengths/interests and dig deeper into relevant web links.

Aptitude testing

Some parents may not wish for their child to have to sit more tests over and above those that are required in school. The NAPLAN tests, year level exams and the formal exams that form part of the senior secondary school qualifications, such as VCE, VET, GCSEs, A’Levels, IB, etc can be stressful. Also, students who have learning difficulties, or for whom English is a second language (ESL), can therefore opt not to complete aptitude testing.

Indeed, as far as I am aware only one product in use in Australia, the Morrisby Online career assessment tool, has aptitude tests built in. Even then, that entire section of the Morrisby Online test can be separated out and therefore not delivered to the student, leaving only the interests and preferences assessments to be completed.

Career Assessments for year 9s in Victoria

The benefit of these career aptitude and interests tests is evident in many jurisdictions. For example in 2019, all year 9 students in Victorian State schools have been receiving one-on-one coaching with a professional careers practitioner and utilising the Morrisby Online career assessment tool.

This Victorian State Government initiative is proving to be enormously successful and from my own personal perspective, as one of the career coaches involved in my local area, the 14 year-old, year 9 students are loving their careers reports. They are able to log into the platform and look at subject suggestions for:

• year 10 elective subjects and study options,
• year 11 and 12 formal qualifications – Victorian Certificate of Applied Learning (VCAL), Vocational Education and Training (VET), the Victorian Certificate of Education (VCE), or International Baccalaureate (IB),
• study areas for post-secondary, or tertiary education and training, and
• career ideas.

My choice of careers aptitudes and interests assessment tools

I have been using the Morrisby Online aptitudes and interests assessment tool in my private careers coaching business for many years. I may choose to utilise other products instead, such as either the Career Fast Track, or Strong Interest Inventory career assessments and I will base my decision on which of these resources to use based on my professional assessment as to which is most appropriate to my client.

Without doubt, reliable careers assessment tools that are underpinned by the ‘science’ of psychometrics benefit career coaches in their work and the candidate, be it a school age student or adult job seeker. I feel that it really supports my ability to be really thorough in my exploration, with my client, of their strengths, values, personality and work preferences.

I am happy to be able to provide this comprehensive support by being accredited to use and administer these tools. It provides clarity and empowerment to my young students and they all report that they thoroughly enjoy the process.

As the parent of a school-age student or young adult either not currently studying, or engaged in tertiary study, if you are seeking support for your child in study options, subject choices and career possibilities, please do read my other blogs and web pages to find out more. Then contact me by using my contact form or email.

Career aptitudes and assessment tests do work. It could be the solution for your child that you are seeking.