Movin’ On Up: Epilogue
Trust yourself more than any test you’ll ever take – you’re the world expert on YOU!
Thank you all for following along on this journey the past two years. It’s been wonderful to meet so many of you and your family members, and be part of your career decisions. There are some common questions I’m frequently asked and I’d like to share my responses with you here, as we conclude this series.
What is aptitude testing? Is it the same thing as personality testing?
I’m glad you asked! No, not at all. Your personality is a combination of unique set of attributes. Your aptitudes are more similar to your IQ – just not in the areas that are important in school, but instead, the areas that are important at work. Confusing personality and aptitude is a common mistake that leads to the even more common career confusion.
I’ve taken career quizzes before, and each one gave me different responses. How do I know which one to trust?
The short answer is: none. The longer answer is: If there are multiple choice questions that you answer differently each time you take a quiz, you’ll get different results each time. You only get what you put in, and depending on the day and your mood, it will keep changing. Proper testing will be more complex than multiple choice questions and will give you valuable results that you can trust as you make a decision. Of course, trust yourself more than any test you’ll ever take – you’re the world expert on YOU!
I took a test, and the results were surprisingly accurate – it was like reading something written by someone who knew me better than I know myself! The problem is, I’m still confused about what job to choose. There are still so many options! How do I use these results?
I spent years wondering the same thing! Literally. And that is why I became a coach – to figure out the magic formula between knowing yourself, and knowing what to do about it. If I had to create a mathematical calculation, it would look something like: What I’m good at + what I enjoy doing + what I can get paid well for + what is needed in my area + matches my life goals + has the right schedule + environment = my ideal work. Pretty simple, isn’t it? That’s why I’ve hired coaches to help me, and I help each of my clients figure out their unique equation.
I’m thinking about going for higher education, but I found a good job that I like, where a few friends are working too. I’m pretty happy there. Will I regret not getting a degree, later on?
It depends. What exactly does it depend on? A few things: 1. Do you plan to be the primary breadwinner in your family? 2. Do you plan to have a long-term career, or just work until “you have a reason not to”? 3. Have you seen other people do the kind of work you’re doing now, and move up in the company toward higher earnings? There are some fields where experience is more important than schooling. If that’s the kind of work you’re doing, you may be fine staying. Depending on how you answered those questions though, you may want to spend the time now getting an education (maybe during nights and weekends, and keep your day job), so you can follow your long-term goals more easily later in life as well.
I know this sounds like I want it all, but I’m asking anyways. I want the kind of job that will make lots of money, doing something I really enjoy, and also be part-time, or at least have a flexible schedule. Is that possible?
The good news is that today, yes! Had you been born 50 or so years ago, the answer would have likely been no. In today’s market though, there are so many jobs you can do remotely, and there are so many new kinds of jobs popping up each day, that you’ve got more flexibility than ever before. If you really want this lifestyle though, most likely you should plan to be self-employed. I find that for a frum woman, it’s often an ideal way to have a family and enjoy them too!
I recently heard this from a Teen Pages reader: “I always read about people you’ve worked with in Teen Pages, but actually working with you and getting to see my own aptitude test results really helped me make a clear decision – it was SO cool! I wish everyone would have the chance to do this!”
Well, I do too. That’s why I’ve created the Careerology Curriculum (introduced for the first time this year at the Torah Umesorah Conference) for high schools, where I train a teacher in your school to teach the topic of Careers, so that every student graduates with clarity on their unique skills and how to apply them to both work and life.
If your school would like more information, please contact me through Teen Pages.
If your school hasn’t signed up yet, I’m offering a goodbye gift to each and every one of my readers here. If you have a career question that you would like me to answer — anything at all — please get email me your question. I’ll respond to each and every one of you.
I look forward to hearing from you!
Shaina
(Originally featured in Teen Pages, Issue 825)
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