How to Determine What Kind of Career You Are Best Suited For

Sometimes reconciling our dream jobs with our skills and experience can be very difficult. We may have made some conscious choices early on, such as selecting a major in college. But once we join the workforce, we tend to move through our professional careers by accepting the next opportunity offered rather than stepping back and assessing our interests and skills. We gradually adopt a mental picture of who we are and what we do, so consequently we have great difficulty seeing ourselves in other careers.

Many people choose to work with a coach to help them articulate their real interests and determine what their potential is to actualize those interests. You don't have to have a coach to break out of your self-imposed mold, but you do need a realistic assessment of your skills and abilities.

The coach's role is to be a dispassionate questioner who challenges all of your assumptions and motivates you to look at things differently than you normally do. Otherwise there is not much point. The coach can't make you do anything, and isn't going to tell you the answers, but will help to pull the best solution out of you. A good coach will help you CYA — "challenge your assumptions."



Once you've envisioned a new career, you will want to see how successfully you can achieve that dream. Aptitude testing looks at what you are capable of doing. It tests the skills you've learned and where you are proficient so that you know you can succeed in the new career.

There are other assessments that can help you understand your personality and temperament. Emotional intelligence is one of the best indicators for success in work and life in general. Acquiring a good understanding of how both ability and emotional intelligence fit with a career is one of the best ways to chart a course for success and avoid derailments.

The tests are not 100% perfect; they're not like magic formulas that will give you the answer as to what you should do next. This is all about you. Most assessments have 70% to 85% reliability, and it is critical to make sure that you've got a test that has been proven reliable. You may disagree with some of the details in the results, but you very likely will see yourself mirrored in the overall findings.

This is why it is helpful to have a coach to validate the results. We may tend to deny some aspects of the results, but others may say, "Wait a minute. It's not what you want to hear, but it's accurate." Obtaining that feedback is critical to knowing yourself and executing a successful transition.

How do you know it's time to rethink your career path? Ask yourself:

• Do I dread Mondays and long for Fridays?
• Does my workday seem never-ending?
• Is there some unrealized dream that I regret never pursuing?
• Am I facing reorganization or other change at work that may put me back in the marketplace?

If any of these questions resonates with you, it may be time to take a step back and review your situation.

So where do you start?

• First, select a coach that you can work with comfortably.
• Check credentials and interview potential coaches just as you would a job candidate.
• Find out what assessments the coach uses and make sure they are reputable tools.
• Be sure your coach puts your success first and is capable of giving you critical feedback in addition to positive encouragement.

The important thing is to take that first step and start asking questions. Don't settle for the status quo — find the career you really want and go after it.

Choose; don't wait to be chosen!

About Dan Weber

Dan Weber, executive coach and CEO of Peak Pathways, LLC, coaches executives and teams on successfully managing personal, career, and business transitions to achieve their desired goals. Dan has extensive business management experience in the energy industry, international trade, real estate, manufacturing, technology services, and government with organizations that include First Data Corporation, York Manufacturing Company, Enron, and the Nebraska Department of Revenue.

Following more than 30 years in successful roles in corporate taxation, mergers and acquisitions, strategic planning, operations, and finance, Dan started Peak Pathways in 2003 to do the work he enjoys the most: helping people to grow and develop to fulfill their potential. He is an executive coach who has experienced the challenges and joys of leading people. He has felt the numerous demands and pressures of managing a business. He knows the complexities and thrills of identifying and successfully implementing changes across functional areas.

Dan brings depth, insight, humor, and willingness to his work and relationships. He is a certified Hudson Institute coach with The Hudson Institute of Santa Barbara, an accredited coach training program of the International Coach Federation (ICF). As a member, he adheres to ICF's code of ethics for coaches. He is also a Lore-certified independent executive coach with Lore International Institute of Durango, Colorado.

In addition to being a strategic business partner with Profiles International, Dan is also certified to administer and interpret the BarOn Emotional Quotient Inventory (EQi®). He is a graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln College of Business Administration.