The Ultimate (Free) Career Test for Students was originally published on Forage.
If you’re trying to figure out what career is right for you, it can be hard to know where to start — especially if you don’t know much about different careers. You not only need to consider your skills, interests, passions, preferred work environments, and life goals (to name a few), but also understand what kinds of opportunities are available to you. If you’re feeling job search anxiety, don’t worry. That’s normal! That’s why we’ve developed a career test that requires absolutely zero knowledge of any careers or perplexing corporate jargon.
>>MORE: 9 Ways to Stop Saying ‘I Don’t Know What Job I Want’
Why Should I Take a Free Career Test?
I’ll be honest: I first didn’t trust that taking a career test was worth my time. When my high school teachers made us take an hour-long, confusing assessment, I felt worse than when I started — unsure what my results meant and with no idea what to do next.
So why take a career test at all? Why did I write this career test?
It’s not that career tests are the problem — it’s a matter of taking the right career test. The best career test should be a helpful first step for determining what career is right for you. It shouldn’t be the be-all, end-all decision about what you should do with your life, but rather a good start for helping you discover what you might enjoy and succeed at in the workplace.
A career test can help you:
- Learn more about yourself: You’ll get more insight into your interests, passions, and strengths as you reflect, answer the questions, and read your results.
- Learn more about what’s out there: You’ll get matched with careers we think are right for you, including roles you might not have even known were out there.
- Learn more about what to do next: Taking a career test will give you the matches you need to start your career search confidently.
After researching other career tests, I felt like most of them gave me flashbacks to high school; I was feeling overwhelmed, confused (how is someone who doesn’t know about technical careers supposed to know if they like programming?), and frustrated. This career test is supposed to be light, easy to understand, and even a little fun — so you can feel excited and motivated to take the next step of your job search.
Free Career Test for Students
Convinced you should take a career test? You’ll have to sign up to get your results, but it’s absolutely free. Let’s get started!
1. If I were an animal, I’d be a…
a. peacock
b. dolphin
c. owl
d. butterfly
e. fox
2. When my friends and I face a problem, I tend to…
a.take charge and start acting
b. ask the group what they think we should do
c. try to approach the problem methodically
d. brainstorm every possible solution first
e. come up with a ten-point action plan
3. If I were a superhero, my power would be…
a. telepathy
b. healing
c. mind reading
d. shapeshifting
e. superhuman strength
4. The emoji that best represents my personality is:
a. 📣
b. 😊
c. 🧩
d. ✏
e. 🏅
5. If my life had a soundtrack, it’d feature…
a. high-energy pop tracks
b. dramatic ballads
c. famous classical composers
d. indie bands
e. techno and electronic beats
6. Pick a school project to work on.
a. designing a poster
b. group project
c. research paper
d. creative project
e. presentation
7. I’d describe my style as…
a. stylish and trendy
b. casual and comfortable
c. functional and relaxed
d. artistic and quirky
e. professional and polished
8. The skill I’m most proud of is my…
a. leadership
b. empathy
c. analysis
d. creativity
e. strategy
9. If I were to design the perfect workspace, it’d be…
a. bright and collaborative
b. cozy and warm
c. equipped and practical
d. fun and creative
e. sleek and modern
10. I’m planning a hangout for my friends. I’m thinking of doing a(n)…
a. escape room
b. traditional slumber party
c. scavenger hunt
d. karaoke night
e. pick-up basketball game
11. When I make decisions, I rely on my…
a. instincts and intuition
b. compassion and empathy
c. logical reasoning and planning
d. creativity and innovative thinking
e. strategic and analytical mindset
12. Pick a color.
a. vibrant red
b. gentle green
c. understated silver
d. bright orange
e. cobalt blue
13. If I were a dessert, I’d be…
a. bright fruit sorbet
b. warm chocolate cookie
c. layered chocolate mousse
d. creatively decorated cupcake
e. decadent tiramisu
14. It’s a Saturday. You’ll likely find me…
a. going out to a party
b. hosting a dinner
c. playing video games
d. crafting
e. playing sports
15. My work style is…
a. fast-paced
b. collaborative
c. analytical
d. creative
e. goal-oriented
16. If I were to write a book, the genre would be…
a. self-help
b. memoir
c. thriller
d. fantasy
e. history
17. I learn best when I…
a. work closely with others
b. get hands-on experience
c. get clear, straightforward instructions
d. can experiment and brainstorm freely
e. analyze case studies and real-world scenarios
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
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What Should I Do With My Career Test Results?
Congratulations! You’ve taken a career test — that’s a big first step. Now what?
Do Some Independent Research
Do you know the definition of each industry or role in your results? If not, that’s OK! It’s time to research to understand better what your results mean and what paths you might be interested in. You can get insights from career experts (including articles from the Forage blog!), look on LinkedIn to understand job descriptions, and check out companies in the field.
Your goal should be to get a preliminary understanding of potential career paths — not to become an expert just yet. As you search, reflect on what interests you and what you might want to further dive into next.
Do Some External Research
After you’ve researched to understand more about career paths, it’s time to talk to professionals. Think of this less as networking and more like “coffee chats” where you learn more about what that person does.
“Start having conversations with people who have job titles you’re interested in (also called informational interviewing) so you can better understand the day-to-day of those jobs,” says Laurie Nilo, career coach and employer relations manager of Seattle University’s Albers School of Business and Economics career center. “A student can either book an appointment with their career center to get more personalized guidance on connecting with alumni or reaching out to alumni with those job titles through LinkedIn.”
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Try It Out
Now, it’s time to try out the career(s) you’re interested in! Don’t worry; you don’t need to rush into applying for full-time jobs in your chosen field. Instead, there are other ways to do a test run of a career:
- Internships: work-based learning experiences where you complete entry-level work at a company, usually over a few months
- Externships: work-based learning experiences where you shadow an employee at a company, usually for a short period, like a day or few weeks
- Extracurricular activities: programs at your school, like athletics, clubs, or student government, that can teach you transferable skills
- Job simulations: online, self-paced programs that show you what it’s like to work in a specific role or within a team at a real-world company
Try It Again
What happens if you don’t like the careers you’ve tried out? That’s OK! It’s just as important to know what you don’t like as what you do like.
>>MORE: Disliked Your Internship? 5 Things to Do ASAP
It’s time to start again, but you’re not at square one. When you start to reconsider what you might be interested in, you’ll have the knowledge and experience of what it’s like to research different careers. You may find it’s much easier to understand what careers you might enjoy and eliminate careers you know you don’t want to pursue faster.
And while you can take this career test again and again, you can also try out other career assessments to get more information, ideas, and understanding of what career is right for you:
- Career Quiz for Students (Free)
- Career Quiz for Teens (Free)
- How to Choose a Career: 6 Steps, Plus a Free Quiz
- Keep Saying ‘I Don’t Know What to Do With My Life’? Take This Quiz
- Personality Career Quiz
- The Ultimate Career Aptitude Test for Students (Free)
- What Tech Job Is Right for Me?
- 8 Steps to Answering “What Should I Do With My Life?” (Plus, a Free Quiz)
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