career development: interest inventory

[supercheesegirl]

I'm on my lunch break from the career development class I'm taking today. It's called "Career Roadmaps", and the first day is all about examining our values, interests, and skills. I'm always up for talking about, thinking about, and examining ME, so this is really interesting. (There are two half-day sessions after this, about looking at careers and networking and planning for the future.)

Anyway, we had to take the Strong Interest Inventory as preparation for the class, and we got our results back today, and I had some surprising things. It gives you your Holland personality codes, and I got Artistic-Social-Enterprising. I knew it would be A-S, but I'm surprised about the E--Enterprising is all about management, leadership, business, that sort of thing, which doesn't feel much like me. But the A-S I was super-strong in. I thought for sure my third would be Conventional, which is all about organizing and being detail-oriented, but that was actually my lowest category (I scored higher in Investigative, which is science/analytical, and Realistic, which is building/technical/hands-on). So that was my first big surprise.

The inventory also compares you to people in various professions, and then tells you which professions you're likely to enjoy based on what the people in that profession enjoy. I got Performing Arts as my top field, followed by Culinary Arts, Writing/Communication, HR/Training, and Training/Education. One of those things is not like the others. I was really shocked by Culinary Arts popping up there. I am a pretty terrible cook--I mean, I've got like six meals that I can prepare successfully, but I have no idea what to do with spices or even how one would pan-fry or broil something. And not that I think I'm going to go on to become a chef or anything because of this thing, but it does make me very glad that I won that free cooking class and signed up to take it next week. Because I do really enjoy cooking and feeding people, and I'm very enthusiastic about it. Cooking and eating both. So it'll be cool to play around with that. Speaking of which, I need to go snag some cookies from Au Bon Pain before getting back to class.

Comments

[amedia.livejournal.com]

I remember taking the Strong test, ages and ages ago. It told me I would be happiest as a laboratory scientist or a college professor. Yeah, right. :-)

[sleepyworm.livejournal.com]

you won a cooking class? weird!

[supercheesegirl.livejournal.com]

I told you about that! It was from NARAL, they did a prize drawing for the volunteers, and I won the grand prize! I *know* I told you about this. :)

[sleepyworm.livejournal.com]

I remember you winning a prize at the naral thing, but I don't remember what it was! It's very cool. I hope it's fun!