Why Career Test Is Important For Students

Mr. ‘Seun Adewusi is a prolific writer, motivational speaker and CEO of Successarts Communication, an outfit that offers educational support services in the area of counselling, career guidance and publishing. As a career counsellor, who has developed strong and personal relationships with students, Seun explains why it is important for students to take a career test.



What is career test?
A Career Orientation Test is a career-path finder for students in the school system. It is a psychometric test designed to help analyse the personality and career interest of a candidate. It will give you a better understanding of your skills, interests and abilities, values and everything relating to you, provided you give the correct information about you. It will give you a sense of direction concerning your career and the career options that suit your personalty. It tests  temperament, to know if you are an introvert or not. If you are  someone that like to work with the hand or machine or if you like to render help to people, especially the needy and so on

Do we have to undergo career tests?
In  schools abroad, they take the data of their students right  from when they enter the school. They monitor the activities of each child as he progresses. They want to know why a child moves towards pictures that contain artworks and not of the engineering. This is because it is a reflection of what is inside. If a career test is introduced into the school system it will help students answer that vital question, who am I. It is good for students moving to SS1, those preparing for JAMB, school leavers can also use it to seek their right career paths and even workers who feel they are stuck and need to change their careers.

But there is a common saying that choosing a career that does not match ones personality type brings out the best in that person ?
I will liken that question to: Is it easier to work uphill or down hill? My idea is why not work downhill if you can, why do something that does not flow. Working uphill takes a lot, even though you may eventually get to the top. The effort and time you will use to tackle the obstacles while working on something out of your preferences, you would have used it to achieve a lot in a career that matches your personality. You will be able to flow easily. The level of your creativity and productivity would be higher compared to when you do something that you do not flow naturally with.

 How do I know a good test?
The easiest way to know if a test is okay is to answer the question: does it sound right to you? Did you read the result of the test and feel this is me? If you do, the test is reliable

How expensive is it for students?
It is not expensive. Ideally it is something government should do. It is part of the learning process that the stakeholders should invest in but in the absence of none, the students will need to pay for it. We have made it affordable and accessible to an average student.

Can the students easily interpret the result of the test?
The simpler version of the test is made for students. The question part is very simple and adaptable to the school system. Once you answer the questions, a tree diagram will be presented to you. The graph is designed in such a way that you can interpret the result at a glance. Your career disposition in major areas like mathematics, creative, office practice  will be on display. We will soon come out with the one in book form. We call it career workbook.

 What measures have you taken to get stakeholders, particularly the government and schools involved?
We have a project now, because there is a need to introduce it into the school system. When we wrote a proposal to the Ogun State Government, we got an approval to hold a workshop where stakeholders in the education sector in the state will converge to discuss the issue in October this year. They will come together to see how the career tests will be used in their various schools. We have got positive response, but we still need more support from corporate bodies. Arrangements are also being made to ensure the workshop is replicated in Lagos State and Ondo State very soon.

Have you been able to  reach out to the students?
We have been able to reach out to a significant number of students. We have the online and offline version. Interested candidates can register online at www.careertestservices.com. We also hold seminars, where students are informed and given the opportunity to take the test. So we have plans for students. The plan is to host seminars in different localities so that more students will have access to it. All they will have to do is send their names, location and phone numbers  to indicate their interest. For now our major problem is lack of sponsors.

An engineer turned career counsellor, what inspires you?
It is a good question. What I am trying to do is a product of what I felt I missed in my secondary school days. The problems I believe I faced when I was in school due to the fault in the education system.

What  are the problems?
I went to Federal Government College, Odogbolu, Ogun State. In the school then, they had a programme for students but something came up that changed everything.