Career assessment tests improve career awareness

Changing majors is a common practice at most colleges and universities around the country. Career assessment tests could be the key to improving college major retention.

Every year, millions of students sit in college classes to learn things relevant to their majors. They study for tests and complete papers and projects that propel them closer and closer to a degree. But, for many of these students, what they learn in the classroom does not equate to what they really want to do with the rest of their lives. As a result, two-thirds of all college freshmen nationwide take six years to graduate instead of four.

Most college programs are created to be completed in four years. When it takes longer, completing the degree program can push graduation out of reach. Not only do the extra two years increase the cost of a college education but they delay the students' entrance into the workforce.

There are many reasons students fail to graduate in four years. The most common reason is changing a major. Although no one expects 18-year-olds to be 100 percent sure what they want to do for the rest of their lives, it is expected that students have an idea about the kind of career they want, or where their natural talents could lead them as they work toward a degree.

Requiring students to take career assessment tests during high school or the first year of college can help students get a better understanding of what they want to do and how they should best work to get there.

"Assessments are a resource that students can use if they are not certain what they might like to pursue," said Debra Setterdahl, staff member of Professional and Career Development Services at Drake University. "It is helpful to learn where interests lie when exploring different careers."

Career assessments help students align their natural motivations and talents with career choices. It is not about finding the perfect job or figuring out how to earn the most money. Career assessments help you discover what you were designed to do, figure out how to make it happen, and minimize everything else so you are not distracted by things that don’t matter.

This is what the Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential (MAPP) test helps you do. Aptitude tests such as the MAPP pinpoint your motivations and their corresponding talents. A full MAPP Assessment reveals the real you: your natural motivations, your interests and your talents for work.

Even if you are not a current high school or college student, you can benefit from taking a career assessment test - especially if you are considering changing careers or returning to school in the near future. Taking a MAPP Assessment test can help save you a lot of time and money because you can go to school to prepare to do exactly what you were designed to do in life. You won't waste your time trying to discover what you are good at. It's worth the time and effort.

Take MAPP Assessment tests. Find your purpose in life.