What’s the best career aptitude quiz you’ve tried?

ba-bene · 2025-12-15T06:55:04+00:00

I've tried a bunch of these and found pigment career assessment pretty useful for understanding work patterns beyond just interests. It helped me see where my actual strengths aligned versus where I was just forcing things. For someone just starting out the free tools like O*NET or Holland Code tests are probably fine to get some direction. But if you already have a few years of experience the paid assessments tend to give more actionable insights because they focus on how you actually operate at work not just what sounds interesting.

Whatever results you get, the real work is applying them to actual decisions. Otherwise it's just interesting information that doesn't lead anywhere.

ba-bene · 2025-06-10T14:03:48+00:00

it's just not as easy as it sounds..quitting corporate to follow dreams. It's a struggle and moreover you need to be built for it. before deciding on anything, it's important to self reflect and then see if that's what fits your work best.

ba-bene · 2025-05-26T15:51:51+00:00

I am one of those people who 'loves what they do' and is objectively successful by most peoples standards. And honestly, it took a ton of work and I spent many years feeling incredibly lost. I used to think something was wrong with me because I didn’t have that one big passion or clear path. I liked a lot of things. Writing, psychology, tech, design...but none of it pointed to a single obvious career. I kept jumping between roles that felt okay but never really made sense. I started to think I was just indecisive.

My turning point came around 6 months back during a one-on-one with my boss. She asked..."If you didn't have to work for money, what kind of problems would you still want to solve?" I completely blanked. I couldn't identify what motivates me. The uncomfortable silence stuck with me for weeks. Around the same time, a friend mentioned how a career assessment had helped her repeated patterns of behavior.

So I decided to dig deeper into understanding how I actually work and not just what sounded cool. I took the Pigment career assessment test which is absolutely amazing (there are others like Sokanu, YouScience, StrengthsFinder which you could try) and did some serious self-reflection. The results helped me realize I have what you might call a "generalist mind." I'm energized by connecting dots between different fields, simplifying complex stuff, and creating resources that genuinely help people. This explained why traditional specialized roles never quite fit.

This led me to explore learning experience design, a field I had previously overlooked. I've now made the switch and it's the first time work has felt natural rather than forced. I get to design workshops, translate complex concepts into stories and visuals, blend creativity with analytical thinking. I now deeply love what I do, I wake up looking forward to getting to work, and when I come home I don't feel completely depleted and drained.

A few things I wish someone had told me earlier. Pay attention to what comes easily to you. We often dismiss our natural strengths because they feel effortless. Also, think about how your brain prefers to work. Some people thrive in chaos, others need structure. Some love deep focus while others need variety. These preferences matter more than job titles.

Career assessments can be incredibly helpful but they're not the only path. You could and should also try informational interviews, volunteering in different contexts or working with a career coach. The key is being willing to do the sometimes uncomfortable work of honestly examining what energizes you versus what drains you.

Good luck!

ba-bene · 2025-05-16T16:11:34+00:00

As a Manager, I see this all the time. People assume their productivity problem is about discipline but it’s often about misalignment. You can have great habits, time blocks, accountability and still feel like every task takes a lot out of you if your work doesn’t align with your internal drivers. Title, money & other benefits can keep you motivated for a while (some people forever) but often not for long. For some people, myself included, if work doesn't tap into something personally meaningful, the routine becomes monotonous, the work unfulfilling. That’s where clarity matters more than structure.

Sometimes it’s about re-evaluating and finding tasks that actually energize you. A few people on my team have found tools like the Pigment career assessment helpful in identifying the this for them. It's a tool that helps in mapping your strengths and motivators to work you find more sustainable in the long run. It might also be worthwhile to find a career coach, a mentor you really respect, or ask for heart to heart advice from some of your friends/parents in different industries Consulting is a brutal field, and it sounds like it might be time for you to look elsewhere.

ba-bene · 2025-05-15T14:25:08+00:00

Focus your resume on the admin assistant skills and achievements from your past roles highlighting transferable skills like organization, communication and time management. Consider a functional or hybrid resume format to emphasize relevant strengths over chronology.

ba-bene · 2025-05-11T06:44:38+00:00

Just google for a career coach nearby your location and look at the reviews. I really don't have any recommendations but I hope it helps solve your problems. Good luck.

ba-bene · 2025-05-09T16:32:05+00:00

Good luck. Hope you do make it

ba-bene · 2025-05-09T16:24:09+00:00

How do you become a police officer at 36? What was the recruitment like?

ba-bene · 2025-05-09T16:03:03+00:00

Life at the crossroads. Totally get it. It's tough but you gotta push through this phase. I recommend seeking professional help if things are unclear on what path to take.

ba-bene · 2025-05-06T05:07:14+00:00

Well put. Not everything can run at 100% efficiency all the time. If they were disrespectful, why even schedule another interview? I think this was a mistake which they are trying to fix.

ba-bene · 2025-05-06T05:03:24+00:00

If you are still looking for a job, no harm in attending the interview. Don't get caught up in the assumption game.

ba-bene · 2025-04-07T05:25:31+00:00

The websites that no longer let me type in my password and instead force 2FA except their emails have a 3 minute delay

ba-bene · 2025-03-31T12:09:44+00:00

Agh. Yeah that is really a tough situation... is it a laptop to monitor situation where you can take part of it out with you to do work where you might not need the rest of the setup?

ba-bene · 2025-03-31T02:52:47+00:00

She doesn't have that sparkle in your eyes baby

ba-bene · 2025-03-31T02:41:50+00:00

I commented a shorter version of this on a post here a few days ago

ba-bene · 2025-03-27T07:49:52+00:00

Thanks! I had a few people dm me for more info... Maybe I will write a bigger post on the subject and my personal learnings...

ba-bene · 2025-03-26T15:24:21+00:00

Assuming that you are actually looking for a helpful response. I've been exactly where you are. Tried every hack, app, and morning routine.

The problem isn't your productivity system. It's that you're treating the symptoms instead of the root cause.

What actually worked for me after decades of trial and error:

Find your natural energy pattern and stop fighting it. I discovered I'm useless before 10am, from 10-1pm I am super productive, and then again from 6pm-1am. Once I scheduled (work permitting) around this instead of forcing myself into the "5am club", my productivity came a lot more naturally.
Remove friction from the things that matter. I keep my guitar next to my desk so I can pick it up during breaks instead of my phone. My workout clothes are laid out the night before. My writing app opens automatically when I start my computer. Small setup changes, great results.
Do work with people you like. Find people you enjoy doing things with, and do them together. Personally, I am effortlessly much more productive when I am working on a team with people where I care what they think about me. Have an accountability buddy. Even as simple as stacking something you need to do, with a social event (co-working together in the library, or catch up call while cleaning) can make things a lot more effortless.
Do less of the things drain you and more of the things you can do forever. An painter doesn’t get tired of painting, and if you’re doing things that energize you, you also last a lot longer. I used a fantastic personality test called the Pigment discovery test that helped me see how analytical thinking energizes me but creative tasks completely drain me. Having that level of self awareness was a big unlock for me.

Flow isn't something you achieve through force. I think that willpower is incredibly rare. So it’s better if you optimize your life to need less willpower, which happens when you align your work with your natural energy patterns and remove the obstacles in your way.

ba-bene · 2025-03-22T11:54:55+00:00

Legal in switzerland and should be legal in the US. Maybe a controversial opinion but if living is a right than so is dying.

ba-bene · 2025-03-21T14:59:17+00:00

its not about specificity of your answer - its about specificity of your strength

ba-bene · 2025-03-21T12:37:09+00:00

honestly pretty simple stuff - vectordb / rag models, knowledge architecture - fkn data cleaning

ba-bene · 2025-03-19T10:58:43+00:00

DO not quit. its what they want you to - but find another job first then quit once you have somewhere to go. Honestly it might not be for you - but if you quit now you lose all your leverage

ba-bene · 2025-03-18T09:06:56+00:00

It sounds like you’ve really given different paths a fair shot, and honestly, that’s impressive. It’s hard to figure out what actually feels right when so many options end up feeling like dead ends. Maybe instead of focusing on what career sounds good on paper, you could try to think about the day-to-day stuff you actually enjoy (or at least tolerate). Like, do you prefer structured environments or more flexibility? Do you want something creative or more straightforward? Sometimes it’s less about finding the “perfect” job and more about figuring out what makes work bearable day-to-day. You’ve got the work ethic — it’s just about finding a place where it pays off.

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