What Job Should You Actually Have?
(and other quizzes)

Which Harry Potter character are you? Which Sesame Street puppet should be your roommate? Better yet, what job should you actually have?

I happened upon one of those quizzes that tries to guess some ridiculous things about you, the type which Buzzfeed is more or less known for. The quiz I took didn’t try to guess something trivial like which is my favorite Disney character (Sebastian from the Little Mermaid is pretty cool in my book). Instead, it determined what career I should actually have. While the result was satisfying and accurate, I was more interested by the line of questioning that brought me to the quiz’s conclusion.

The quiz had a fair share of seemingly irrelevant filler questions (what is your favorite animal? what is your favorite book?), but it did try to tackle some of the more relevant things people need to consider when evaluating their careers.

Here are some of those questions and why they are important.

Do You Want to be In Charge of Others? Whoa! Right off the bat, kind of a big question. A common misconception might be that managing others is a mark of success or accomplishment, that the end goal in one’s career is to be in the C-Suite, the big kahuna, king of the hill, etc. But that’s not the only way to have a career that you are proud of. Plus, being in a position of management means you are doing just that — managing.

In an earlier post by Susan Price, she recalls her first experience as a manager which left her less than satisfied: “As a manager, I spent less time doing the things I enjoyed most–writing and interviewing people. Climbing the ladder in my career meant moving away from the reasons I had chosen the career in the first place.”

If you feel that management is right for you, then go for it! If you prefer the more specialized work more commonly associated with creative types, or one on one services such as coaching, then management might not be the choice for you. Keep in mind, you can build management skills down the road, so it’s not off the table!

What would your current boss say about you? Some answers include “Detail oriented,” “creative,” “perfectionist,” and “outgoing.” You might not be able to come to a career conclusion based off just one of these choices (nor should you), but some of these qualities do play better in different roles.

If you are the outgoing type, you might consider a sales oriented career, one where people skills and confidence are extremely important. The detail oriented person might be best suited for an accounting or finance role.

Take stock of your greatest attributes and see where they best apply.

Which pet would you rather have? Yep, let’s skip this one unless you are interested in veterinary services.

Where would you prefer to work from? This one can be important. It is the first of two culture related questions, and a valid one at that. It suggests either a small building, working from home, a skyscraper or a coffee shop. While the skyscraper might be playing off your ego and be a subliminal hint to corporate life at the top of the world, the other three suggest a more humble yet flexible life style.

• Are you the type that prefers the small space – cramped, yet buzzing with activity (a start up perhaps)?
• Do you need the flexibility to work from home either part or full time?
• Or do you feed off the vibe of a café piping ambient music while finding inspiration from the people passing by?

Keep in mind that the last two might make you feel slightly alienated, so management or team work heavy roles are pretty much out the window.

Who would you like to work with? Unless you are an army of one, you will probably be leading, or working under a variety of characters. Do some research of different CEOs or senior management at companies you would like to work at and envision which of the following qualities you would work well with:

• Judge Judy – Tough but fair!
• Barack Obama – Think of a leader, or diplomat. Don’t let political opinion get in the way of this one!
• Gregory House – Someone who might be dismissive of your ideas at first, but lets you act upon them (even if you might fail).
• Gordon Ramsay – A perfectionist who will scream at you if you fall short of the mark, but has the best of intentions.

Which of these groups best describes you? The second of the all important culture questions. Do you work best with organizers? Thinkers? Helpers? Creators? or Do-ers? This will help you determine who you are most likely to gel with. Do-ers might grow impatient if they need to work directly with thinkers. But organizers and helpers might thrive in certain situations (think non-profits).

There is plenty to consider when determining the career and lifestyle that is best for you! Take the quiz here. I got writer. Share your result in the comments below!