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Home >> Career Check

Here is an inventory you and your child can take together. Answer the following questions to see how well your career matches up to your interests, values, skills, and strengths, and to see how your child’s interests match up to his or her plans for a future career.

You go first!

Interests

LIKE

DISLIKE

ACTIVITY

		Selling homes, cars, or a product people need.
		Helping people solve their personal problems.
		Reading or writing stories or articles.
		Solving scientific problems.
		Working with animals.
		Painting or drawing pictures.
		Planting a garden of flowers or vegetables.
		Organizing files and records for a business.
		Using tools and equipment to fix machines.
		Teaching someone to do something.
		Working outside in all types of weather.
		Listening to or playing music.
		Helping people who are sick or elderly.
		Supervising a group of people in a business.
		Taking things apart to see how they work.
		Designing layout for a newspaper or magazine.
		Working with your hands to install or build things.
		Working with budgets and numbers.
		Working on ways to improve the environment.
		Working in a hospital.
		Working for a charity.
		Working on ways to improve the quality of our food.
		Operating complex pieces of equipment.
		Redecorating a room or an entire house.
		Using a computer to plan a budget and maintain data.
		Writing, editing, or reporting news.
		Reading psychology books.
		Designing complex machines, engines, or buildings.
		Operating your own business.
		Studying weather patterns.
		Using mathematics to solve problems.
		Performing in front of an audience.
		Learning strategies for success on the stock market.
		Directing children's activities.
		Conducting experiments on crossbreeding plants.

HAVE

DO NOT

VALUES, SKILLS, or STRENGTHS

		Ability to make smart, practical decisions.
		Strong language and/or acting skills.
		Love of nature and the outdoors.
		Love for being with people and working with groups.
		Strong science and mathematics skills.
		Love of music and/or dancing.
		Kind, nurturing spirit.
		Love for physical work.
		Mechanical skills.
		Love of working hard to make lots of money.
		Strong observation skills.
		Friendly.
		Problem-solving skills.
		Ability to persuade and to get others to do something.
		Vivid imagination and sense of creativity.
		Leadership skills.
		Value preciseness and exactness.
		Strong sense of community.
		Love of hunting, fishing, and camping.
		Free spirit and independent thoughts.
		Skills in repairing things.
		Supportive and understanding.
		Strong interest and curiosity for wildlife.
		Writing, artistic, and/or musical talent.
		Managerial skills.