Discover What You're Best At [Paperback]

Barry Gale (Author), Linda Gale (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 15, 1990

Here at last is the updated editor of one of the all-time bestselling career guides, which has already helped more than a quarter of a million people. Taking a fresh new approach, this guide provides readers with the objective tools they need to discover their innate abilities and ture career potential.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Linda Gale the former Executive Director of Career Aptitude Testing, Ltd. The coauthor of four career books, she lives in Arlington, Virginia. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

Chapter 1

THE NATIONAL CAREER APTITUDE SYSTEM

WHY THE NCAS IS FOR YOU

We know you're reading this book because you're concerned about your future: you want to find the right job, and you know that it must happen by careful choice, not by haphazard chance.

Perhaps you're recently completed your formal education and now are seeking your first or second job. All too often we find that young adults make these initial selections on a wing and a prayer and with little understanding of their potential. Well, this book will remedy that.

Perhaps you're reentering the work force after several years as a homemaker. You need to translate your worthy experiences into salable skills needed in today's marketplace. Knowledge of your strengths and capabilities will direct you toward a career that is right for you.

Perhaps you're contemplating a job change because your current position inhibits your personal growth, limits your ability to do your best, or does not provide sufficient recognition or rewards.

Perhaps you're one of the five out of six who finds yourself in your job by accident. That's right, not by thorough career planning but by accident. You somehow stumbled into it. And now you know you're in the wrong job.

Whatever your present situation, you know that the decision you're about to make is too important to leave to luck, a whim, or what your best friend thinks you should do. You'll find a professional system in this book that really works; one that will give you a new, decisive, and exciting way to clearly view yourself, to determine your career strengths and to set appropriate goals. You'll have a much better sense of which job options are available to you and which careers are apt to be the most satisfying and rewarding. After using our system you will be well on the way to making one of the best decisions of your life -- choosing the career that is most likely to guarantee your success. We want to help you select a career rather than settle for one.

YOUR VALUE SYSTEM DETERMINES YOUR JOB SATISFACTION

To help you identify what is currently important to you, here's a list of commonly held job-related values. As you look them over, you'll discover that you instinctively feel some are more important than others for your overall job satisfaction.

Accumulating large amounts of money

Being in an environment that involves frequent change

Being involved in work that contributes to the advancement of moral standards I feel are important

Belonging to an organization or group

Creatively coming up with new ideas

Having day-to-day contact with the public

Having the independence to decide for myself what needs to be done

Helping other people directly

Performing a job that requires physical strength and stamina

Performing similar tasks each day

Receiving considerable recognition for my work

Setting my own time schedule

Taking extended vacations

Taking risks as part of my work

Traveling much of my working time

Working as a member of a team

Working primarily by myself

Working primarily for myself

Working where I can pursue the leisure activities I enjoy most

Working where my abilities are pitted against those of others

Working where there is an adequate salary and considerable security

Working with definite deadlines

Whatever career satisfaction means to you, the National Career Aptitude System (NCAS) is designed to help you find success by putting you on the right job track. Think of this book as a unique career system, one that will help you Discover What You're Best At.

DO NEW TECHNOLOGIES CREATE NEW JOBS?

Neuropharmacologist, Biomedical-Engineering Technician, Laser-Beam Color-Scanner, Cardiovascular Perfusionist, Electro-Optics Physicist.

These job titles describe occupations that have emerged or may emerge as a result of changing technologies. Will many of us engage in new occupations in the near future, or is the change more subtle than that?

The introduction of a new technology is often accompanied by predictions of major changes in the workplace. In the past decade microcomputers were said to herald a new occupation: word processor. Yet as it turned out, word-processing software became a new tool for secretaries and other professionals. Lasers were expected to create a multitude of laser-technician jobs, but for the most part they simply became tools for welders, surgeons, and others.

Certainly some new occupations have arisen, but more often than not new technologies result in new tools for existing jobs. Virtually every occupation is changing, and what is critical is the adaptation to new skill requirements among all workers. Looking back over the past eight years since Discover What You're Best At was first published, most workers have seen changes in their jobs that resulted from technology. For example, the job of researcher has changed from processing scant data in a cumbersome way -- punch cards and mainframes -- to processing reams of data with nearly immediate turnaround on a microcomputer. The task is no longer finding a little information on a subject; it is sifting through too much information to pull out what is pertinent.

Other people have seen the impact of new technology on managing retail inventory, diagnosing malfunctions in an auto engine, and improving methods of quality control, to name just a few examples. Although we can see technology's impact upon our work, our job title remains the same.

The primary lesson is that the work of the future will involve the continued acquisition of new skills. The question is what types of skills will these be?

Let's briefly look at the nature of skills needed in the emerging economy. Academic or technical skills immediately come to mind. While it is true that economists, engineers, physicians, and astronomers need much specialized training, basic literacy and numerical facility are now needed almost everywhere. Yet academic skills are only some of the skills needed. Personal-management skills are also vital today. Tardiness, absenteeism, or lack of basic grooming are handicaps in any job. Freedom from substance abuse, as well as personal integrity and honesty, are rated as critical qualifications by nearly all employers. In many companies and organizations, retrenching has eliminated many layers of supervision and raised the value of personal initiative, responsibility, and creativity. The self-starter within an organization is desired more than ever before. But we do not work alone.

Teamwork skills, such as high levels of communication, coordination, and cooperation, are vital. Think about it, and you'll most likely agree: Recent high school and college graduates are least prepared in this area. The academic world is geared to reward individual performance, so it's no wonder many students find it hard to make the transition to a workplace that emphasizes teamwork. The latter is basic street smarts unfortunately not taught in high schools or on college campuses. Still, young people have to learn how to work in groups and to develop skills that involve sharing responsibilities and respecting the knowledge of others, as well as utilizing that knowledge to grow. Whether at home or at school, only the lucky few who have experienced what it takes to be a team player have the savvy to get the jobs for which they feel qualified. At work today you are graded in large part on your team's success. And you may know each other only by phone, fax, or Internet address.

THE SHIFTING WORKPLACE

It appears that one of the biggest changes taking place in the workplace is the manner in which people perceive their careers. For instance, many seem to be more interested in working on a precise project rather than in a distinct company. Achieving more skills, these same people are moving on to the next project rather than clawing their way up the corporate ladder. More and more corporations are looking at new ways to begin rewarding employees for how well they do their jobs and for their skills and their abilities to perform as members of a broader team. As for the downsizing you're seeing now at corporations, that's primarily caused by the elimination of people in the middle who move information. Those who produce data and those who analyze it will be directly connected to the intranets already being used by thousands of companies.

In my research, I have also discovered that with the Internet as the next site of explosive employment growth, people are learning fast that they network more productively on-line and that on-line discussions result in better business decisions. Planning meetings are ideally suited to cyberspace, where you can work together interactively over time, exchanging product information and brainstorming strategies. This can even be done anonymously -- which often results in better, more honest feedback. At the same time the concept of micromarketing is evolving, and large companies as well as media and marketing players are putting a lot of money into it. And while the 'Net remains a very fragmented, specialization-centric market, it ultimately gives the private entrepreneur a huge competitive opportunity to compete with major corporations and win.

As for those of you not college-bound in today's world, it isn't the end of the world, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. However, it's true that, on average, workers with college degrees earn more than those without such degrees. But it's possible to do fine without one. Registered nurses, sales representatives for manufacturers and wholesalers, detectives, factory supervisors, technicians, and carpenters are just a few of the many careers open for you to investigate. Careers whose rewards can include interesting work, much responsibility, and chances for advancement.

To be sure, an increasing number of jobs for high school graduates like yourselves demand good math and reading skills and the aptitude to learn on the job. So perhaps you weren't brilliant in school, but... --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

• Paperback: 176 pages
• Publisher: Fireside; Upd&Revisd edition (September 15, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671695894
• ISBN-13: 978-0671695897
• Product Dimensions: 10.7 x 8.3 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (39 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,315,394 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

93 of 94 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Good tests, but what do they really measure?, June 16, 2000

By 

E. M. Carey "LGW" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Discover What You're Best At (Paperback)

Having arrived at a point in my life where I absolutely must find a fulfilling career track - and soon - I got this book to start me on my way. I worked hard on the tests, and I was eager to see what my results would be, although I was skeptical that I would find a direct hit, my highest scores being Clerical (I'm a virgo and neurotically neat and organized) and Numerical (a HUGE surprise there, having been much more of an arts rather than math and science person). What I didn't expect was that however I arranged my scores, I came up NOTHING at all I could vaguely picture myself doing (histologist? had to look that up. geriatric nurse? food and drug inspector? acoustics physicist? had to look that one up, too). That's when I began to think about what the tests had actually measured.

Many of my strenghts - in fact, my greatest ones - were not covered in any of the tests. And looking back, I wasn't sure what 'social' and 'business' were meant to assess. Sure, I know the alphabet and can file well, and I can apparently multiply and divide (even fractions), but that does not make me a good candidate for any form of science - I know that for certain. What didn't the tests measure? Writing skills, people skills, the ability to multi-task and work well under pressure, computer literacy, creativity, web site or brochure design, quick problem solving, event planning... even the few questions that addressed some these issues were not comprehensive enough to provide any real sense of a person's capabilities in these areas.

So why give it three stars? The idea is a good one, and the tests are interesting to take. It's also well written and clearly explains the process. It even goes so far to explain what the individual jobs it recommends are (and suggests that whatever your scores are, a career counselor might be a good idea) and what level of education is needed for them. And I'm encouraged by many of the reviews here, which seem to indicate that the book has been a tremendous help to some people. I think it's important, however, to note its shortcomings and the ways in which it might not be helpful. I suppose that I was a little too optimistic about finding a quick-fix to a long, complicated problem. But for those who approach this bok knowing it may not provide all the answers, I think that there are many solutions in it, or at the very least an indication of where to go next.

35 of 35 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars This has potential., November 23, 1997

By A Customer

This review is from: Discover What You're Best At (Paperback)

Well, I'm in the midst of a career search, fresh out of college...so I decided to check out this book and what it could tell me.
I took all of the six tests (about 30 minutes each) which score your business, clerical, logic, mechanical, numbers, and social aptitude. You are required to stay within the time limit (if you want an accurate result). You are supposed to keep in mind your highest 2 or 3 scores and then look at the categories that they correspond with.

For example, I scored very superior in three areas: Clerical, Logic, and Numbers. I then looked at the CLN category to see what jobs I have the aptitude for. I was happy to see that some of the jobs they listed were ones that I was at least marginally interested in. I then looked at similar categories, like LN, CL, and CN...and some of those careers also looked appealing. My lowest score was also the category that was less appealing to me (although it was a category I'd have considered as a younger person.)

While this book does not profess to give definitive answers on what you should do, it would be a nice guide for someone who has NO idea what they'd be good at (note: this does not measure interest, just aptitude) or for someone like myself who'd like affirmation or redirection.

33 of 34 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent resource for career direction, April 30, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Discover What You're Best At (Paperback)

This book is excellent not only for those who are changing careers but also for those beginning college and unsure of what area to study. For example, I took these tests as a senior in high school. The results reaffirmed my choice of major and provided a wide range of choices for career paths that I would be good at. My lowest score occurred in an area I did not like and did not feel I was good at. At the back of the book an excellent career directory provides detailed descriptions of all the career choices. The directory is very comprehensive and informative. This book is an excellent resource for guidance and career counselors. The only areas it cannot test are special skill areas such as music and art, but for everything else it is great. An emphasis on skills, and not changing interests, provides the books main strength.