Customer Reviews

Discover What You're Best At

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

When I graduated from college, I had dreams of working in a particular field. After a couple of years, I realized that I couldn't stand my job. One day while visiting a local book store, a friend familiar with my career disillusionment, pointed out Discover What You're Best At. I took the tests, and was surprised to find out that I had a strong aptitude for fields I had never considered before. I did some research on the careers suggested in the book at the local library, and spoke to people who worked in those fields. After some careful consideration, I decided to take a course at a local university, in one of the areas I though I would enjoy working in. Not only did I end up loving the subject matter, I ended up taking more courses. That was close to 20 years ago. My career has progressed very well, and it's a joy going in to work everyday. Barry and Linda Gale changed the course of my life with this book.

... this book contains a few interesting tests to take. What I am going to say, though, will most likely already be obvious. This book might help those who undoubtedly prefer using the left-side of their brains since creative abilities aren't measurable by testing of this nature (and the book even asserts this from the start - it obviously can't measure art ability, music, etc). Thus, as a whole and from the perspective of vocational guidance, it seems pretty lopsided and incomplete for the average person seeking more a complete source of assistance. If one is looking for a mundane job, who knows, maybe this book might help get a better picture of a few of one's skills. But, for overall career guidance, this book would actually get a zero. Atleast someone may get an idea of how mechanically-inclined/logical/numerical/clerical/etc... one might be in comparison to the average ... but that's about all the knowledge one might expect from this book.

I took all the tests and ranked both Superior in Clerical (C) and Social (S). I believed that these scores and analyzation were accurate, but the list of matching careers was lacking. For example, the only two careers listed in the CS cluster that requires college is College Financial-Aid Officer and Religious-Activities Director. The only career listed in the CS cluster that requires graduate school is Patients' Librarian. I am not interested in any of these three careers, but I am a college graduate and I am interested in graduate school. What now? A longer list of careers, with detailed descriptions, would have been appreciated.

This book is great for those people who are seeking a management position or science/technology position. There are few arts-related careers and no military careers are mentioned.

I would also not recommend this book, which consists of six 30-minute or so tests, for people who are highly intelligent. I found myself scoring highest on all but one test, meaning I could do anything. Well, I knew that! Now help me narrow it down!

I did like taking the tests and the career profiles helped me at least broaden my scope and apply some job titles to what I'm actually good at.

Linda Gale has devised tests that do indeed measure what your skills are. Some aptitude tests are not real true measures of your skills, but it measures how confident you feel about your skills. One does not need to know how confident one feels about their skills, but you need to know if you are good or bad at making business decisions,doing clerical tasks, thinking through things logically, doing mechanical things, handling numbers and doing what is best in dealing with people. When I tested myself I did well on and scored the highest in 4 areas clerical,logical, numerical and social. I looked up my 3 top letter cluster codes representing my highest skills and found a interesting "CLS" job that of a career-information specialist. I have a bachelors degree in psychology. and I am looking for a good attractive job without having to go back to college and get a graduate degree. I don't want to be a guidance counselor now, but I have touched upon a good job lead possibility and one that is at my level of education. Linda provided the answer and even other possible answers on what I could do well. A good counselor can let you see your possibilities, and that is all you can really hope to get from career counseling. A career counselor can show you, but you have to be responsible for making your own vocational decisions.So Linda did an excellent job writing this book, and now it is my duty to search for those job possibilities.Linda didn't measure how I confidently felt about my skills, she actually zeroed in on my skills and how strong my skills are. One other thing, even if you don't take the tests, the list of jobs and how they are categorized or clustered allows you to do some serious thinking about what you want to do with your life. Do you want to sit at a desk and be a number cruncher or one who fixes that broken down automobile stuck in your yard? Do you want to work with data only, people only or things only or a combination of these things. Good Job . You measured my skills not my feelings. An A+++++++++++++++++ Linda!

This book has an excellent introduction about the tests and finding a career. Whether you are a college student or someone considering changing your job, this book gives you the information to help you make this life-changing decision. The tests are very well explained and answer sheets are included. The grading portion is split. One grade key is for college students. One grade key is for more experienced workers. After you determine your strength(s), the next section divides up the graded areas into 1, 2, and 3 strength combinations (for those who score high in more than one area.) You find your strength or strength combo and see what types of jobs may be of interest to you. I have tried 3 different books and was pleased with them all. This is the best of the 3.

Once in awhile a book comes along that impacts one's thinking and decisions long-term. Finishing my second year at a liberals arts university I was desperate for focus. I took a series of tests and read other books designed to help me gain clarity into the career I should choose. Of all the tests I completed this was the least time consuming and I believe most accurate. Some of the other evaluations concentrated on interests (I knew them already) others on aptitude, this book blended both remarkably. The career this book pointed me toward was so unique I had to research it. After eleven years of excelling in my field and enjoying my job everyday I'm often grateful to Linda Gale. I can highly recommend this book to individuals looking to identify and use their talents more efficiently. I give this book to potential employees before hiring and I bought copies for my entire church youth group.