Your interests refer to activities and situations you enjoy. They could be as specific as "studying 17th century Russian literature" to something as general as "hanging out with friends". General and specific interests should be considered when planning for a career that is right for you.
FREE - This interactive tool includes a self-assessment of your interests, in-depth profiles of different careers, and multimedia interviews. To access Career Cruising, log into your myTrent account, go to the Support tab and find the icons/links for it under "Careerspace".
The Career Matchmaker section is a great place to start the career exploration process.
You can answer as few as 39 questions, or as many as 116 – depending on your needs
The resulting career suggestions list includes 40 occupations ranked in order of suitability
By clicking on an occupation, you can receive clear feedback on exactly why the occupation is considered to be a good match for you
Interested in a standardized career assessment? The Strong Interest Inventory® measures your interest in a broad range of occupations, work activities, leisure activities and school subjects. Contact Careerspace and speak to the Career Counsellor about your interest in completing the 60 minute computer assessment, followed by a one hour appointment with a Career Counsellor. Fee: $25.00
Self-Reflection Activity about Interests
Take a few minutes to reflect on the following questions and write down your answers. After completing any interest assessments, return to these notes to see if you see any consistent themes between the two.
Identifying your interests starts with asking yourself questions like:
- "What do I enjoy doing?" (Don't limit this to work activities.)
- "What have I always wanted to be?"
- “What additional interests and hobbies do I have?”
- "What subjects most interested me in school?"
- "In which subjects did I get my best grades?"
If you have any work experience then you could also reflect on:
- “What work have I done?”
- "Which job did I enjoy doing the most?"
- "What part of the job did I most enjoy and why?"
- "What did I enjoy the least and why?"
- "Were there any jobs I took on that weren't part of my responsibility?"
Overall you can reflect on such things as:
- “What other evidence is there about my performance in past pursuits, e.g., evaluations from those in authority, grades, awards, etc.?”
- “In reviewing past jobs, experiences and activities, remember back to other people I have worked or shared experiences with. List some attributes of people that I liked and disliked.”