Career assessment is the process of evaluation of one's career choice as well as path to ensure that we are on the right track.

With the market filled up with numerous career directions and opportunities, it is essential for an individual to have the clarity that he/she is indeed working in the right department. At the same time, it is advised that he/she regularly evaluate his/her progress in the respective field and the job satisfaction derived from it. This helps an individual to judge his/her skills and aptitude in the area and decide on the future course of his/her career.

Debabrata Mandal, VP - HR, Kutchina, elaborates, "These programmes make employees aware of their strengths and weaknesses in their knowledge areas, skill-sets, interests, aptitudes and attitudes and the professional areas they will succeed in with their existing skill-sets."

Sudakshina Bhattacharya, head HR, IL and FS Financial Services, tells us why career assessment is required for both old and new professionals, "It is mandatory for new professionals to do a thorough career assessment with rigor, deliberation and be earnest before choosing a career, as a right choice at the onset ensures that the journey ahead is more objective and achievement-oriented. Also, he/she is enticed to achieve his/her career milestones."

There are many tools employed in the market and by companies to make this career assessment process effective and easy for professionals. Ashish Arora, founder and MD, HR Anexi, elaborates, "The primary tools used for career guidance include Interest profiling, Personality profiling and Ability/Aptitude assessments which have good reliability and predictive validity. Many companies today offer personality profiling like 15 Factor Questionnaire Plus, Myers Briggs Type Indicator, Jung Type Indicator, Occupational Personality Profiling, as well as Interests/ Values assessments like Occupational Interest Profiling, Values Motives Indicator as well as ability tests like Graduate Reasoning or Critical Reasoning Tests etc."

Career assessment encourages employees to move forward in their respective fields and thus, has a positive influence on their productivities. Udit Mittal, MD, Unison International, explains, "Career assessment always leads to self-assessment. If an individual has entered in a role, which is in line with his/her values and interest, then his/her productivity significantly increases. The individual will always take a step further to take up all challenges and will completely own an assignment or project."

Hence, professionals should timely participate in career assessments to evaluate their careers.

- Palak Bhatia