Career Cruising Matchmaker - Take with a Grain of Salt

Career-Cruising is a great self-assessment tool that provides a list of  potential career options for you based on your responses. It is a great way to look at a wide range of career choices if you are confused with what to do after you graduate, or if you are just curious! The Primary assessment available is the career-assessment, where you answer a minimum of 39 questions about work preferences and the service matches you with careers that line-up with your preferences.

You can access Career-Cruising through CareerZone under the Online Resource Centre tab, and then by clicking on self-assessment.

Here's the thing... some of these matches may be way out there. For example, I am studying Sport Management, and my top 5 matches after answering the first round of questions are as follows:

39 Questions Answered:
1. Parking Enforcement Officer
2. Martial-Arts Instructor
3. Volunteer Manager
4. Waste-Management Technician
5. Military Officer

Huh. It seems I am destined to be a Parking Enforcement Officer or a Martial Arts Instructor, not exactly what I had in mind. After answering 39 questions it is hard to tell what kind of careers might be right for you, or find one that might suit your fancy. You have the opportunity to take additional questions after the minimum 39, and I strongly recommend it. My top 5 matches after completing 116 questions are as follows:

116 Questions Answered:
1. Sport Agent
2. Martial Arts Instructor
3. Volunteer Manager
4. Human Resources Specialist
5. Venture Capitalist

Though my apparent calling to be a Martial Arts Instructor remained, after completing more questions and the skills assessment on Career-Cruising I began to see more interesting, related career paths such as a Sport Agent or a Human Resources Specialist. You begin to notice trends, with clusters of employment beginning to show. It's through these trends that Career-Cruising becomes useful as you might find a related path or similar career from one of your matches. At the very least, it gets you thinking about a plethora of different options.

On Career-Cruising, either through selecting one of your matches or simply searching a career, you can research some useful information on that career including:

- Job Descriptions
- Working Conditions
- Related Careers
- Education Required
- Sample Career Path
- Salary
- Information Interviews


So, if I choose to act on my calling to be a Martial Arts Instructor, I can research a plethora of information on that career, what to do to get there, and what to expect when I am there as well as any related careers that may further catch my eye.

All in all, take your results with a grain of salt! Your career is not set in stone by the degree you pursue or by the results in your self-assessment. Like any self-assessment, Career-Cruising is a tool, and if used correctly and in the right context, it can do a lot of good.


Have a great reading week! Our Resource Centre is closed on Monday, but operates regular hours for the rest of the week. Drop by to come and have your resume reviewed by yours truly or another Career Assistant!

(I love working here!)

Anthony Mancuso
Senior Career Assistant
3rd Year Sport Management