As our Career Intelligence assessment enters the public realm, I have become clearer about what the essence of this tool offers – and what it does not.

It is not a job matching tool. Rather it provides a self-evaluation map that enables career practitioners and their clients to connect with what matters in making their career or work role satisfying. It facilitates the development of a conversation that helps tap into intrinsic motivations leading to insights that enable decisions for action where desirable change can happen.

For most of my professional life, people have come for advice and guidance about what to do with their career situation. But over the years I’ve learned that it is not my role to advise, rather help clients to reconnect to what they already know and to help energise that into positive action. The best outcomes for clients have always been when they ‘own’ the solution to their career issues. The skill for the coach is to simply facilitate experiences, thoughts, and ideas – get out of the way – and validate aligned action with appropriate strategies.

In my opinion, the key to good career health is being in alignment with personal and work values. Things go wrong, investments in study are wasted, dissatisfaction happens and performance can be affected when values conflicts are triggered. Any career development or decision needs to be made for the right reasons.

Assessments have always given career coaches a helping hand. They help people to assess how they see themselves against a set of information and measures that are important for the discussion. The Career Intelligence assessment offers exactly that; a vehicle through which valuable career conversations can be had – around measures that are meaningful. For information on our coach training check here.

The Career Intelligence assessment is not a ‘talent management’ solution, nor is it an employability tool. However, identifying a career role and skill development all makes sense when an individual finds a reason for going there and the motivation hits the right spot.

This tool supports an inside-out approach to career coaching. I enjoy seeing it help people to pivot their energies towards working in a way that matters for them and the world around them. In this way, career decisions will be made for the right reasons – consciously.