Ten careers that match your skills and personality
My Careers Options uses sophisticated psychometric testing to help young people discover careers that suit their personality, interests, preferences and skills. Christopher Maure, one of MCO’s two directors, explains how this simple-to-use app works
ANYONE USING THE MY CAREERS OPTIONS (MCO) APP WILL COME AWAY WITH A PERSONALITY AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT AND A TOP10 REPORT. WHAT ARE THESE?
Users complete a set of easy puzzles, questions and quizzes, which can be taken anywhere, anytime and on any device. Then, the app’s clever selective algorithm analyses the user’s answers to scientifically and objectively determine their skills, abilities, personality traits, interests and preferences for real-life careers. This is the basis of the MCO assessment.
From this assessment, a Top10 Report is automatically generated, which shows the user ten careers that best suit their personality, skills and preferences, regardless of their IQ or social status. The report also includes information on salaries, working times and conditions, routes into the industry, what you’ll be doing every day, and how to advance in the career.
HOW ACCURATE IS THE MCO’S PERSONALITY AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT?
MCO uses a selective algorithm to produce a profile of the individual’s unique skills and personality. It’s based on some of the most highly respected assessments currently available, using tried and tested technology and then mixing it up with our own assessment methods and ideas. We also draw on the considerable skills of Dr David Stillwell and his team at The Psychometrics Centre, as well as developers from around the world.
WHY ARE PERSONALITY TRAITS SO IMPORTANT WHEN DECIDING ON A CAREER PATH?
Personality is the best indicator of what you would most like
to do, and what you would be most comfortable and motivated doing. The key to a happy career is matching your personality and preferences with your skills. We put more emphasis on personality and preferences because it’s often possible to up-skill someone into a role but it’s impossible to force someone to like that role, be fulfilled and give of their best.
NOWADAYS, PEOPLE RARELY STAY IN THE SAME JOB OR PROFESSION, EVEN. HOW DOES MCO ACCOUNT FOR THIS?
We’re not experts in recruitment but we’ve definitely observed what we call “square peg syndrome”. Young people are often taken down a particular career path for reasons that have nothing to do with their preferences or skills. This can happen for many reasons: financial, social circumstances, family expectations, etc. but this leads to young people being unhappy with their career choice.
There are many more opportunities these days for people to change careers, but this is expensive for the employer and a waste of time for employees. What would be better is if they were in the right career from the start. It’s true that people change and are more open to career shifting now than they’ve ever been in the past (our Careers Changer tool, which we’ll release next year, will help with that), but, fundamentally, if we can reduce that “churn” by setting people off on their best career path to start with, then that has to be of great help to employers and employees alike.
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO SET UP MCO?
We were working on a project aimed at helping NEETs (young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training) into employment via a gamified psychometric test when we realised that there was
an incredible hole in careers guidance. We thought that if we could provide a simple, straightforward, real-world careers matching tool, kids would have a better idea of their talents and the career options open to them – and that we could make a positive difference to young people’s outcomes.
WHO IS MCO AIMED AT?
It’s initially aimed at students aged between 11 and 19. We hope to make a massive difference in this age group because most students don’t have a clue about what they want to do in life. There’s a whole wide, weird, wonderful world of work out there to be explored and MCO will be the first portal to this universe of endless opportunity.
MCO provides you with a list of top ten careers
MCO will give you all the information you need on different career options that best suit you
MCO Directors Chris Maure and Darrel Linehan
THE MCO ASSESSMENT AND TOP10 REPORT COSTS £14.99. FOR A 50% DISCOUNT USE THIS CODE: MCFUT120
INTERESTED IN A BULK LICENSE FOR YOUR SCHOOL OR ORGANISATION FOR JUST £50.00 PER MONTH? CONTACT MCO AND QUOTE DISCOUNT CODE: MCFUT120’ TO GET 15 MONTHS ACCESS FOR THE PRICE OF 12
ANYONE USING THE MY CAREERS OPTIONS (MCO) APP WILL COME AWAY WITH A PERSONALITY AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT AND A TOP10 REPORT. WHAT ARE THESE?
Users complete a set of easy puzzles, questions and quizzes, which can be taken anywhere, anytime and on any device. Then, the app’s clever selective algorithm analyses the user’s answers to scientifically and objectively determine their skills, abilities, personality traits, interests and preferences for real-life careers. This is the basis of the MCO assessment.
From this assessment, a Top10 Report is automatically generated, which shows the user ten careers that best suit their personality, skills and preferences, regardless of their IQ or social status. The report also includes information on salaries, working times and conditions, routes into the industry, what you’ll be doing every day, and how to advance in the career.
HOW ACCURATE IS THE MCO’S PERSONALITY AND SKILLS ASSESSMENT?
MCO uses a selective algorithm to produce a profile of the individual’s unique skills and personality. It’s based on some of the most highly respected assessments currently available, using tried and tested technology and then mixing it up with our own assessment methods and ideas. We also draw on the considerable skills of Dr David Stillwell and his team at The Psychometrics Centre, as well as developers from around the world.
WHY ARE PERSONALITY TRAITS SO IMPORTANT WHEN DECIDING ON A CAREER PATH?
Personality is the best indicator of what you would most like
to do, and what you would be most comfortable and motivated doing. The key to a happy career is matching your personality and preferences with your skills. We put more emphasis on personality and preferences because it’s often possible to up-skill someone into a role but it’s impossible to force someone to like that role, be fulfilled and give of their best.
NOWADAYS, PEOPLE RARELY STAY IN THE SAME JOB OR PROFESSION, EVEN. HOW DOES MCO ACCOUNT FOR THIS?
We’re not experts in recruitment but we’ve definitely observed what we call “square peg syndrome”. Young people are often taken down a particular career path for reasons that have nothing to do with their preferences or skills. This can happen for many reasons: financial, social circumstances, family expectations, etc. but this leads to young people being unhappy with their career choice.
There are many more opportunities these days for people to change careers, but this is expensive for the employer and a waste of time for employees. What would be better is if they were in the right career from the start. It’s true that people change and are more open to career shifting now than they’ve ever been in the past (our Careers Changer tool, which we’ll release next year, will help with that), but, fundamentally, if we can reduce that “churn” by setting people off on their best career path to start with, then that has to be of great help to employers and employees alike.
WHAT PROMPTED YOU TO SET UP MCO?
We were working on a project aimed at helping NEETs (young people who are Not in Education, Employment or Training) into employment via a gamified psychometric test when we realised that there was
an incredible hole in careers guidance. We thought that if we could provide a simple, straightforward, real-world careers matching tool, kids would have a better idea of their talents and the career options open to them – and that we could make a positive difference to young people’s outcomes.
WHO IS MCO AIMED AT?
It’s initially aimed at students aged between 11 and 19. We hope to make a massive difference in this age group because most students don’t have a clue about what they want to do in life. There’s a whole wide, weird, wonderful world of work out there to be explored and MCO will be the first portal to this universe of endless opportunity.
CAN MCO BE USED ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD?
We’re based in the UK but MCO is ripe for the international market, particularly English-speaking countries. We’re developing a product for the US market right now and are also in talks with educational bodies in India and Pakistan. Our aim to make the assessment multilingual.
FINALLY, WHAT’S YOUR ADVICE TO YOUNG PEOPLE?
Obviously, my advice is to complete the My Careers Options assessment before making any important decisions! Seriously, though, young people are bombarded from all angles with options, choices and decisions. My advice is: make sure you cut through the noise and be logical about the decisions you make, which could easily mean following your heart not your head.
The most entertaining job in the world is no fun if it isn’t what you want to do or are good at. Pick something that you like and make sure you know why you like it and why you could be better at it and enjoy it more. It’s important to remember that there are hundreds and thousands of opportunities out there that you may never have considered. We’ve found the Top10 Report often comes up with jobs people would never have thought they could do or jobs they’ve never even heard of. It’s got to be good if you’re able access a pool of potential careers by exploring all the opportunities open to you, and armed with a real understanding of where you, as a unique individual, could fit within those opportunities.
ABOUT MY CAREER OPTIONS
My Careers Options is an online careers matching app, developed with the University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre and Careers England. Currently aimed at young people aged between 11 and 19 years, the app will soon be available to those aged between 20 and 30 years.
To discover careers that best suit your skills and personality, visit: www.mycareersoptions.co.uk
ABOUT CHRISTOPHER MAURE
“I’m the technologist primarily responsible for the development of the MCO assessments along with our partners at the University of Cambridge Psychometrics Centre. I also take care of the branding and image of MCO.”
THE MCO ASSESSMENT AND TOP10 REPORT COSTS £14.99. FOR A 50% DISCOUNT USE THIS CODE: MCFUT120
INTERESTED IN A BULK LICENSE FOR YOUR SCHOOL OR ORGANISATION FOR JUST £50.00 PER MONTH? CONTACT MCO AND QUOTE DISCOUNT CODE: MCFUT120’ TO GET 15 MONTHS ACCESS FOR THE PRICE OF 12