CareerLeader®

Whether or not youknow where your career is headed, it’s important to have an objective resource to chart the right steps to reach your goals.

The CareerLeader® tool can help in a big way.

Developed by two experienced Harvard Business School career counselors, The CareerLeader tool is an interactive tool that offers a personalized, online self-assessment, turning insights about your skills and passions into concrete recommendations for your business career path.

I want to get my MBA, but I'm waiting to decide on an actual career until I get to school.

Most b-schools say that to get the best results from your MBA, you should decide on a career direction before you start. Your CareerLeader assessment can help you to accomplish just that, in choosing a career, evaluating the best MBA programs for that career, preparing winning applications, and successfully navigating the interview process. More than 200 leading MBA programs insist that their students make it part of their application planning.

I know I want to get my MBA and know exactly what career is best for me.

What motivates your career choice? What types of companies might best suit your personality? The recommendations generated by the CareerLeader tool can help reinforce your choice and pinpoint the right career for you. Then you can focus on finding the best companies for your talents, as well as MBA programs that have recruiting relationships with those companies.

I'm not planning on getting my MBA—I'm just interested in finding or changing jobs.

The CareerLeader tool is designed for anyone interested in a business career. If you like what you do but are unhappy at work, the CareerLeader assessment can help you understand why and define the type of work culture you need. If you know what you like but can’t seem to find a job that suits you, CareerLeader will pinpoint the jobs that can make the best use of your skills.

The CareerLeader tool has you take three online tests. The answers you provide give you results about your ideal career paths. The specific tests are:

• The Business Career Interest Inventory (BCII) 
• The Management and Professional Reward Profile (MPRP) 
• The Management and Professional Abilities Profile (MPAP)

The BCII defines a potential range of careers best for you, and the MPRP refines this list by assessing the value you place on certain work-related rewards. The MPAP evaluates your business skill strengths and weaknesses in specific careers.

The developers of the CareerLeader tool suggest that you take your time to do the assessments. On average, it takes most people a total of about 90 minutes. These tests are definitely comprehensive, with more than 100 questions in each assessment. Plus, it’s to your benefit to invest more time in your answers in order to get the best results.

Compiled from all three tests and 26 different major business career paths in the database, CareerLeader results are highly detailed and unique to you. But check out the sample CareerLeader report before you make a purchase.