testimonals

Noting that my 19-year old daughter seemed frustrated about career choices after changing college majors a few times, I did what any helicopter parent would do: I bought her a career-testing and counseling session….

…Publisher Highlands Co. offers three hours of on-line tests through 200 administrators nationwide, usually for about $450.

My daughter took the Highlands assessment, plus a personality test, with Seattle-area psychologist Paul Marano for $475. From the analytical, technical and other skills she exhibited, he derived more than a dozen career possibilities, from design analyst to astronomer.

The sheer bulk of data was almost overwhelming. But as I listened to Dr. Marano encourage my daughter to vent her self-doubts, unearth her passions and plan follow-up job shadows and informational interviews, I realized he was teaching a set of skills and attitudes inherent to long-life career management:

Trust your own interests. Do your homework. Tune in to the big picture. And be honest with yourself. If you can line up your passions behind your natural talents, even the most daunting obstacles may shrink to surmountable size.

Not a bad takeaway for life.