What if you're not sure of what kind of job or career you want? Not sure what to do with your life? Need some career direction? Spend some time here and take one or more of the following self-assessment tests to give you a better idea of your attitudes and interests as they relate to possible career choices. Read Online Career Assessments: Helpful Tools of Self-Discovery for more information about how best to use these assessments. And, finally, read our Career Assessment Do's and Don'ts for useful tips and advice.

And if you are debating the power of self-assessment, read some of these career assessment success stories.

More of a paper and pencil test taker? Check out these career assessment books.

QUINTESSENTIAL ASSESSMENT TOOLS:

• For Teens and Young Adults:
  QuintCareers Assessment Powered by JVIS -- developed to assist high school and college students, and adults with educational and career planning, the Jackson Vocational Interest Survey will help you discover the college majors and rewarding careers that match your interests. Provides a detailed report, with career implications and jobs that match your pattern. Top-rated. Fee-based.

• For Established Job-Seekers or Career Changers:
  CareerMaze -- if you're looking for some career direction, then taking this assessment might be just the answer for you. This assessment is an online tool designed to help you find your future by increasing your self-knowledge. Provides a detailed report, with career implications and jobs that match your pattern. Top-rated. Fee-based.

SITES OFFERING ASSESSMENT ASSORTMENTS:

• TestingRoom.com -- a site dedicated to helping you learn more about yourself. The site includes access to numerous online tests and assessments for self-discovery (including career assessment, values competencies, and work personality). Membership, assessments, and abbreviated results are free, but you must pay for detailed test results.

EXCELLENT ASSESSMENT TOOLS:

• Ansir's 3 Sides of You Self Perception Profiling System. A three-part self-perception test that provides you with insight into your particular styles of thinking, working, and emoting. By completing the test, you become a member of the Ansir Community, allowing you to search their database (150,000 records) to learn what others just like you do for a living. Basic report is free.

• Career Directions Inventory at LiveCareer.com -- identifies your career interests (highest and lowest) and then tells you what jobs match your results in your highest scored categories. Also includes workplace fit preferences using seven approaches to work (and based on Holland Scale). Results are presented in text and graphic form. No cost to job-seekers for basic report.

• CareerPlanner.com -- provides online career testing, as well as free career and job-search information, to help job-seekers discover your true purpose in life and their ideal career. A good source for high school students to career changers. Uses RIASEC method of matching your interests and skills with potential careers.Some elements free; others fee-based.

• ImproveNow.com -- which offers several interesting assessments for job-seekers, including ImproveNowPSI, which examines your personal style in helping better understand yourself; and the ImproveNow JSI, which is designed to help you identify and articulate behavior styles appropriate for your job. Free.

• Keirsey Temperament Sorter. Fill in a questionnaire of about 70 questions, which is automatically scored on the Web. Your results will be in the form of Myers-Briggs Types, and suggestions of appropriate careers are made. Free.

• MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential) Assessment. Fill in a questionnaire that has 71 triads of three statements. Assessment is designed to guide, motivate, and empower people to achieve your greatest educational and career potential. Provides "teaser" results sent via e-mail; more details and guidance available for a fee. Free.

OTHER GOOD ASSESSMENTS:

• Myers Briggs Personality Tests from Ransdell Associates -- personality and career preference tests, including Myers-Briggs and Strong Interest Inventory Tests, where you can learn more about yourself and career options. Fee-based.

• JOBehaviors -- provides dozens of job-specific assessments for jobs in a variety of high-demand industries with the goal of helping people find the right job. By identifying the behaviors critical for success and job compatibility, the assessments identify the job that is the best behavioral fit for you. No cost to job-seekers.

• JobDiagnosis -- a career assessment where students, career-changers, job-seekers, retirees -- people of any age and experience -- take a short test to assess your interests, skills, abilities, and competencies to see what career path you should follow. No cost to job-seekers.

• TypeFocus -- an online assessment that is similar to the Myers-Briggs and gives results in Myers-Briggs types. TypeFocus also offers an inexpensive ($14.95) paid program, TypeFocus Careers Program, with results offering greater detail that is more career-oriented than a typical personality tests.

• Work Preference Inventory. Based on the premise that the process of values clarification is very important in career planning, the Work Preference Inventory gives you a small glimpse that helps you to clarify what you value in terms of work style to assist you in making more fulfilling and rewarding career and employment decisions. For best results, use Java-script-enabled browser.

• The Career Key. Developed by Dr. Lawrence K. Jones, this assessment measures your personality, finds jobs that match your skills, interests, and personality, and then provides links to the U.S. government's Occupational Outlook Handbook to learn more about the jobs that best fit you.

• Personality and IQ Tests -- take a personality test and find out what others with similar personalities desire as an occupation. Plus lots of other interesting and unusual tests.

• The Big Five Personality Test. While this personality assessment is not strictly career-oriented, it does provide insight that can be applied to careers. It ranks you on scales of closed-minded vs. open to new experiences; disorganized vs. conscientious; introverted vs. extraverted, disagreeable vs. agreeable, calm vs. high-strung.

• knowyourtype.com -- the only assessment site that offers the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator Instrument online. Take the 93-question assessment online and get the results (a seven-page report) emailed back to you. Includes lifetime access to client support area. Fee-based.

• Carolyn Kalil's Personality Assessment (True Colors) -- a personality system that is modeled as a graphical presentation of both Keirsey's Temperament and the Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator. The assessment asks you to choose one of two ways to finish 36 statements. The results can help you define your skills and talents -- and possibly direct you to various career paths.

  WhatHalf.com -- a unique career assessment and aptitude test (that determines your dominant brain hemisphere in relationship to left brain, right brain dominance) that can help you make better life decisions. Use WhatHalf for college search, career change, professional development and more. No cost sample test; full test must be purchased.

QUINTESSENTIAL ASSESSMENT REVIEW:

For a detailed table reviewing these career and self assessments -- and other personality and career/job/life assessments -- go to Quintessential Careers: Online Career Assessment Review.

NEXT CAREER/JOB STEP:

Go to the Career Exploration section of Quintessential Careers to help you find information about various careers and college majors.

Or, if you feel you need the help of a professional, go to the Quintessential Careers Directory of Life and Career Coaches.

Finally, if you are looking for more specific assessment of your job-search preparedness, then go to our free Career and Job-Hunting Tests and Quizzes for Job-Seekers.