Monday, December 28, 2009

Job Counseling

In the early 80's, when I was in high school, we had to take these career guidance tests. You answered a bunch of questions, and a computer (like a TRS-80: anyone else out there have one? I had the top-of-the-line model, with a whopping 16K of RAM) would tell you what career was best suited to your personality.

My test results suggested a career in farming and agriculture was best for me. (Oddly, so did my Dad's tests in the 1950's. And he's a lawyer now).

In October I put a resume up on a medical site, looking for research work in addition to my regular practice.

Today I got an email from the site's "job assistant", saying that I'm qualified for an exciting career as a Certified Nursing Assistant, and should register for classes NOW.

18 comments:

Unknown said...

There you go, you followed your yak herding dream!

RPh said...

At least you know you can have a back up plan in case Yak-herding doesn't work out for you!!

Unknown said...

I have a TRS-80 Model 100 (laptop) clone, the NEC PC-8201. I haven't turned it on in years, but I've got it in event of zombie invasion.

Those career guidance tests always suggested I become a teacher. I wonder now what they suggested to my sister, since she turned out to be the teacher.

MDB said...

All the career counseling tests I got forced to take in middle school/early high school said I should be a forester or park ranger. I'm finishing pharmacy school now so I guess the tests were wrong, though I make furniture for a hobby, wonder if that comes closest to a park ranger. My uncle, a retired opthamologist, got the same responses from the tests when he was in high school.

By the way, what's the going price for a yak lately?

Doctor D said...

My career counselor in college used a similar test. It listed garbage collector as the number one job for me. MD didn't make my list.

I still sometimes wonder if I might have been happier if I worked in sanitation. Perhaps emptying those dumpsers is the key to inner peace.

...either that or Yak herding.

ERP said...

Hope you like dipping urines for blood and changing depends!

Candice said...

Yes I would say you are slightly qualified as a CNA.

Have fun with that!

River said...

All of those types of tests that I did indicated that I had great people skills and would excel in a sales career. I hate the idea of selling stuff to people who either don't need it or can't afford it. I also would very much prefer NOT to interact with dozens of people on a daily basis. Ergh! Guess who is now a checkout operator...

Anonymous said...

Mine said I should become a Neurologist, Forensic Pathologist, or Psychiatrist....=l I think I am doing Psych

Kate A said...

I must have input my telephone number on a site that sells contact information to telemarketers because I got a phone call the other day and the person asked me if I would be interested in their online school so that I could get my GED. I replied that I held already had a doctorate and felt that my academic tenure was complete.

J-Quell'n said...

Well...you know...it's always something to fall back on :D

Personally, I think you would make a wonderful Diet Coke spokesman.

The Mother said...

When I took those tests in high school, I was supposed to go into the CLERGY.

Imagine that. What do they do with atheists in the clergy, anyway?

The counselor really didn't understand why I laughed so hard.

Good luck on the CNA training. I hear it's really tough.

gene said...

yea, we had the trs-80, but only after we upgraded from a Timex-Sinclair with 8k. couldn't save to it, though. had to save to a TAPE RECORDER. yep, that's right.
i love how people treat other docs/ers/RNs when their usual provider is 'out' or unavailable.
wtf?

Anonymous said...

Mother-

The exact same thing happened to me. As an atheist I was best suited for the clergy! Most entertaining. I ended up with a psych degree and was a social worker. Now going back to nursing school.
Maybe during my next mid-life crisis I will find god and finally fulfill my true destiny. Could happen.

Cheryl said...

Hey people- don't be dogging CNA's.
We can't all be doctors and someone has to wipe butts and feed patients. A truly good CNA is worth his/her weight in gold.

What if it was your mom in that bed?

Grumpy, M.D. said...

Cheryl- I'm not dogging CNA's. It was more the humor of an MD being told he should become a CNA by some brainless computer program.

Anonymous said...

I really had no aptitude for pharmacy (or anything else that required knowing about numbers) according to the interests testing scores instead I should've gone into domestics arts education, or written suspense novels. (I deliberately NEVER took typing in high school because I was afraid that the civil service exam I aced was going to open the door to an exciting career in the typist pool, not that I wouldn't mind a rather predictable day now and then with a lunch-hour and two fifteen minute breaks to don tennies and put in some aerobic exercise on the grounds outside the place of work.)

I just consider my 21 year career in pharmacy, an exercise in working out of the 'box'.

Janna said...

If I remember correctly, it told me I should be a baker or a prosthetist.
(!??!!)

Weird!

 
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