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Archive for the ‘Highlands Ability Battery’ Category
Wednesday, June 30th, 2010
I’ve just completed a Highlands Ability Battery feedback discussion with a client and thought you may like to read an account of how the session goes
Before the call
A client would take the highlands assessment in their own time. It takes about 3 hours but can be done over a series of sessions. it doesn’t have to be done all at once.
My client gets immediate access to their report so they can read it through before we talk.
The call – Introduction
We start by talking through my clients history to date – degree, jobs, what they liked and disliked, any thoughts they may have for future career choices.
The call – Discussing the report
I go through the report in-depth, explaining the structure, and helping them to understand what the results mean to them. I answer any questions they may have. We talk through the personal style section, discussing both generalist/specialist split and also extrovert/introvert. We then talk about the driving abilities – problem solving, ideas and spatial relations. Then the specialised abilities including the 5 memory abilities (design, verbal, tonal, rhythm and number), observation and more.
We only cover the 4 key dimensions, Work Environment/Personal Style; Learning; Problem Solving/Decision Making; and Communication briefly as this section of the report is so detailed.
We spend more time on the Work Types as I want clients to understand why, for example ‘making contact with others’ and ‘facilitation interaction’ comes up so high and ‘creating processes and procedures’ and ‘managing processes’ fall so low.
You can read a sample report here
This is where I think most highland affiliates would stop. But I love to provide more information for my clients so we go through 3 extra items:
Highlands Explored
This is nearly 40 pages and is reference material, explaining more about the assessment – details I include in my introduction about the assessment, details on all the work samples – covering for example specialist, mid range and generalist; also being low, medium and high on classification. The information can help when applying for jobs.
Critical career implications
A one page summary of the key points from the report
List of jobs
I go through the results from the assessments and provide details on best match, and why. I then provide web links on how to explore these jobs
Downloadable recording of our discussion
I record our conversation. It’s not professional quality, but ‘good enough’ and upload it so my client can download it.
Plus
I also offer a month of follow up so if a client identifies a job and wants to know how well they will match up I can let them know.
Posted in ASSESSMENTS, Highlands Ability Battery
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Thursday, January 7th, 2010
Finding out your natural abilities is a fundamental step towards a satisfying and successful career.
‘Taking the Highlands Ability Battery was a useful, practical way to get some external guidance when you are bogged down in the complexities of identifying career decisions. Definitely helped to re-energise my thinking.’ Dominic Ball
‘A fascinating and valuable insight into one’s strengths and abilities, weaknesses and opportunities for improvement. This will serve me well in my career and in my private life. Absolutely worth the money (even though it is a substantial investment).’ Paula Mason
‘I thought the Highlands Ability Battery was amazing. It tested just about everything there was to test and it is impossible to be happy in your career until you understand yourself.’ Jacqui Knutsford
Real career success is rarely down to money and status and much more to do with finding a job which ties in with your natural talents and abilities.
Understanding our natural abilities helps us understand why we find certain situations difficult and where we will gain most career satisfaction. The Highlands Ability Battery is an objective assessment of your natural ability and consists of 19 work samples. It’s extensive, taking around 3 hours (but you don’t need to complete it in one session) and the results will help you to really understand yourself.
Your results are shown as percentiles on a graph, comparing your scores to other people who have taken the HAB. A high score isn’t better than a low, it depends on whether a job requires it, or not. It’s frustrating to have an ability and not need it in a job or need an ability you don’t have.
The report is divided into driving abilities, specialised abilities and personal style.
Posted in ASSESSMENTS, Career Discovery, Highlands Ability Battery
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Thursday, October 22nd, 2009
The Highlands Ability Battery helps people to understand more about natural abilities – which are an effective way of making career choices.
Just today I’ve spoken with one of my clients. Clare was interested in the Highlands assessment and had read about it on my web site. She had also been on Amazon’s web site and read my review of Don’t Waste Your Talent.
When somebody takes the highlands assessment they get comprehensive instructions and can then take the assessment in their own home. This means that you don’t have to do the test all in one go. It’s so comprehensive and at over 3 hours no one would expect you to do it in one go! So split it into 2 or 3 sessions.
The great thing about the assessment is that for each of the 19 work samples you get a practice go first of all, so you understand what it is that you need to do. Then, if it is a bit challenging for you, you can always take a break and come back to it later.
As soon as you finish the assessment you get the results immediately on the screen –and it’s a 30 page report with a lot of detail. You don’t need to print it as a colour copy will be posted to you, if we are going to do a phone feedback session or it will be ready for you if you are coming to meet Denise.
You might think you get all you need from reading the report, but Denise will help develop your understanding, answer any questions you may have and make links.
You will also get a 39 page eBook – Highlands explored with reference material, a one page summary to make it easy for you to use the results on CV and at interview and finally (almost always) a list of career paths which match your abilities.
I wrote this to be a helpful explanation of the assessment. Have you any more questions? Do please get in touch. You can also read more on my web site: http://www.amazingpeople.co.uk/highlandsabilitybattery.htm
Posted in Highlands Ability Battery
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Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Why I suggest the Highlands Ability Battery?
Since 1922, hundreds of thousands of people have used aptitude testing to learn more about themselves and to derive more satisfaction from their lives. The Highlands Ability Battery is based on the work undertaken by the Johnson O Connor Research Foundation. The paper and pencil tests were developed into the battery which is now available to take over the Internet.which is now available to take over the Internet.
The Highlands Ability Battery is based on over 80 years of research, beginning with Johnson O’Connor. It is psychometrically valid and reliable. The information and suggestions that it makes are highly accurate. The minimum reliability standard for the 19 tests that make up the Highland Ability Battery is r = .80 and the reliability range is to .93, with 1.0 being perfect. It has been described as the equivalent of getting a CAT Scan for a painful injury instead of a traditional X-ray. As an Associate Fellow of the British Psychological Society, I would not use any test that could not measure what it sets out to measure.
Thousands of people have taken the Highlands Ability Battery and I’ve personally guided over 200 clients using the Highlands Ability Battery. People seek out objective data so they know more about themselves and can use this to identify careers to which they would be well suited. Some people are hesitant to take ability tests because they are afraid their scores will indicate that they lack intelligence. However, aptitudes do not correlate with IQ tests, and aptitude tests are not based on knowledge or experience. You can’t pass or fail the Highlands Ability Battery!
The Highlands Ability Battery does not measure or determine IQ. Most experts agree that IQ tests are not inherently helpful when trying to decide on a career path. Two people can have identical IQ scores but very different aptitudes.
The main reason to take The Highlands Ability Battery is to find out where you have natural ability. Research from the Johnson O’Connor Research Foundation says that people tend to be more satisfied and successful in occupations that challenge their aptitudes and do not demand aptitudes that they lack.
You might think the worst option is to work in a job where you don’t have the natural abilities, but research has found that people experience greater problems when they have strong abilities that they are not able to use in their job. These can distract you from your ability to do the job and you would need to find an outlet for them through an out of work activity.
Every occupation, for example, engineering, medicine, law or management uses certain aptitudes. The work you are most likely to enjoy and be successful in is work that uses your aptitudes. For example, if you are an engineer but possess aptitudes not used in engineering, your work might seem unrewarding. If you lack the engineer’s aptitudes, your work may be difficult or unpleasant.
“The individual, who knows his own aptitudes, and their relative strengths, chooses more intelligently among the world’s host of opportunities.” Johnson O’Connor, 1940 p134
To learn more
Posted in Highlands Ability Battery
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Wednesday, September 30th, 2009
How useful were the coaching/ feedback sessions? Where 1 is not very useful and 5 is very useful
1 2 3 4 5
What did you like, what was helpful about our session(s)?
Clarification of the meaning of the report and where the ‘results’ are useful etc.
What were the key learning points for you?
What I can naturally do best – thought this was amazing.
Would you work with me again? Would you recommend this service to your friends/colleagues? What would you say to them?
Yes I would work with you again and may well do to keep me focused.
Already recommended you to a friend.
Told them what I have found out has really helped me – boosted my confidence but I must stay focused.
Have you any further comments which may be relevant to me?
You are good at what you – very helpful – felt inspired when I left our last meeting.
Could I use this as a testimonial on my literature?
Yes
From: Trisha
Want to know more about the Highlands Ability Battery? I’ve comprehensive information on my web site:
Posted in Client Feedback, Highlands Ability Battery
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Monday, June 29th, 2009
I’ve received feedback from a client who took the Highlands Ability Battery as she didn’t know what to do, career wise, and was certainly unhappy in her current job.
She said
‘Many thanks for sending over my jobs shortlist, the Next Steps booklet and the important factors for me to consider for my career. It was great to meet you the other day, and I definitely found our chat informative and inspiring.
I’ve been thinking about all that we discussed and the test results this weekend. I’m feeling much more excited and motivated about it all now, I think because suddenly you’ve shown me lots of potential options where I could put my abilities to good use, whereas before I was finding it pretty difficult to see anything that I could realistically move into, that I would actually be able to enjoy or be good at. It’s also been interesting theorising about why certain jobs from my past may not have been right for me, based on some of the results on the Highlands, and also why I might have randomly been quite good at other jobs or tasks, like troubleshooting during events, and helping students to solve multiple practical problems with their studies and lives!
I’m now itching to do some more music production and technology stuff, even if only for a hobby for now, and to try out some other new hobbies, definitely some more active stuff like aerobics, and perhaps get hold of the Lego Mindstorms kit to mess about with robotics and engineering type stuff, while I plan and move forwards with my career change.’
She’s now ready to research some jobs.
Posted in Highlands Ability Battery
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Monday, May 18th, 2009
I am a strong advocate for the Highlands Ability Battery. It’s an excellent way of understanding more about the things that you can do naturally, rather than for someone to focus on what they have learnt to do.
Lazar Emmanuel, the CEO of the Highlands Company has produced a comprehensive leaflet on the benefits of the assessment, particularly focused on how this can help students, but interesting for a much wider group than this.
There are 20 points …
1. What is abilities assessment? Abilities assessment relies on the fact that many of our aptitudes are fixed or hardwired and are not essentially modified by training or practice. Every parent with two or more children learns quickly that every child is different. Every teacher knows that no two students in her class are exactly alike. Our studies of genealogy have confirmed the validity of testing for innate aptitudes. Several organizations have developed tests of one or several abilities. Most of these are conducted in hands-on clinics in large cities. These require several trips to the clinic. Only the Highlands Company in Larchmont, NY offers the assessment online.
To read the remaining 19 and to download the article use this link, and if I can be of any help please get in touch.
Denise Taylor, Certified Highlands Affiliate and Chartered Occupational Psychologist.
See also www.highlandsuk.com
Posted in Highlands Ability Battery, STUDENTS AND GRADUATES
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Tuesday, December 23rd, 2008
My first book review for amazon
I’ve been a highlands affiliate since 2003 and my clients believe the Highlands Ability Battery is the most effective piece of information in helping them make a career decision.
The Highland Ability Battery helps people understand their natural abilities. Once you know what you are good at you can then choose a job which uses your abilities and plays to your strengths.
This book takes you through the 8 success factors – unlike other programmes it doesn’t just take interests or personality into account but a holistic view which helps you to review a wide perspective to really understand who you are and what will be the best fit. It includes a number of exercises, Thought Experiments, to complete.
The first step is to understand your talents. You then need to find the right place to use your talents.
Chapter 1: Escaping the Lemming Conspiracy. Most of us lead stressful lives, working hard to buy possessions we don’t actually need. We are willing to put up with long hours for career success, but most never achieve this, no matter how hard we try. Others achieve career success at the expense of relationships with their family. If we are lucky one day we realise we are following someone else’s dream.
Read more >>
Posted in Career Advice, Highlands Ability Battery
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Thursday, September 4th, 2008
You could spend 30+ years in retirement, what sort of retirement do you want to have?
Retirement is one of the most difficult life adjustments adults make. A recent survey showed that 41% of those who recently retired didn’t want to settle for a typical retirement. They still want the challenge of work, and the feeling of accomplishment that came with the job. Let me help you to find out the right career option and life style options for you that meets your needs and utilises your natural talents and abilities.
Many people have reached the company retirement age but are not yet ready to stop working. What are you going to do next? You could stack shelves in the supermarket? Do voluntary work? Or perhaps you have some dreams you still want to achieve.
You may have sufficient money so you don’t need to work, but having been a bit of a workaholic are wondering whether playing golf and household chores will be enough. A number of clients opt to take the Highlands Ability Battery. Not only to help think around work options but also for developing new hobbies and interests in music, arts, genealogy etc.
Or perhaps you never did get around to investing for the future and you need to earn just to pay the bills?
Take some time to plan the rest of your life, and explore paid work and other interests.
The Highlands Ability Battery can be very helpful for this next stage of your life, and can help you to consider what you want to do forpaid work and other activities. I remember discussing this with someone of about your age and he said that the results really helped to make sense of his past and was helpful for the future.
I’d be very happy to chat with you about this, and you may also like to have a trial go read more about the highlands ability battery at http://www.amazingpeople.co.uk/highlandsabilitybattery.htm
Posted in Approaching Retirement, Highlands Ability Battery
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Monday, July 14th, 2008
The article says that there is rising demand for young people to take these to help choose what to study at university and for a future career.
Remember a test can never tell you what to do, but it does help develop self understanding so you are better paced to make the right choice for you.
The university career service is always the first choice to see what help is available, and for many this will help steer them into the right place to look for the careers that interest them. They have less time though if you are unsure and need to take more time on exploration.
Popular low cost tests are interest inventories such as the Strong Interest Inventory assessment or The Self Directed Search – both based on the work of John Holland which divides people and jobs into 6 categories · Realistic – practical focused jobs
· Investigative – research and analytical jobs
· Artistic – creative jobs in an unstructured environment
· Social jobs – helping, caring for or instructing people
· Enterprising jobs – involving selling, business or persuading
· Conventional jobs – systematic jobs involving organising and processing data
You can take the Strong Interest Inventory via a number of online websites including my personal assessments web site. You answer 291 questions and your answers are compared to people who like their job, are good at their work and have been in their job for 3 years or more. The downside of these sorts of tests are that they are based on interests and just because we have certain interests doesn’t mean that we can do these – I’m a close match with fine artist, but don’t have the talent.
It’s for this reason that people will choose to take an ability assessment such as from the non profit Johnson O’Connor Foundation which provides 2 in person in-depth assessment sessions and a follow up interpretive session at their centres, or The Highlands Ability Battery which is based on the Johnson O’Connor assessment but available as an online assessment and followed by an in-depth discussion. In the article in the Wall Street Journal, the authors daughter took the Highlands Ability Battery and he derived more than 12 possible careers and also discussed career planning skills.
Posted in ASSESSMENTS, Highlands Ability Battery, Strong Interest Inventory
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