From fairground worker to boxer - some of the most unusual jobs suggested by the government’s ‘career assessment’ tool

From fairground worker to boxer - some of the most unusual jobs suggested by the government’s ‘career assessment’ tool
(Photo: National Careers Service)From fairground worker to boxer - some of the most unusual jobs suggested by the government’s ‘career assessment’ tool
(Photo: National Careers Service)
From fairground worker to boxer - some of the most unusual jobs suggested by the government’s ‘career assessment’ tool (Photo: National Careers Service)

Want to know whether you have what it takes to be in the emergency services, or whether you might be suited to a role in the creative media? Perhaps you might even have the right attitude to be a boxer.

People across the UK have been finding out their potential next calling (many with tongue firmly in cheek) using the skills and careers assessment on the Government website.

‘Adapt’ to find work post-coronavirus

People began taking the online test after Chancellor Rishi Sunak suggested earlier in the week that many workers, including those within the arts industry, may have to “adapt” to find work in a post-coronavirus world.

On Tuesday 6 October, Sunak said, “I can't pretend that everyone can do exactly the same job that they were doing at the beginning of this crisis.

"That's why we've put a lot of resource into trying to create new opportunities."

Career assessment tool

The skills and career assessment tool is currently in a beta phase. The tool asks participants a series of multiple choice questions and then presents a series of potential career options at the end.

The questions ask about the participant’s skills, work ethic and mindset, all measured on a scale of “strongly agree” to “strongly disagree.”

Participants are then told which area of work suits them best, and have the option to find a more precise role by answering a few more questions within a particular work area.

Some interesting results

After the assessment tool went live, people were quick to post their results on social media, with some participants getting some interesting results.

Here are a few of the funniest:

The government careers service has suggested I retrain as the guy who spins the waltzers and shouts "Scream if you wanna go faster!" A brilliant job, yes, but is there much call for them these days? pic.twitter.com/bop91yZFHm

— Justin Myers (@theguyliner) October 7, 2020

So I've just completed the government's skills assessment as a bit of fun. I answered everything honestly:https://t.co/HB0ZxuRRqzThe outcome? It suggests I should be a sports professional or a boxer.So it's about as useful as a Buzzfeed quiz then.@robinHEG @Chris_Bunn pic.twitter.com/uyJMgEY0qL

— Michael Viggars (@MichaelViggars) October 6, 2020

I just did that gvt careers quiz thing and it told me I should be... a boxer. I’m not even sure I think boxing is morally ok pic.twitter.com/rhhWNp7SXc

— Rebecca Lowe (@RMLLowe) October 7, 2020

"'tis I, the keeper of the locks. Answer ye three riddles and thy vessel may pass"I can see it, tbh pic.twitter.com/IhQA8V8k19

— Robyn Vinter (@RobynVinter) October 7, 2020

Some were left a little bemused and frustrated as the tool steered them in the direction of their most recent arts jobs:

absolutely howling i did the assessment on the beta website the gov have made for what people in the arts should retrain as (https://t.co/tZTjTgFIoF) and i got....... entertainer...... on stage....... as in.... the job in the arts i currently have pic.twitter.com/OVFml19duX

— Holly Rees (@hollysounds) October 7, 2020

Just done the National Careers Service assessment to see what I should retrain s based on my skills - what shall I do now Rishi? pic.twitter.com/8VSxt4pgWn

— SJ Watkinson (@sjwatkinson) October 7, 2020