Today we are talking about aptitudes and why they are important. But what exactly are aptitudes and how are they different from skills? I’m glad you asked! My guest today is Betsy Wills. Betsy is the founder of YouScience, the career assessment tool that I use in my coaching practice. If you are a data nerd like I am, you are in for a treat. During our conversation, Betsy shares the origin of YouScience, why it’s so different from other assessment tools, and how to identify career opportunities that are a good fit for your aptitudes, skills, interests, and values. Stick around to hear Betsy walk through a portion of my own personal YouScience results and how I can apply them in my life.
About Betsy Wills
Betsy Wills is the co-founder of YouScience, an online tool that matches what you’re good at (aptitudes) and what you like to do (interests) with in-demand careers where you’ll have a competitive advantage. Since 2002, Betsy has consulted with individuals, corporations, and groups on personal & professional development. She is a regular guest lecturer at Vanderbilt University and Tennessee State University and has been a featured speaker for TEDx Women.
Episode Highlights
- The origin of YouScience
- The value of understanding our aptitudes
- Aptitude tests cannot be “gamed”
- Self-reported assessments have a bias
- Aptitudes are the seeds of our skills
- Intro to the YouScience assessment
- Inductive Reasoning
- Sequential Reasoning/Logic
- Spatial Visualization
- Idea Generation Rate
- Find a way to use your aptitudes in or out of work
- Career matching against your aptitudes
- Narrowing the exposure gap
- Exploring the details of potential careers
- After puberty, our aptitudes remain the same
- Advice for parents of teens and young adults
- The YouScience discussion guide
- Connecting to college programs and majors
Resources
Betsy Wills’ Ted Talk – The Science of Aptitudes: Unlocking Your Potential