Nonlinear Techies Newsletter (Apr 20)
My 5 favorite career quizzes
5 career quizzes to find your next move
If you're Googling “what job should I do?” at 2 am...I'VE BEEN THERE.
When I was thinking of leaving my banking job, I took dozens of career quizzes because they were easy to do in my decision paralysis and made me *feel* productive.
Most were useless. But a few actually helped me see myself - and my options - more clearly.
If you're feeling lost or pulled in too many directions, start here instead. Anything you'd add to the list?
1. Holland Code
What it is:
The Holland Code test provides you with a three-letter “career type” code that indicates where your core strengths and interests lie. It doesn’t box you into specific job titles but serves as a starting point.
Why I like it:
It’s a quick way to identify the general areas where you excel.
You can use your personalized code (e.g., “EAS”is mine) to ask ChatGPT—or any career counselor—for more specific recommendations.
Time to complete: ~5 minutes
2. Big Five
What it is:
The Big Five personality assessment (OCEAN: Openness, Conscientiousness, Extraversion, Agreeableness, Neuroticism) is considered by many psychologists to be more accurate than the Myers-Briggs. It reveals where you lean on various spectrums instead of assigning you a single type.
Why I like it:
Great for stepping back and reconnecting with who you are as a person.
Helps clarify which careers suit your personality and working style.
Time to complete: ~10 minutes
3. Analyst or Operator?
What it is:
A simple self-assessment that helps you determine whether you’re more of an “Analyst” (research, data, strategy, problem-solving) or an “Operator” (implementing systems, managing, executing plans).
Why I like it:
It’s the easiest question to ask yourself to kickstart a career pivot.
Most corporate roles align with either analytical or operational tasks in some form, making this quiz surprisingly revealing.
Time to complete: ~2 minutes
4. Career Dreamer
What it is:
A playful, AI-powered quiz that tailors recommendations to your specific background and inputs. It’s not just a fixed set of questions; it adjusts based on what you share.
Why I like it:
Super interactive and fun to explore.
Delivers a ton of information on specific roles (including links to job postings).
Time to complete: ~2 minutes
5. CareerExplorer
What it is:
A more in-depth, “classic” career quiz that drills down into your values, interests, and strengths to generate detailed career recommendations.
Why I like it:
Takes longer, so it’s great for deeper self-reflection—perfect if you’re earlier in your career or planning a major pivot.
Provides highly specific, data-driven job recs that factor in your interests, values, and strengths.
Time to complete: ~30 minutes
Tech Jobs I'd Apply to This Week
Curated US roles (mostly) for generalists and career pivoters with ~2+ years of experience.
Typically includes: Strategy & Ops / BizOps, GTM, Chief of Staff, occasionally Program/Project Manager, Product & Product Marketing, etc.
Senior Program Manager - Mercury (Fintech, Series C, SF/NY/Remote)
Community Manager - Mercury (Fintech, Series C, SF/NY/Remote)
Product Marketing Operations Manager - Gong (SaaS, Various US)
Global Sales Marketing Manager - DailyMotion (Media, NYC)
Strategic Ops Manager - EliseAI (Proptech, Series D, NYC)
Partner Ops Manager - Brex (Fintech, Series D, NYC)
Strategic Partnership Associate - Brellium (Healthtech, NYC)
Strategic Growth - Sitch (Matchmaking, Early stage, NYC/Remote)
Chief of Staff - Finvest (Fintech, Seed, SF)
Launcher - Capi (Fintech, Series A, London/Paris)
Chief of Staff - First Round (VC, NYC)
Chief of Staff - Daydream (Marketing, SF)
Business Operations - Gigs (SaaS, Remote)
Sr Ecosystem Growth Manager - Stellar Development Foundation (Blockchain, NYC)
Community Manager - Linkedin (NYC)
Program Manager & others - Sift (Security, SF)
Platform Manager - Unit (Fintech, Series C, NYC)
Sr BizOps and Strategy Manager - Alation (SaaS, Redwood City)
Operations Generalist - Constellation (AI Safety, Berkeley CA)
Growth Lead - 1Fort (Insurance, Seed, NYC)
GTM Operations - DiploAI (AI, Seed, NYC)
This is NOT meant to be "every tech generalist job under the sun", just roles on my radar that I want to share with you!
Other job search platforms I recommend for nonlinear techies include: YC, Wellfound, Builtin, Dice, Remote.co, and of course LinkedIn.