Career Audit Features

The Career Audit is a structured diagnostic that helps you understand where you are in your career, what’s working, what isn’t, and what paths actually make sense next.

It combines guided reflection, pattern analysis, and AI synthesis to turn messy career thoughts into clear signals, options, and next steps.

This is not a personality test.

It does not assign you a “type” or a score.

It helps you see patterns you can act on.

Who the Career Audit is for

This is for you if:

  • You feel stuck, restless, or misaligned but can’t name why

  • You’re considering a role change, pivot, or growth move

  • You want clarity before making a career decision

  • You want structured thinking, not motivational advice

  • You want outputs you can actually use (not just insights)

This may not be right if:

  • You want instant job recommendations without reflection

  • You’re looking for therapy or emotional processing

  • You want a quiz with a single “answer”

  • You’re not willing to spend ~30 minutes thinking honestly

How it works

Step 1: You complete the audit

You answer ~50 questions across 7 sections, using a mix of:

  • free text

  • multiple choice

  • selectors and sliders

It takes about 30 minutes. You can complete it in one sitting.

The sections cover:

  • Career story & context

  • Strengths and skill signals

  • Energy, friction, and motivation

  • Values and constraints

  • Role fit and work environment

  • Vision and future direction

  • Readiness for change

The goal is to find the signals driving your career.

Step 2: Your inputs are analysed

Your responses are analysed to identify:

  • recurring themes

  • alignment and misalignment

  • skill signals vs role demands

  • growth potential vs friction points

This analysis is informed by established career, behavioural, and decision-making frameworks — but the output is practical, not theoretical.

Step 3: You receive your results

Your results appear immediately as an in-app results page, with the option to export a PDF/print version.

What you’ll get

1. Career Audit Summary

A structured summary that includes:

  • your dominant career themes

  • strengths that are currently underused

  • sources of friction or dissatisfaction

  • constraints you need to respect (not ignore)

  • patterns in how you make career decisions

This is designed to be readable on its own and shareable with a coach if you choose.

2. Role-fit & friction signals

You’ll see:

  • where your current or recent roles align with you

  • where friction is structural vs situational

  • which problems are “fixable” and which are directional

This helps you avoid false conclusions like:

“I hate this career”
when the real issue is
“This role violates how I work best.”

3. Skill and growth priorities

Instead of a long skills list, you get:

  • a shortlist of meaningful skill areas

  • clarity on why each one matters

  • guidance on whether to deepen, broaden, or redirect

These priorities feed directly into later planning tools.

4. Clear next moves

You’ll receive suggested next actions, not vague advice.

These might include:

  • career paths worth exploring

  • experiments to run before committing

  • decisions that need more information

  • areas where doing maintenance is actually the right move (for now)

Time & effort

  • Time to complete: ~30 minutes

  • Number of questions: ~50

  • Retakes: You can revisit or redo later if your situation changes

  • Preparation needed: None. CV/LinkedIn optional, not required

Privacy & data

We take your privacy seriously.

  • Raw answers are not stored

  • Data is encrypted

  • Results can be shared with a coach only via opt-in

  • Your data is not used for wide model training

  • Your inputs do train your personal AI accountability partner (Maya), scoped only to your account

  • You can request a data export or deletion at any time by contacting support@work-self.com

What happens next

Most users follow this sequence:

  1. Complete the Career Audit

  2. Review results

  3. Generate 5 potential paths in the Career Transition Blueprint

  4. Check for alignment; if the paths don’t feel right, you can regenerate them

  5. Select a path you want to explore

  6. This choice trains Maya, your AI accountability partner

  7. Maya then informs:

    • milestone planning

    • dashboards

    • daily and weekly planning

    • ongoing reflection and course correction

The Career Audit is the foundation layer. Everything else across the WORK-SELF platform builds on it.

Career Audit — Frequently Asked Questions

Understanding the Career Audit

1. What exactly is the Career Audit?

The Career Audit is a structured diagnostic that helps you understand your current career situation, identify patterns, and clarify realistic next directions. It combines guided reflection with AI analysis to turn subjective career thoughts into concrete signals you can act on.

2. Is this a personality test?

No. It does not assign you a type, label, or score. There is no “result” you’re supposed to become. The goal is insight and direction over categorisation.

3. Is this more like coaching or assessment?

It sits between the two. You do the thinking yourself, but the structure and synthesis help surface patterns a human coach would typically help you uncover.

4. What problem does it actually solve?

It helps when your career feels unclear, misaligned, or stuck, especially when you have many thoughts but no clear way to organise or prioritise them.

5. What does “career diagnostic” mean here?

It means identifying:

  • what’s working

  • what’s draining

  • what’s structural vs situational

  • where change is needed vs where adjustment is enough

6. Will it tell me what job to take?

No. It helps you understand which types of roles, environments, and directions make sense rather than a single correct answer.

7. Is this advice or analysis?

It’s analysis first. Any guidance is grounded in what you input, not generic recommendations.

8. Is there a “right” way to answer?

No. Honest answers are more useful than polished ones. This isn’t graded.

9. What if my answers feel messy or contradictory?

That’s normal and useful. Contradictions often reveal the most important insights.

10. What if I already know my problem?

The Audit often helps you confirm whether you’re solving the right problem or reacting to a symptom.

Who It’s For

11. Who is the Career Audit best for?

People who want clarity before making a career decision, change, or commitment.

12. Is it suitable for early-career professionals?

Yes, especially if you’re trying to understand strengths, direction, or early patterns.

13. Is it useful mid-career?

Yes, many mid-career users use it to untangle stagnation, misalignment, or pivot questions.

14. What about senior professionals?

Yes. Senior users often use it to reassess direction, leadership fit, or long-term alignment.

15. Does it work for career changers?

Yes. It’s particularly helpful for distinguishing real pull toward change from short-term frustration.

16. Can founders or freelancers use it?

Yes, though outputs focus more on role design, energy, and direction than job titles.

17. Is it useful if I’m unemployed?

Yes. It can help clarify positioning, priorities, and where to focus effort, but it won’t replace job search tactics.

18. Is this helpful if I’m burned out?

It can be, but if you’re severely burned out, you may want rest and support first. The Audit helps identify burnout signals but doesn’t treat them.

19. Is this therapy?

No. It’s a career clarity tool, not a mental health intervention.

20. Who should not use the Career Audit?

People looking for instant answers without reflection, or a quiz that tells them what to do.

Mechanics & Process

21. How many questions are there?

Approximately 50 questions.

22. How long does it take?

Most people complete it in about 30 minutes.

23. What kinds of questions are asked?

A mix of:

  • free-text reflection

  • multiple choice

  • selectors and sliders

24. Do I need to prepare anything?

No. Having your CV or LinkedIn open can help, but it’s optional.

25. Can I save and come back later?

Currently, it’s best completed in one sitting, but you can save and come back. You can also retake it later if needed.

26. Can I change my answers after submitting?

Not within the same run — but you can redo the Audit in the future if your situation changes.

27. What if I don’t know how to answer a question?

Answer with your best guess. Uncertainty itself is a useful signal.

28. Is there a time limit?

No, but staying in one focused session improves clarity.

29. Is it mobile-friendly?

Yes, though many users prefer a larger screen for reflection.

30. Can I skip questions?

Not really. Some flexibility exists, but skipping reduces the quality of the output, so it’s best to complete it fully.

Outputs & Results

31. What do I receive after completing the Audit?

An in-app results page summarising insights, signals, and suggested next moves.

32. Can I export the results?

Yes. There is a PDF/print export option.

33. What’s included in the Career Audit Summary?

It typically includes:

  • key themes

  • alignment and friction signals

  • skill priorities

  • constraints

  • suggested next actions

34. Will I see job titles or roles?

You’ll see role patterns and directions, not a definitive job list.

35. Does it suggest skills to learn?

Somewhat, more as learning priorities over a long checklist. The Career Transition Blueprint is more useful for picking a career direction.

36. Does it help with CV or LinkedIn language?

Indirectly. Many users use the summary to refine positioning and narrative.

37. How accurate are the results?

They reflect the quality of your inputs. The system surfaces patterns. It doesn’t claim objective truth.

38. What if I disagree with the output?

That’s valid. Disagreement often highlights where further reflection or experimentation is needed.

39. Are the results static?

They reflect where you are now. You can revisit the Audit as your situation evolves.

40. Is there a “pass/fail” or score?

No.

Method & AI Use

41. How does AI factor into this?

AI synthesises your inputs, identifies patterns, and generates structured outputs.

42. Is this fully automated?

Yes, there is no human reviewing your answers unless you share them with a coach.

43. Is my data used to train large AI models?

No.

44. Does my data train anything at all?

Yes, it trains your personal AI accountability partner (Maya), scoped only to your account.

45. What frameworks does it use?

It draws on established career, behavioural, and decision-making research, but outputs are practical rather than academic.

46. Can I see the “logic” behind the output?

You’ll see reasoning reflected in themes and explanations, though not raw system rules.

47. Is the system biased toward certain careers?

It does not prioritise specific industries or roles, it reflects your inputs.

48. Does it replace a human coach?

No, but it can make coaching far more focused and efficient.

49. Can a coach see my answers?

Only if you explicitly opt in to share.

50. What if the AI gets something wrong?

Treat it as a prompt for reflection, not an instruction. Please report any major errors to support@work-self.com if they come up.

Privacy & Data

51. Are my raw answers stored?

No.

52. Is my data encrypted?

Yes.

53. Can my data be shared?

Only if you explicitly opt in to share with a coach.

54. Is anything shared publicly?

No.

55. Can I request my data?

Yes, contact support@work-self.com.

56. Can I delete my data?

Yes, contact support@work-self.com.

57. Is my identity protected?

Yes.

58. Is this compliant with data protection standards?

We follow strong data protection practices and minimise data retention by design.

59. What if I’m worried about sensitive career information?

You control what’s shared and with whom. Nothing is sold or exposed.

60. Who should I contact with questions or concerns?

You can always reach out at support@work-self.com.