CareerLeader™ provides a complete discussion of how to combine the information you learn about your values (using the Management and Professional Reward Profile) and abilities (using the Management and Professional Abilities Profile) with the insights you gain into your deep structure career interests from the Business Career Interest Inventory. Right now, we will continue to use Jan as our example and talk about how her results would mesh together.

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We'll start by looking at her MPRP value results with her BCII interest results, and see how those interests are likely to be best expressed. Based on her interests (she was highest in Enterprise Control, Theory Development and Conceptual Thinking, and Creative Production) Jan would be advised to consider leadership careers in management consulting, strategic planning, strategic marketing, business development, and new product development, economic and policy consulting, political strategy, and management in higher education or in public agencies. These careers compose her "career interest universe."

From her MPRP results we know that she places a high value on Financial Gain, Intellectual Challenge, Lifestyle and Variety. Here Jan would have to answer an important question about Financial Gain: how does she define "exceptional financial reward?" If she means hundreds of thousands of dollars a year she is going to have to eliminate most of the careers just mentioned as being a part of her career interest universe (in addition to having a significant conflict with her Lifestyle value). Let's say that Jan has a more modest estimation of what exceptional financial reward means. Nevertheless, in looking at the long-term financial picture in the not-for-profit sector (economic and policy consulting, political strategy, and management in education and government) there is not enough "upside potential" in the financial area to keep these career paths on her list.

Then the Lifestyle value comes into play, and probably eliminates those careers that entail a great deal of travel and very long hours, such as management consulting and perhaps working for multinational companies in positions that would require significant overseas travel. Jan would then need to ask herself what kind of Variety and Intellectual Challenge she enjoys most, and whether she would find more of these rewards in the strategic planning/new business development arena or in the strategic marketing/new product development world. Before we move on to look at Jan's abilities assessment, we'll suppose that she is going to keep management consulting (despite its chancy Lifestyle element) and strategic planning and business development at the top of her "values-modified career interest universe" list, with strategic marketing and new product development as a "B-list" for now -- not eliminated, but definitely in second place. She does, however decide that she wants to avoid overseas travel and postings if possible. Now she will use the Management and Professional Abilities Profile to refine her universe still further.

Jan's interests are markedly similar to those of senior management consultants, but the high value she places on the Lifestyle reward makes a consulting career problematic. Now, in considering her abilities, two other problems surface with regard to management consulting: weakness in the areas of Quick Thinking, Dominance, and Multi-focus -- all of which become more important with ascension in the ranks of any professional service firm, and an unimpressive Sociability rating, which may forecast problems in the area of business development. Jan appears to be someone who likes to dig into a problem, preferably one problem at a time, and with enough time to really dig in deep. Management consulting, even with Lifestyle concerns set aside, looks less and less like a good fit -- assuming, of course, that she is not able to strengthen these weaker abilities (or is uninterested in doing so).

In thinking about whether Jan's overall career profile falls more into the management or the individual contributor "category" of business careers, it would appear that at this time she would find more success and fulfillment in some sort of individual contributor role. She should read the Strategic Planning, Marketing and Marketing Management, and Market Research (note: profiles not available with this Tour) CareerLeader™ Profiles, and probably the Management Consulting Profile as well.

Next, let's review how Jan's profile fits in with various corporate cultures.