Tony came in for testing at midlife.  In his words, “After having worked in the same industry for over 22 years, I found myself seriously considering a career transition.  I had spent most of those years in leadership positions for a Fortune 75 company.  
 
I knew that making a transition would be extremely difficult, so I felt that I needed help both in identifying my strengths and in figuring out how to leverage them in a new career. On the advice of friends, I contacted Ability Potentials to set up an appointment for aptitude testing. My desire was to leave ‘corporate’ and start my own business, and I hoped the testing would steer me in the right direction and provide me with some new career options.  
 
I had no idea what to expect from the testing, but was told by friends to expect a long, exhausting day. While the day did seem long, it was not exhausting. I found myself extremely curious about each exercise, trying to determine what relevance it had to identifying the type of career change that would best suit me. I anxiously awaited the follow up consultation. Looking back on that consultation, I would say it was one of the most meaningful conversations I have ever had about my strengths and possible career directions.
 
The aspect of the testing process that left the biggest impression on me was the fact that I scored higher as a Specialist than a Generalist. I really resonated with the thought that the Specialist feels, ‘what I do is who I am.’ I had always had a desire to be known as an expert. Unfortunately, for most of my career I had been living in a Generalist world.  I’m sure this contributed to some of the tension I felt at work. Also, the combination of strengths in Idea Productivity and Classification Ability further supported the possibility of working as a consultant – something that had great appeal to me.
 
The thought of finding a new career that built on my strengths gave me a rush of energy. Shortly thereafter I read an article highlighting the services of a ‘life coach.’ It didn’t take long for me to conclude that a career in coaching was what I was looking for. However, I also wanted to build on my 20+ years of business leadership. So I launched my own business in executive and life coaching. I am also pursuing a Master in Positive Organizational Development and Change at Case Western Reserve University. Currently I work as an Organizational and Leadership Development Consultant, with coaching being a big part of the services I offer.  I have a passion for helping others make transitions similar to what I have experienced.”