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There’s no substitute for professional career advice. But these days, the best online career assessments are proving to be reasonably valid and reliable. And – with just a few keystrokes – they can provide some out-of-the box career suggestions you never would have considered. In this section, we’ve assembled more than a dozen of the Internet’s most popular career assessments. Some are free, most are inexpensive ($10-$40). All of them, though, are interesting, and will provide another piece in your career puzzle:

1. Ansir’s Self-Perception Profiling System – A three-part, 168-question self-perception test that provides insight into your styles of thinking, working, and emoting. Easy to use; takes about 30 minutes. Comprehensive results; $19.95 for a one-year subscription. www.Personal.Ansir.com.

2. CareerLeader – Developed by two former Harvard business and career psychologists. Their Business Career Interest Inventory, adopted by more than 160 MBA programs and corporations, defines a “universe of possible business careers” in which you could express your interests. Password-protected, good for 60 days. To order online, click on Individual Client. $95. www.CareerDiscovery.com.

3. CareerKey – Free. Assigns users to one or more of six personality types and helps identify occupations most likely to fit their profile. Developed at North Carolina State University’s College of Education. www.CareerKey.org.

4. CareerMaze – Measures how you see yourself and how you think others see you in terms of 82 characteristics. Very fast and easy to use. Provides a 10-12-page report. $19.95. www.CareerMaze.com.

5. DISC Personal Profiles – Identifies work style patterns, and measures them in four personality categories (Dominance, Influence, Steadiness, and Compliance). A popular assessment tool in use for more than 25 years. A confusing website; click on Disc Classic 2.0 Online Profile. Customized report, $21.95. www.DiscProfile.com.

6. Focus – Developed by the same design team that pioneered IBM’s computer-based, career-planning program. This assessment is reputed to be one of the three most widely used career-planning systems in the US. To take the assessment, click on Order. $18.95. www.FocusCareer.com.

7. HumanMetrics – Free. This Israeli company provides online testing in the field of human typology and personal relations. Their 72-question Myers-Briggs-style Typology Test assigns users to one of 16 “types” and offers links for a full explanation. www.HumanMetrics.com.

8. Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (www.jvis.com) – An educational and career-planning tool that offers a detailed snapshot of your interests and how they relate to the world of work. JVIS was written by a former President of the American Psychological Association’s Division of Measurement, Evaluation and Statistics, and who also developed an intelligence test for NASA astronauts. Easy to use; takes about 40 minutes to complete. Highly detailed report, $14.95. www.jvis.com.

9. Keirsey Temperament Sorter – David Keirsey’s book on human typology (Please Understand Me) has sold millions of copies in 20 years. His questionnaire isn’t as famous as the MBTI, but both are valid assessments based on the work of psychologist Carl Jung. The Keirsey Sorter II is a free, 15-minute assessment. A personalized, 10-page report is available for $14.95. www.keirsey.com.

10. MAPP – First developed in the 1960s, MAPP (Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential) measures motivation in specific work areas. The online package offers a vocational analysis, a narrative interpretation of your ratings in nine trait groups, a personalized 20-page report, and a summary of your top six motivators. $39.95. www.assessment.com.

11. Self-Directed Search – Discover the careers that best match your interests. This online assessment is based on the occupation codes popularized by Dr. John Holland. Takes 20 minutes to complete. A personalized report is e-mailed to users along with a list of the occupations and fields of study that most closely match their interests. $8.95. www.self-directed-search.com.

12. StrengthsFinders – The Gallup organization (e.g., the Gallup poll) interviewed nearly two million employees and identified 34 themes that translate into personal and career success. The results were published in a self-help career book – Now Discover Your Strengths . The book comes with a 14-digit PIN number that allows readers access to an online assessment. www.strengthsfinder.com.

13. The TestingRoom – Provides access to numerous online tests and assessments for career assessment, values competencies, and work personality. Assessments and abbreviated results are free; detailed results are fee-based. www.TestingRoom.com.

14. TypeFocus – Quick and easy 66-question assessment that tells your Meyers-Briggs type, and offers a bit of career direction. $29.95. www.TypeFocus.com.