Once you’ve done some career research and had a few real conversations, the next question is usually,
“How do I actually test my skills before committing further?”
Three options come up constantly—a side project, a short course, or volunteer work—and people often default to whichever one is easiest to arrange, rather than the one that actually fits what they need to learn.
Each of these options tests something genuinely different.
Picking the right one for your specific situation matters more than picking the most popular one.
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What Each One Actually Tests
Side projects: whether you can do the work and whether you enjoy doing it
A small, self-directed piece of real work—building something, writing something, designing something—in the field you’re considering.
This is the most direct test of actual capability and day-to-day enjoyment, because it’s the closest thing to the real work itself.
Short courses: whether the subject matter genuinely holds your interest
A structured, guided introduction to a field’s core concepts.
This type of course tests something narrower than a side project—not whether you can do the job, but whether the underlying subject matter is something you want to keep learning about.
Volunteering: whether the environment and people suit you
Real, often unpaid work inside an organization or team doing something adjacent to your target field.
This experience tests something a solo project can’t—how you feel working within a team, under real structure, with real stakes, even if the stakes are modest.
| . Try This Now Write down what you’re actually uncertain about for your top career option: the work itself, the subject matter, or the environment. That answer points directly to which of the three tests below is worth doing first. . |
A Practical Comparison
| Method | Best Tests | Typical Time Cost | Watch Out For |
| Side project | Actual capability + enjoyment of the work | A few hours over 2–3 weeks | Perfectionism—aim for finished, not polished |
| Short course | Genuine subject-matter interest | 1–2 hours per week for 2–4 weeks | Confusing course enthusiasm with real-work enthusiasm |
| Volunteering | Team and environment fit | A few hours weekly for 4–8 weeks | Choosing a cause you love but a role that doesn’t reflect the target job |
How to Pick the Right One for You
If you’re unsure whether you’d enjoy the work itself, consider starting with a side project.
This is usually the highest-value test, as it’s the closest simulation of the real thing—but it also requires the most initiative to set up yourself.
If you’re uncertain whether the field’s core ideas genuinely interest you, consider starting with a short course.
This is the lowest-effort entry point and a reasonable first step if you’re still quite early in exploring a direction.
If you’re fairly confident about the work itself but unsure about team dynamics, pace, or culture, volunteering is the more relevant test—it surfaces environment fit in a way a solo project or course never will.
These aren’t mutually exclusive.
A common and effective sequence starts with a course (to gauge interest at a low cost), followed by a side project (to assess capability and enjoyment), and then volunteering if there are still questions about team fit.
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Making the Test Actually Count
Whichever you choose, the value comes from paying attention afterward—not just completing it.
Use the same energy-after check covered elsewhere in this series: did you feel energized or drained once it was done? Would you willingly do more of it, or are you simply relieved that it’s over?
This mirrors Bill Burnett and Dave Evans’s “prototyping” approach to career design at Stanford — the idea that small, low-cost experiments generate more real clarity than any amount of thinking about a direction from the outside.
| Not Sure Which Direction Is Worth Testing Yet? If you haven’t narrowed down what to actually test, the free Career Clarity Starter Kit gives you a fast first read—five questions that point you toward a direction worth exploring properly. |
Conclusion
Side projects, short courses, and volunteering each test something different—capability and enjoyment, genuine subject interest, and team or environment fit, respectively.
The right one depends on what you’re actually uncertain about, not which option happens to be easiest to arrange.
None of them require quitting anything or making a large commitment.
A few hours spread over a few weeks, deliberately chosen for what they actually test, produce more real clarity than months of continued research from the sidelines.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Can I do more than one of these at the same time?
Yes, though it’s usually more manageable to sequence them—a short course first, then a side project, then volunteering if needed—rather than starting all three simultaneously, especially while working full-time.
2. What if I don’t have time or connections to arrange a volunteer role?
Start with a side project or short course instead—both require less coordination with an outside organization and can be started entirely on your own schedule, without needing anyone else’s approval.
3. How do I know if a side project is ‘sufficiently valuable’ to count as a real test?
It doesn’t need to be impressive or portfolio-ready—it needs to be real enough that you experience the actual mechanics of the work, even in miniature. A rough, finished small project tells you more than an ambitious one you never complete.
4. What if the test goes badly—does that mean I should rule the option out entirely?
At least not on its own. Consider whether the disappointment was about the work itself or about your specific first attempt—a rough first side project or an unhelpful volunteer placement doesn’t always reflect the field itself.
Search for a repeated pattern before ruling something out completely.
Ready to Turn a Test Into a Real Decision?
The Career Clarity Bundle: Find Your Path in 7 Days gives you a structured way to weigh what you learn from testing against your strengths and lifestyle needs, so that a good or bad experiment actually leads to something concrete.
Download it here → Career Clarity—Find Your Path in 7 Days
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If you’re not there yet, start with the free Career Clarity Starter Kit—five questions that give you a real first read on your direction.
Get the Starter Kit → welcomesuccessonline.com/starter-kit/