Instructions: You have been asked to help design a career assessment program for your students. What are one or two assessments [formal or informal] you would use with your students? Make one original post and then respond to one classmate’s post. You will make a total of two posts.
32 thoughts on “Assessment Forum – Frederick MD”
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If I were to attempt to design a Career Assessment Program, I would design a FORMAL assessment tool similar to the one my agency took. It is a tool called CLIFFTONS STRENGTHS FINDER. We answered questions in the assessment and in the end, we got a result of our natural strengths. They tell us more about our personal strengths, how they work, and explain how we could maximize are potential—get better. My strengths were ACHIEVER, DEVELOPER, BELIEF, RESPONSIBILTY, AND LEARNER. I believe these characteristics are a part of my make up, but I do believe the test was a little long! I would have less questions.
I love your idea about how to maximize an individual’s potential based on their personal strengths. That seems like a very logical approach to matching people with jobs that they will ultimately find meaningful and purpose-filled. It seems that sometimes people go through life and allow life to happen to them while others are able to direct their own course. I feel like people who take the time to recognize their strengths are more capable of charting their own successful course.
Rachelc,
Excellent choice of assessment. A strength assessment would allow students to identify their strengths and learn ways to grow their talents. Working with younger kids this assessment tool would allow them to explore careers that would populate based on their results. This learning tool allow students opportunity to learn something about themselves in terms of what they are good at. This would give them the willingness to learn about their current strengths and start setting goals for themselves.
Hi Team! I love the Cliftons Strength Finders assessment for adults. We tried it for youth, and they quickly lost interest in the survey and the instructions (teen boys). I think youth need to develop endurance for the assessment length. The feedback we received from the teen boys was that it was boring and too much reading – interesting what standardized testing has done to the psyche of our youth.
The staff members who took the survey absolutely loved it and found it could be a good assessment for staff communication and team building.
I think that it is great that your agency uses a assessment that uses their personal strengths and specifically how they work. I would love to take this assessment and see where I align!
I think designing a career assessment program for my students would take some consideration. I am still new in my role and am most familiar with a program we use called Naviance which focuses mainly on Holland’s interests and traits. It seems to fit well with our middle school students in helping them begin to understand that pursuing a job that matches their interests is extremely beneficial to them. One of the drawbacks to the assessment is that it is long (for middle schoolers), so fewer questions would be desirable. I also like the idea of incorporating a more informal assessment such as the party game where students are asked to choose what they prefer (e.g. work inside/work outside, security/freedom, worthwhile/make lots of money). However, as noted during class, the responses could change based on the day (not very reliable). I think that finding an engaging way to help students think about their career goals would be ideal.
The responses of middle schoolers is particularly subject to change! We have the same complaint of too many questions, but the shortened version doesn’t give a full picture. I think it might help to be able to do the interest profiler in 2 pieces, or be able to save and come back to it. I do not believe ours has that capability, you can take it again but you can’t save in the middle. Our career coaches focus pretty heavily on career choices as lifestyle choices, how do you want that work inside/work outside, security/freedom ect. to look. I love coming at career development from that angle, because it is absolutely the most important to some people to make the most money, but when students reflect they can see that other personal priorities can have a huge effect on their professional priorities.
I like your idea of giving your students an assessment with fewer questions-hopefully something that would detailed enough to benefit them with their career decisions, but I think that it would be a good idea to let them know that after time and experience their choices might change and maybe when older they should take the assessment again.
Hi Jodi,
We also utilize Naviance in our district and I agree that Naviance helps students better understand the connection between personal interest and career choices. I have also ran into the same drawback of there being too many questions, even for the high schoolers I work with. The informal preference game you mentioned is a fun way to spark interest, even if it’s not perfectly reliable. Combining both formal and informal assessments could provide a well-rounded approach to help students explore their career goals effectively.
I have heard of the Naviance platform but have not seen it in action. I do agree that holding middle schoolers attention can be trying. Shorter surveys would be beneficial. I’m not sure if Naviance is interactive but if not that may help.
Jodi, I think that doing a “party-game” as an informal assessment especially working with youth clients is such a fun and brilliant idea. Having them choose from your examples their interest inside and outside etc., really gets them thinking and understanding what their likes and dislikes are. Which can help them narrow down what career path/ profession they are trying to get into. By interactive activities like this brings a high level of engagement, collaboration and critical thinking. Keeps things light and fun not boring.
Jodi, I think that doing a “party-game” as an informal assessment, especially working with youth clients, is such a fun and brilliant idea. Having them choose from your examples, their interest inside and outside etc., really gets them thinking and understanding what their likes and dislikes are. Which can help them narrow down what career path/ profession they are trying to get into. By interactive activities like this bring a high level of engagement, collaboration and critical thinking. Keeps things light and fun not boring.
We use Pathful at the middle school level, which utilizes the Holland Code. I think both formal and informal assessments should be used at the start of services and which one a program starts with depends on the person. Once students are thinking critically about what they do and do not like for a formal assessment it opens up avenues for conversation for an informal one. Also, we’ve all had the students/participants/clients who just don’t know, they either like to do a lot of different things or don’t like to do anything at all. An informal assessment is a good way to get them in the mindset to then do a more formal one. By utilizing reflection we can tell them what we are seeing/hearing them say and see if that resonates with them. One of the biggest complaints we receive about the formal assessment is that it is too long, even the abbreviated one. So that can also help determine how to start with a particular person.
Hi – I’ve never used Naviance before, however, it seems to be helpful in guiding customers toward careers where they are most likely to excel based on their abilities. It’s an excellent starting point for career exploration, especially for those unsure of what their interests are.
If I were to design a career assessment program for students I would base it off of the Career Interest Profiler, a formal assessment through a program called Naviance. I have a little bit of experience giving this assessment to students, I have found it to be an excellent tool for helping them pinpoint and identify their interests, which can then be channeled into their career exploration. It mapped the students interest into 6 different types of personality’s, as know as Holland Codes, that guides students in discovering their preferences in relation to various career paths. From my experience, students have greatly benefited from the results, as it not only highlights their interests but also connects them to specific educational and career opportunities. This process fosters a sense of direction and purpose, empowering students to make informed choices about their futures.
I think your idea of using the Career Interest Profiler through Naviance is a great approach! It’s awesome that you already have experience with it and have seen how helpful it can be for students. The way it maps interests to Holland Codes is such a clear and effective way to help students figure out what they’re passionate about and how that connects to career paths. It’s great that it not only shows their interests but also links them to specific opportunities—they’re getting real direction for their future. You’re definitely setting students up for success with this kind of program!
We use a Job Start Ready Assessment which would ask about the following: External barrier would be anything that could get in their way of finding or keeping employment. Examples would child care, conflicting appts (court or parole or probation), food security, housing, legal issues, mental health, physical health, substance use, or transportation. Job preferences and one job they prefer NOT to do. Performance where we would allow the individual to score themselves on how they feel they have been performing on crew. Attendance we would have the individual score themselves on their attendance. Professional presentation section where the individual would score themselves of how they feel they are prepared for work, based on they present themselves professionally. Interview skills we would have the individual score themselves on they feel they are prepared for work, based on how they perform in an interview setting. External barriers we would have the individual score themselves on how much they have demonstrated they are prepared for work based off the external barriers that could get in their way of work. Job matching we would ask how much they have demonstrated they are prepared they are for work based on how well your job interests right now match your previous work experience and the current job market. All of the above questions would require the induvial to score themselves from a 1 to 4 scale.
If I was asked to design a career assessment program for my customers, I would select tools that help customers understand their skills, interests, and potential career paths. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is the best tool because it helps customers understand their personality type and how it might relate to their work style, preferences, and career interests. Knowing personality types is very important when someone is trying to figure out what path to take and what steps are needed. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) categorizes people into 16 different personality types based on their preferences for how they interact with the world, process information, make decisions, and organize their lives.
In my head it would make sense to have an array of assessments ready. What may work for one person may not do the same for another. People grasp information in different ways. The career beliefs/thoughts/level of decidedness formal assessment could be very informative to assist individuals in seeing where they are in the careers as well as what has worked or not in the past. Knowing this information can be a great aid in making the next choice. Using cards sorts as an informal assessment allows the person to hold those choices in their hands. I would use the actual cards. Some individuals may benefit from the physical aspect. Please keep in mind I have never used either of these assessments. Now I’m curious to try them.
I agree that it is important to be familiar with and use an array of assessments in order to better meet the individual needs of our clients. Knowing how one learns and being familiar with the different learning styles is applicable in identifying the best assessment to use for each client. If one is a “hands-on” learner, utilizing the cards sorts would be ideal for this client; whereas if one is a visual learner, perhaps a checklist would be appropriate for this individual. Prior to this training, I never thought to take in consideration learning styles when identifying the best assessment tool to use. This was a “haha moment” for me. 🙂 I have never used the card sorts either; however this has peaked my interest as well. I see this being a good assessment tool to use with youth in a group setting.
1.Design a career assessment program for your students. What are one or two assessments (formal or informal) you would use with your students?
In reviewing the relationship between career development theory and assessment, as a career services provider it is important that I bring these services to where the client is in their current career journey. The trait-and-factor (Holland) theory focuses on aligning an individual’s interests, values, personality traits, needs, and abilities to their career and when applying this theory, I would focus on a less structured, informal assessment. The informal assessment instrument may include forced-choice activities such as the Holland Party Game or the Personality Mosaic (RIASEC), keywords and competencies checklist, or card sorts using the O*Net system (www.careeronestop.org/toolkit/careers/work-values-mmatcher.aspx). Using the instrument of an informal assessment allows the client to learn more about themselves and is not threatening as there are no right or wrong answers. I am familiar with the results achieved from the Holland code questionnaire as our office has successfully applied this theory through our Career Coach application. I have also taken a Holland Code questionnaire to assess its perceived accuracy and my specific code of EAI, with a few surprises, accurately describes my personality and values. The results provide a multiple approach to connecting personality traits and values with potential careers. The O*Net system has also been used successfully in our office by assisting the client to easily match up careers and/or training that corresponds with their abilities or needs.
I like your idea of having an array of assessments ready as what may work for one person may not do the same for another. As we know, people learn and grasp information in many different ways so it may be helpful to be prepared to address the client’s concerns, listen carefully and reassure them by informing them of the purpose and that the information obtained is only to give them information about themselves and how it may help when planning their career. The formal assessments are standardized and produce scores or score profiles which may feel intimidating or produce anxiety in people that may worry about their answers being wrong or they might feel dumb or reveal personality characteristics they do not feel comfortable sharing. I do like the informal assessment of using card sorts as it is kinesthetic in nature and could feel less intimidating and more like a game. The results can also encourage in-depth discussion between the career service provider and the client. The Knowdell Card Sorts with Career Values Cards, Motivational Skills Cards, Occupational Interests Cards, and Leisure and Retirement Cards sound interesting. Now I want to check this out!
I personally don’t work directly with youth clients/students, but I do serve adults who too can be students who are trying to navigate their way to a career or skills upgrading within their current career. Nevertheless, having them do an assessment both “Formal” and “Informal” is vital. For a formal assessment I would choose a Career Aptitude Test. One being called “Strong Interest Inventory” or (SII)this formal assessment helps my clients understand their strengths and how those strengths would align with various career paths. Which will help them make more informed decisions. For the Informal assessment I would utilize informational interviews. This would involve having clients conduct interviews with professionals in their field of interest. I find that this approach provides my client’s valuable insight in the “Day-to-Day” responsibilities, work environments, and career progression. This helps them gain a realistic understanding different careers, aid to networking and assist with decision making.
I assist middle school students with college and career readiness. The goal is to give students the necessary information toward navigating them with their career pathway and options. For example, college, apprenticeship, military, science & technology, and entrepreneurship. The career assessment that I would use to assist students in their journey is the career matchmaker assessment. The career matchmaker assessment is a39 questionnaire focusing on students’ interests, skills, likes and dislikes. The assessment gives students a better understanding of what they may want to do after high school. Some students may not have an idea what they want to do, however, others may want more school or training, and alternate routes. The career matchmaker assessment allows students to explore careers, college, and other opportunities. This assessment allows students to consider new opportunities that would match their career goals and pathway. This is a great way to them career ready.
I recommend using both informal and formal assessments in designing a career assessment program. I would start with an informal ”informational interview” to build a rapport and understand the client’s goals, interests, and preferences. If they are unsure of their skills, I would use an informal self-checklist like “Keywords and Competencies” to help them identify their skills, knowledge and experience. Follow this with a formal assessment, such as the Holland Code Assessment, which uses personality psychology to identify the client’s values and desires. This approach, I believe, provides a comprehensive understanding of the client’s career interests, skills, and goals, while also catering to their immediate needs and comfort level.
I would design a Myers-Briggs type assessment to assess personality types (essential for youth to learn about themselves) and include a career aptitude component that aligns with O*Net. For in-school youth, a component should tell them what academic content to focus on and how it relates to various careers – this would cover the relevance piece for students. They do not tend to lock into their academics unless they find it relevant to the future. Finally, the one assessment would also cover values to establish boundaries for the youth. For example, if you knew you were involved in an industry where you would receive insider information, would you warn your friends and family about financial shifts? If so, avoid that industry because you would be guilty of insider trading.
When designing a career assessment program, I would incorporate the following two assessments to provide comprehensive insights into customers’ career paths:
1 Formal Assessment: O*NET Interest Profiler
The O*NET Interest Profiler helps individuals identify their interests and align them with potential career fields. This tool is ideal for matching individuals to industries and occupations that fit their preferences and strengths. By categorizing interests into six broad areas (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional), it offers a personalized list of career options based on their unique profiles.
2 Informal Assessment: Skills and Strengths Inventory
A guided conversation or worksheet that allows customers to identify their key skills, accomplishments, and natural talents can provide a more personalized understanding of their career readiness. This informal method encourages reflection and can uncover hidden skills that may not be immediately apparent through formal assessments, providing a well-rounded picture of the individual’s potential.
Combining these tools ensures that both structured and personalized insights are captured, setting customers on the path to informed career decisions.
The two assessments I would use to help design the career program for our youth. Holland Code Career Test (RIASEC)
The Holland Code Career Test helps people explore their career interest according to their personality and tastes. It is easy to understand and user friendly , young people with various educational experience can access. Identifies six personality types (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, Conventional) and matches them with compatible careers.
Encourages self-observation and search career pathways that align with their interests and strengths. I also like that it provides information and one-on-one consultations. The results opens for door to discuss career fields and jobs that match their interests.
Career Genogram would be the second assessment I would use. Based on the demographic we serve , I think it’s important To explore the influence of family and community on career choices and goals. A trauma- and culturally-informed tool can help young people make sense of their personal and family experiences. It can help them to identify patterns, such as values, challenges, or goals, that influence their career decisions This assessment provides a story approach , which can feel less intimidating than formal tests.
I really like your approach to using the Holland Code Career Test (RIASEC) and the Career Genogram for designing a career program for youth. The Holland Code test is a great way to help young people connect their interests and personality with potential career paths. It’s straightforward and accessible, making it perfect for individuals with varying educational experiences. Plus, I agree that the one-on-one consultations are a fantastic way to further explore and tailor career options based on the results.
Hello Jennifer ,
Good post!
The O*NET Interest Profiler is a powerful formal tool for helping individuals uncover their career interests and align them with real-world occupations. By categorizing interests into the six RIASEC areas (Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional), it offers personalized career options based on their preferences and strengths.
I would use a career assessment program based on their interests, experience, and skills. A formal assessment is necessary for clients to go through a questionnaire while an informal assessment is more person- centered. It is import for clients to receive information but also feels heard and can discuss with a professional on the interests the formal assessment makes.
Holland Code (RIASEC) Assessment (Formal)
This assessment categorizes individuals and work environments into six types: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (RIASEC). It identifies career paths aligned with a customer’s personality and interests.
– Provides structure for exploring career options based on personality traits.
– Example: A customer scoring high in Artistic and Social might explore careers like graphic design or event planning.
Strengths and Skills Checklist (Informal)
This activity helps customers reflect on their strengths, accomplishments, and transferable skills.
-Builds confidence by highlighting abilities and connects skills to career goals.
-Example: A customer skilled in social media management might recognize their potential in digital marketing.
The Holland Code reveals broad career directions based on personality, while the strengths checklist narrows down options by focusing on practical skills and accomplishments. Together, they provide a comprehensive approach, aligning interests with actionable career paths and building confidence in their decisions.