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.
33 thoughts on “Assessment Forum – MI Cohort 5”
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As a CliftonStrengths-certified coach, I would use a combination of formal and informal assessments to help professionals navigate their career challenges effectively. One formal assessment I would recommend is the CliftonStrengths assessment. This tool provides deep insights into individuals’ natural talents, helping them identify what they do best and how to leverage those strengths to overcome career challenges. By focusing on their Top 5 Strengths, professionals can approach challenges with a strengths-based mindset, building confidence and creating actionable strategies to move forward.
Additionally, I would incorporate an informal, interactive career mapping exercise. This activity would involve participants reflecting on their career journey, identifying key milestones, challenges, and successes. Using their CliftonStrengths results, they can connect their natural talents to moments of achievement and explore how those strengths can be applied to current or future challenges. This interactive approach not only engages participants but also fosters a sense of empowerment and positivity, aligning with my philosophy of creating meaningful, strengths-focused development experiences.
Prior to taking this course, I had no previous knowledge of CliftonStrengths. What I think I like about it the most is that it is not another personality test such as the Enneagram which I myself have been asked to take several times throughout the course of my career. It really helps individuals gain awareness on their strengths while also providing detailed information on each characteristic which is helpful. I have been in a leadership role the past several years and I can see how this might be useful to administer to teams as it can help them work together more efficiently. As a leader it can help you understand how to lead your team better when you become familiar with everyone’s strengths.
I love how you’re using career mapping to help people connect the dots in their journey. Tying their Clifton Strengths to key milestones makes it so much easier to see how their natural talents have been driving their success all along. It’s such a simple but powerful way to help them figure out how to tackle their current challenges. Career mapping also feels like an excellent way to help members navigate challenges or transitions, particularly when they may feel “stuck” or uncertain. It’s not just about looking back but using those reflections to create a clearer, strengths-based roadmap for moving forward.
My preferences for assessments in a career assessment and evaluation program would be comprehensive and varied. Ideally, I would include informal and formal assessments covering aptitudes, academics, interests, values and personality traits. Informational interviews with behavioral and skills (hands-on) observations would also be included. Two of my current go to assessments would be the WRAT-5 and the O*Net.
The WRAT- 5 (Wide Range Achievement Test) is a formal level B assessment which can assess the reading, spelling, and math skills of an individual. It is generally easy to administer (web-based, digital or paper-pencil), can be taken individually or with a small group, takes up to one hour to complete and is easy to score. It measures word reading, sentence comprehension, spelling, and math computation (a reading composite score can also be obtained). A high school diploma does not necessarily hold the academic weight it used to. Some individuals have an unrealistic understanding of their own academic skills. When an individual is looking to expand their education or training in career development, it is important for them to clearly understand what academic skills and barriers they may possess, what remediation they may require or benefit from and how successful they may be if they chose higher education/training. This is especially true for individuals with learning disabilities. Motivation for further learning is vital but it cannot replace a learning challenge. For this reason, I like the grade level results generated by the WRAT; information easy for takers to understand and to use to compare with the academic standards set in higher education/post-secondary learning.
When it comes to the informal use of the O*Net Interest profiler, it isn’t so much the assessment and the results it generates that I like. I prefer O*Net as a whole when individuals are considering new or beginning job options, a career path or career change or looking to further their education or training. The O*Net, which is consistently updated, allows individuals to search occupations with it’s vast data by abilities/skills, interests, knowledge, soft skills, or job tasks. It can take a customer on a path to bright (rapidly growing) or STEM careers. It offers what they call a “crosswalk” to the information with DOT, apprenticeships, and the military. Each click (web-based) takes a customer to further information (just to mention a few): work tasks they may do in a job, technology skills needed, worker characteristics, abilities, work values and styles, educational level and knowledge required, and apprenticeship opportunities. A customer can then research related occupations or career paths and labor market trends. Ultimately, the O*Net offers a connection to professional affiliations and current job openings.
Thank you for your thoughtful reply and for introducing the WRAT-5 (Wide Range Achievement Test). I’m excited to learn about new tools for career assistance. I also agree with your point about individuals having unrealistic perceptions of their academic skills. In our recruit schools, we use an application called Quill, which offers self-paced learning to improve reading and writing skills without the shame of discovering lower-than-expected rankings. I support your approach of combining informal and formal assessments, as this helps better understand clients who may not test well or have skewed results. One-on-one or group interactions provide more insight into their true abilities, interests, and needs. Lastly, I wasn’t aware of O*Net until this class, and it’s been eye-opening to explore their resources. I took the Interest Profiler and was pleased to see how well it matched my interests and potential careers. The ease of job matching after completing the assessment also makes it a valuable resource for helping clients. Thanks again for sharing these insightful resources.
Yes, thank you for introducing me to the WRAT-5 assessment tool. You sparked me interest and I did a little comparison to the CASAS tool we use when we enroll individuals into WIOA funded programs, as an objective assessment is required of the participant. Honestly, I like that the WRAT-5 takes less time for the client to take and that it can be used as a tool to diagnose learning disabilities. Though longer, I like that the CASAS is generally lower cost and practical for large scale testing. The target audience is also a bit different as I found the WRAT-5 targeted at individuals aged 5-94, the CASAS is targeted towards adults in workforce training,and education.
I believe it to be beneficial to use a combination of both formal and informal evaluations. The Vocational Assessment, currently used within the scope of my current role as an employment specialist. We utilize this method to deliver to our customers who are seeking employment assistance. Our services are provided to those with disabilities ranging from MI to I/DD. O Its comprehensive process helps people identify their skills, interests, and potential career opportunities. It also helps to identify their goals, education, background and barriers. I would like to see some changes with the current assessment we use, It is heavily focused on the individuals mental health as opposed to focusing on strengths and abilities. I am currently helping to develop an employment plan to go along with the voc assessment. Its biggest goal is to extend the opportunity for more employee accountability and engagement as well as motivation.
I feel the customers you support and help would benefit from the CliftonStrengths assessment, as the basis of the tool is to find strengths. Your post mentioned you would like to focus more on your client’s strengths and abilities, and that is exactly what Clifton does. For me, it changes the focus of “where I am struggling”, “why I need help”, “what is hard for me”…to “this is where I excel”, “this is what I am good at”, “I should focus my skills here based on this assessment”, etc…Even when I coach, I often ask about their top 5, as it allows me to turn the coaching session into a positive experience where I compliments their strengths and show how we use them to their advantage.
It would be to one’s advantage to incorporate both formal and informal assessments as they serve different purposes. Formal assessments tend to provide standardized data, while informal assessments may be able to provide a more accurate picture one that is more meaningful and individualized to each student. An example of an informal assessment that I might use with students would be research and reflection. The student would have the opportunity to research various careers using online tools while later reflecting and discussing which of the careers interested them. A formal assessment that I have had exposure to is the Myers-Briggs STRONG assessment. I like this assessment as it lets individuals explore potential careers based on their interests.
I agree with you that both assessments are advantageous and serve a purpose. The breakdown of both the formal and informal assessment is the reason I tend to lean towards the informal assessment. Yes, you can get great data from a standardized test, or Myers-Briggs, however, I believe that there are times when individuals aren’t completely honest or they tend to choose neutral as an answer which I feel can skew the data. I believe that the informal as you stated gives a more accurate reflection of an individual. The two assessments I would use would be job shadowing and structured interview.
I prefer both informal and formal assessments for career development. CliftonStrengths is a formal assessment tool focusing on natural talents and how taking a “strengths-based” approach to work (and life in general) we can be our best self. (For reference, most of our members I work with have taken this assessment.) I would start my sessions by asking what their top 5 strengths are, as that gives me a basis for how to best communicate with them and a glimpse into their personalities before we even start.
If the student is looking for interviewing advice and/or assistance applying for positions, I would use informal assessments, like mock interviewing, where I give practice questions and provide feedback on their answers and mannerisms throughout the interview. This assessment allows real life experience to help prepare them for future interviews and timely feedback on strengths and areas for improvement. Also, by knowing their top 5 CliftonStrengths up front, I am better equipped to provide feedback in a way they can best receive it.
I would also use both formal and informal assessments to help students looking for guidance on their career paths and next steps. Knowing if they are strong in relationship building or executing through Clifton, for example, helps me navigate them to job postings that align with their strengths and interests. Career exploration and networking are also great tools to ensure we are providing students with opportunities to connect with work areas they are interested in. By learning more about different occupations firsthand from those doing the work, they are afforded true insight into what that job entails, essentially helping them decide if that career path is one they would like to pursue. Truly, both formal and informal assessments are vital, as they provide different and valuable information for us to best support students with their career needs.
A good point to remember, which you touched on, is that when designing a career assessment program, staff must keep in mind that individuals seek services for different purposes at various times in their working lives. And individuals themselves are diverse in their skills, interests, abilities, culture, work ethic, employment needs and goals. For this reason, both the formal and informal assessments available should varied and diverse. Another thought is that each distinct assessment could and may lead an individual to use another assessment (now or later) to add their toolbox of knowledge and next step action plan.
The formal assessment I use would be Clifton Strengths because this tool helps all personnel, both sworn and enlisted, identify their natural talents and leverage them for career growth. By uncovering their top strengths, individuals can better understand their unique contributions and those of their peers. This self-awareness helps members align their skills with career opportunities, whether they are pursuing leadership roles, lateral assignments, or trying to re-engage with their current responsibilities. Understanding how your natural strengths correlate with role responsibilities can impact overall job satisfaction and performance.
The informal assessment I use would be the agency wide Job Shadow Program. As the program coordinator, I have the unique opportunity to help personnel explore new career opportunities within the agency. The program provides individuals with hands-on exposure to the daily responsibilities, challenges, and rewards of the roles they may be considering. Sworn members can shadow colleagues in specialized units, such as investigative teams, narcotics teams, or the training division, while civilian staff might observe roles with the forensic crime lab, records management, or dispatch center. Job shadowing allows individuals to evaluate if a position aligns with their skills and interests, offering valuable, real-world insight.
By combining Clifton Strengths for self-awareness with job shadowing for practical exploration, personnel can make informed decisions about their career paths, fostering growth, engagement and satisfaction within the agency.
Allison , I agree with the use of both formal and informal and am particularly a fan of job shadowing as the informal portion as it provides the “valuable real-world insight” that other informal assessments do not. Couple that with a reflection piece on the job-shadow and the formal assessment of strength finders and one has some powerful tools at their disposal. I recently created a new student career exploration module and we are looking at doing a few different modules based on where the student is in their academic journey and in some instances have the option to opt in to take the full strength finders assessment. This is something we are still working on as we do not offer to pay for this formal assessment it’s optional for this purpose. Additionally, our informal assessments are a selection option also as they can choose from a drop down list where job-shadow is one of a few. I hope that it will get selected often. I think the job shadow are very beneficial and often times not used enough..
I agree with the job shadowing! It’s so important to get to see the realities of a job first-hand and unfortunately so few of us get those opportunities. I feel like most of us have made career decisions without ever experiencing the job. It’s also helpful to have that experience before you commit time, energy, and funds to training for a particular career.
In a perfect world, I would use both formal and informal assessments. For example, formally, I would use Clifton Strengths to assess strengths and how the understanding of one’s strength can directly correlate to possible career choices. However, with that being said, I would go more with the informal assessment. The first assessment I would use would be job shadowing. As someone, who recently led two different job shadows for department members, I can see the high value it provides. This type of assessment allows each member the ability, depending on time the chance to see if a job that is wanted is truly a best fit.
The second type of informal assessment I would use is the structured interview. This could be my bias as I am an interview coach, however I truly feel an interview is a great deciding factor if one is truly a fit for a specific job. When done correctly, an interview is nothing more than a conversation between an individual and a hiring manager to determine if there is a fit for said interviewee within their team. From the perspective of someone looking to gain insight of a possible employee, a structured interview can show, the thought process of how someone thinks or reacts when something is asked of them.
As stated, both have their merits, but I believe I would use only informal assessments to get the most honest response from a client/department member.
I totally agree with your structured interview approach! Maybe it’s my own personal bias but I believe that in person one on one or team interviews are the best way to go. I feel you can find out so much about a person during that time. Especially if the interviewer is very open and personable, then it opens up another level of genuineness from the person being interviewed. I like the personal vibe or aspect that comes with the interaction. It almost seems like you can feel the responses opposed to just going off words on a page coming from a computerized test or resume.
As I continue to learn, I find that using a combination of formal and informal assessments like the Holland Code Assessment and Super’s Theory Type Indicator is beneficial for career assessment. While I may not fully grasp the intricate details of each, I understand that their core principles make them effective tools for understanding job seekers’ personality types and how they interact with others. I believe that integrating both theories can offer a comprehensive view of a student’s potential career paths.
John I agree that when you use informal and formal assements you can learn more about what the student/s are really looking for when it comes to education and work career goals. Using these tools helps the student/s pin point acutally what their interests are and what are not their interests when selectiing.
I completely agree with your approach of combining formal and informal assessments like the Holland Code Assessment and Super’s Theory Type Indicator. Both of these tools provide valuable insights into a student’s personality and career preferences. The Holland Code helps identify a student’s ideal work environment based on their interests, while Super’s Theory emphasizes the developmental aspect of career choices over time. Integrating both gives students a more holistic view of their strengths and potential career paths, as it not only looks at their current preferences but also how their career journey may evolve. Great point about the effectiveness of blending both theories for a well-rounded Assessment..
When I first took the CliftonStrengths Assessment for work, I didn’t think much of it. However, as I learned more about the various assessments available, I began to see its value in career exploration. Identifying your top strengths and understanding how to leverage them for personal and professional success is incredibly beneficial. This assessment helps participants discover their natural talents, which they might not have considered before, and guides them towards careers where they can excel.
What are one or two assessments [formal or informal] you would use with your customers?
For an assessment program for my customers I would utilize the three assessments available on CareerOneStop.org. These assessments are the Interest Assessment (Based on RIASEC job categories), Work Values Matcher (card sort), and Skills Matcher. I liked these assessments for several reasons. First, they are free to use, so there is no cost to the agency or customer. Second, they are fairly simple and straightforward to use. Third, in combination these three assessments provide a big picture look at different areas related to an individual’s career. Fourth, the results can be easily interpreted by customer’s and staff with little training. Fifth, all three assessments do not take a significant time to administer; completing all three and having a discussion with staff I estimate to be one or two hours, which could be integrated into the intake process. Finally, I also really like that upon completion these assessments provide you with possible career areas, wages, and outlook which I find useful and impactful to jobseekers.
I agree with your choices in utilizing the free services on CareerOneStop.org, due to them being free and easy to read the customers are able to take the assessment later in their career journey to see how their interests, values or skills have changed. The O*Net Interest and Personality assessment is one of my favorite workshops to offer to my clients because of the surprise and discussion we have when reviewing results. The career/job outlook is great to utilize when offering labor market information for our state compared to other states.
In reference to the three assessments available on CareerOneStop.org. Each of these assessments sound like they really demonstrate how to find out what a customer’s interest would be and what would work best for them. These are more formal assessments with great data output to help guide customers toward a career choice that is suitable for them. Incorporating an informal assessment may also provide valuable insight on a customer’s personal interests, identify any gaps or challenges a customer may have.
Utilizing a formal assessment such as Clifton Strengths Assessment helps a customer understand what their strengths and lessor strengths are. Unfolding what someone is really good at will help them lean into their superpowers. Combined with an informal assessment that asks open-ended questions can be a powerful tool to gain a full understanding of the customer’s career needs, interests, and skillset. I am also a big prepotent of job shadowing to identify if the grass is really greener on the other side. In the medical field, while in rotation, many future doctors decide which field they do not want any part of. This helps them eliminate fields and choose their career path.
Using both the CliftonStrengths and DiSC assessments would allow me to guide clients with formal tools that would allow me to guide clients toward a career pathway that aligns with their natural talents and behavioral tendencies. The CliftonStrengths assessment helps identify each client’s unique strengths and innate abilities, which can be leveraged to determine roles and industries where they are they are most likely to excel and feel fulfilled. Meanwhile, the DiSC assessment provides insights into how their communication style and behavioral preferences influence their interactions in various work environments. By combining these tools, I can help clients not only find careers that match their talents but also develop strategies to adapt their behaviors for success in specific workplace situations. This holistic approach ensures that clients choose career paths where they can thrive both individually and within teams, fostering long-term satisfaction and growth.
When helping a client find a career pathway, I would use the O*NET interest profiler, for example, as a foundational tool to explore occupations that align with their personal interests and preferences. By having the client complete the inventory, we can together identify their dominant interest areas. Then use those results to generate a list of potential career options. This information provides a starting point for discussion, allowing us to match their interests with roles that also align with their strengths (using CliftonStrengths) and behavioral tendencies (using DiSC). Utilizing these formal and informal assessments would help to ensure that the career pathways we explore are not only appealing to the client but also realistic and aligned with the client’s natural abilities and communication styles, fostering confidence and clarity in the career decision-making journey.
In full transparency, I must first admit that our agency’s employment program deserves and desperately needs an overhaul. In reading through a lot of the thoughts and replies, it’s apparent to me that my world is vastly different, in terms of the services we provide, lol. Your statement of “fostering long-term satisfaction and growth” alone speaks volumes. Here is what I mean. Our program services are provided to our agencies customers only, they must be receiving MI, I/DD, OP, or SUD services in order to receive a referral. On average, 85% of our referrals don’t even need our program or are of the mindset that we operate in the fashion of a temp agency. Don’t get me started on the mindset of our other program providers. I am well versed in O*NET, but unfortunately, I have only used it 3 times in 6 years, so there’s that. O*NET is one of a few tools that I/we should be utilizing with services along with CliftonStrengths, which, I’m not familiar with…YET. Just being able to provide a more comprehensive service is what I strive for.
I really like the approach you would take by using both the CliftonStrengths and DiSC assessments. I’ve taken the CliftonStrengths assessment, and I’ve found it incredibly valuable as it gave me deeper insight into areas where I’m most likely to succeed, just as you’ve pointed out it would do. Combining this with the DiSC assessment would definitely give a comprehensive understanding of both personal strengths and communication preferences, which is key for navigating different work environments.
Full transparency: I don’t believe there is an assessment, formal or informal, that accurately captures the full picture for our clients to utilize. One assessment that comes to mind is the Clifton Strengths assessment, but beyond that, I haven’t encountered one that truly addresses the depth of our clients’ needs. Especially pertaining to personal and professional tools to help determine careers.
In my current role as a Youth Career Development Specialist, we primarily use the CASAS test, which measures math and reading comprehension skills. While this information is valuable, I don’t believe it fully reflects what career paths might be the best fit for our clients or who they are as individuals.
If I had to choose an approach, I would develop a “Work Experience” type of assessment. This would resemble the “job shadow” method, allowing clients to experience a typical day in the life of a career they’re interested in. By providing this hands-on, on-the-job experience, clients would gain valuable insights that could guide them in making more informed decisions about their future career.
As adults, it can be especially difficult to transition into a new career due to responsibilities like bills and other circumstances. Often, we don’t fully know whether we’ll enjoy a job until we’ve been in it for a while. Offering clients a way to explore careers more directly would give them a better understanding of their fit and interests—before they commit to a particular path.
Perhaps it’s time I start working on creating this type of assessment!
swansons
For designing a career assessment program, I would use two assessments:
O*NET which is an informal assessment , This is an excellent resource to help students explore careers based on their skills, experiences, and interests. By having students complete the O*NET questionnaire, we can assess their strengths, skills, and preferences, which can guide them toward career paths that align with their abilities and CASAS Test which is a formal assessment, The CASAS which is the (Comprehensive Adult Student Assessment Systems) test is helpful for assessing a student’s literacy and numeracy skills, which is essential for determining their readiness for further training or education. This formal assessment would give valuable insights into where a student stands academically and how best to guide them in their educational journey. Both of these tools combined would give a fair view of both career readiness and educational standing.
Two assessments I would use in a career assessment program are the O*Net Interest Profiler and CASAS. The O*Net is an informal assessment that helps students identify their career interests across six key areas: realistic, investigative, artistic, social, enterprising, and conventional. This tool is particularly useful for students who are unsure about which career path to pursue and are open to exploring opportunities. It allows us to explore potential careers based on their interests and passions, guiding them toward a future career. As for the CASAS it’s a more formal assessment that provides valuable data on a student’s skills, abilities, and academic progress. This assessment gives both the student and the case manager a clear understanding of the student’s readiness for specific career paths. It is especially helpful for students who are considering training or higher education, as it can assess whether they have the academic foundation needed to succeed in their filed of interest.
To design a career assessment program for students, I would recommend a combination of formal and informal assessments to help students better understand their strengths, interests, and potential career paths. The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is a formal personality test that can provide insights into how students make decisions, interact socially, and process information, which can guide them toward careers that align with their natural preferences. Additionally, an informal Career Interest Inventory, where students reflect on their hobbies and passions, could help uncover careers they may not have considered, based on their personal interests. By combining these assessments, students can gain a more comprehensive understanding of their skills and preferences, ultimately helping them make more informed decisions about their futures.
If I was asked to help with designing a career assessment program for 16–24-year-olds, I would recommend using a mix of formal and informal assessments. This will give a well-rounded view of the young adults strengths, interests, and potential career paths. The combination of My Next Move O*Net Interest Profiler and Self-Reflection Journaling would be the foundation building blocks in my career services. I have navigated a diverse amount of interest from helping others and working outdoors to studying criminal justice. I understand the importance of exploring passions and strengths because I’m currently on the cusp or height of my exploratory phase. As the young adults are starting to consider their careers, the O*Net Interest Profiler would be a great formal tool to identify career paths based on interest, with valuable information on job outlooks. Utilizing Self-Reflection Journaling while exploring interests will offer a personal place to reflect which I believe people should do more of before they find themselves stuck in a career they never truly enjoyed. Journaling will allow the young adults to reflect on their skills, values, and past experiences that will aide in developing a stronger career path.