THE VALUE OF CAREER ASSESSMENT
By Kirk Hall, Consultant
Do you know anyone who is unhappy with his or her career? Perhaps they
are in an industry that is changing in ways they don't like. Or there
has been a reorganization that has changed the corporate culture where they
work. Maybe they have been doing the same thing for a long time and are
ready to try something new. It could be that they never have been able
to figure out "what they want to be when they grow up," and their career has
been a series of one frustrating experience after another.
You might also know a student who is at the point where they need to decide
what direction to take. They may be trying to decide on a college major
or vocational direction. Is there anything that can reduce the chances
of them starting a cycle of frustration?
One of my favorite career books is called "If You Don't Know Where You're Going,
You'll Probably End Up Somewhere Else" by Dr. David Campbell. This title
tells it all. Some people are fortunate enough to know what they want
to do. But for many of us, our destinations are unclear. Some
of us embark on careers using the "trial and error" method, randomly trying
different options based on intuition or advice from a friend or relative.
Wouldn't it be nice if everyone could be equipped with information to help them
with their career choices? Something that would increase their chances
of choosing a career direction that will lead to personal fulfillment?
Career assessment, performed by trained professionals including career
consultants and counselors, provides this information. Qualified individuals
will typically have education in human resources or counseling and will be certified
to administer and interpret a variety of appropriate instruments that provide
information regarding personality, interests, skills and/or values. In
conjunction with an in-depth review of personal and professional background,
these test results can be invaluable in the establishment of appropriate career
goals.
At Colorado Career Consultants, we use two well-respected and useful instruments
to assist with assessment, the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) T and
the Strong Interest Inventory (SII) T. The MBTI provides information
on "type," which can be thought of as "personality habits." Understanding,
accepting and applying this information allows individuals to make choices that
"honor who they are," increasing the potential for fit and minimizing the potential
for stress. The SII solicits information on what an individual finds interesting
and compares it against the interests of individuals in over one hundred different
occupations. The degree of similarity in interest patterns provides an
excellent starting point for examining career options. In some situations,
we also use the MBTI Step II, which provides additional useful information about
sub-categories or "facets" of the four components of type. These test
results are used in conjunction with information about the individual's experience,
passions, values and skills gathered through other exercises.
The culmination of the assessment process is our Focus Session (formerly
known as the Occupational Prioritization Exercise) that involves discussion
around a variety of options that have been identified and leads to identification
of a few career options that are both interesting and actionable. What
emerges from this process can lead to anything from minor to dramatic change
in the client's career direction. One example of a more dramatic change
involved an individual with years of executive experience in the financial industry.
She was burnt out and wanted to make a change, but she had no idea what she
wanted to do next. The process led her to decide to become a commercial
helicopter pilot. She is now well on her way to achieving that goal.
Assessment provides the focus for career exploration. Once you know your
destination and are confident that your goals are both appropriate and achievable,
developing a plan to achieve your goals becomes a whole lot easier.
Best of all, the enthusiasm associated with the pursuit of goals that are a
good fit significantly increases your chances of success.
Kirk Hall consults with Colorado Careers and
is a member of both the National & Colorado Career
Development Associations.
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