CAREER ASSESSMENT

The goal is for Explorers to write their life story in exactly seven words. Begin by passing out paper and a pen or pencil for each person. Tell participants to think carefully and use words that will sum up their life experiences. The stories will end up being cryptic and very interesting. The listeners are to ask for elaboration, and each participant has two minutes to answer questions or tell more about his or her life. Here is an example: “senior, goal, Joey, dart, Mexico, MSU, pizza.”

Tell Explorers: Personal qualities are personal characteristics of an individual. They are what make up one’s personality and help a person get along in a new situation. For example, dependability and patience are qualities that employers expect a good worker to have. Thinking about these in advance will be an advantage for you in a job interview situation.

Personal qualities can include the following: accurate, appreciative, consistent, organized, generous, patient, flexible, reflective, creative, caring, thoughtful, self-confident, dependable, open-minded, reliable, enthusiastic, objective, resourceful, tactful, assertive, loyal, fair, disciplined, energetic, steady, persuasive, positive, cautious, determined, conforming, efficient, sociable, adaptable, independent, helpful, direct, and idealistic.

Have Explorers select their four strongest personal qualities. They may use any from the list of examples you provided or search for others using the internet. They should write down the quality and an example of a time they demonstrated this quality. For example:

“Flexibility—When I volunteered at the local hospital, I arranged my school and social schedule so that I could be at the hospital when they needed me most. I also stayed longer in the afternoons if they needed my help.”

Have each Explorer share one example with the rest of the group.

Say: Before you embark on a college education or a training program, be sure your personal values and dreams are supported by the career you are training for. Potential employers may require you to take both psychological and performance tests as conditions of employment or advancement. You can enjoy your job or career the most and have the best success if you find a job that closely matches your talents, training, and strengths.

There are a variety of assessment tests available online, through state or college employment offices, or through career counselors that can help you match your aptitude to a career. Assessment tests help you identify skills, abilities, and interests. You can make better decisions about a career path if you understand what you like and don’t like, as well as what you do well and not so well. An assessment that steers you away from one kind of job or training program can also help steer you toward another.

Have each Explorer access the HumanMetrics website using an internet-accessible device and complete the sample personality test.

Tell Explorers: When responding to the statements, please choose the response you agree with most. If you are not sure how to answer, make your choice based on your most typical response or feeling in the given situation. To get a reliable result, please respond to all questions. When you are done answering, press the “Score It!” button at the bottom of the screen.

Upon completion, participants will be identified by a four-letter code. Have them review the four different boxes to determine the meaning of the personality type along with different careers that match it. They should write the following down on their sheet of paper:

Result (four-letter code): ________

What does this mean (browse the links)?

Have each Explorer share his or her personality type and give two facts that they learned through their research.