What is your GPS for Success?
Knowing where you are is the first step to knowing where you’re headed. Career Assessment can take many forms, whether a self assessment or by a professional counselor. Assessment is beneficial to those just starting out in their careers, as well as those who are transitioning from one career to another or moving up the career ladder.
Please note that on-line assessment cannot replace the guidance of a professional career counselor. By working with a professional, you will receive an in-depth interpretation of your assessment, career exploration information, decision-making assistance, and action steps. You will find more career counseling information and links below, including Web sites that may promote fee-based services that we do not necessarily endorse.
Your interests are one of the first areas to identify before you begin your job search. Working in areas of interest will help you stay motivated and succeed in your job.
The Princeton Review Career Quiz This summary quiz was developed by the creators of the Brinkman Method ®. This 24-question sample quiz asks easy questions about your interests and then analyzes your answers to determine your interests and work style. The results help guide you to careers that would likely suit you, and more importantly, that you would enjoy! An in-depth assessment is also available for a fee.
The Career Key: Lawrence Jones’s interactive quiz, based on the Holland Summary Code that is used in most professional career interest tools. It helps you find jobs that best fit you and links you to information about those jobs in the Occupational Outlook Handbook.
Transferable skills are activities you’ve done in the past that can be used to meet the requirements of other types of work. Identifying these skills is important before you begin your job search, since many jobs now require a higher level of effective communication, research, human relations, leadership and other skills not directly related to the specific tasks of the job.
Transferable Skills Survey: This University of Minnesota, Duluth site offers an online questionnaire and test results, but does not offer an explanation or interpretation of the test results.
A good career match is one that uses your personality type in positive ways. It is important to keep your personality type in mind as you select your future job or work tasks. The “gold standard” assessment to study your true type is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, available in many career centers. Click on the links below to learn more about your prominent behavioral characteristics and determine your personality type.
Keirsey Temperament Web Site: This Web site includes the Keirsey Temperament Sorter, the four temperaments, and the Keirsey Character Sorter, all designed to identify different kinds of personalities.
The Platinum Rule: This Web site includes a behavioral questionnaire and provides and explanation of your results. It also gives you the communication tips that will assist you in your professional and personal life.
Personality Type Quiz: This quick and easy quiz will not fully assess your true personality type; however, it will introduce you to the concept.
Bridging the gap between employer needs and employee skills is a challenge the North Country faces in maintaining a strong regional economy. Employers are always looking for skilled applicants, while job seekers often times strive to become more desirable candidates. Until the Work Readiness Certificate, however, no program existed in the North Country to bring these common interests together.
To meet the needs of a changing workplace in the 21st century global economy, the US Chamber of Commerce, encouraged by national advisors to the National Institute for Literacy, conducted research into the emerging needs of communities, businesses, and industry. Through the joint efforts of the US Chamber and other interested stakeholders, the National Work Readiness Certificate was created. This research identified 14 skills required for success on the job, including: Communication, Worksite Behavior, Teamwork, Academics, and Customer Service.
Individuals who receive the Work Readiness Certificate have demonstrated their competency in all 14 of the required skills. This guarantee of skill attainment benefits job seekers, employers, and education and training providers.
For more information on the Work Readiness Certificate, please contact us at (518) 561-0430 ext. 3085
The North Country Workforce Development Board is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Program. Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request to individuals with disabilities.
