Assessment and Career Planning

Chapter 5
Introduction
Assessment is the use of any formal or
informal technique to collect data about a
client.
It is a tool of the trait-and-factor approach,
which had its beginning with the three-step
career choice process introduced by Frank
Parsons.
Guidelines for Use of Trait-and-
Factor Approach in 21st Century
Test data
are only one piece of a much larger puzzle.
should be used less for prediction and more for
identifying new options.
The client should be more involved in
making the decision about whether to use
assessment and for what purposes.
Become
aware of need
to make career
decisions
1
Identify
occupational
alternatives
3
Obtain
information
about identified
alternatives
4
Make
tentative
choices from
among available
occupations
5
Make
educational
choices
6
Implement
a vocational
choice
7
Learn
about and/or
reevaluate
self
2
(websites,
databases,
print materials,
software)
Resources
Assessment and the Career
Planning Process
Step 1 - may use an instrument to measure
career maturity, career beliefs or decision-
making style

Step 2 - may use inventories to measure
interests, abilities, skills, work values, or
personality type
Assessment and the Career
Planning Process
Step 3 - Score report from inventories given
in Step 2 will suggest occupations.

Step 4 - Assessment not likely to be used.

Step 5 - Inventories of work-related values
may be used to reduce number of options.

Assessment and the Career
Planning Process

Step 6 - Tests that predict success in college
or measure achievement in specific subject
matter may be used.

Step 7 - Instruments that measure work
skills or personality type may be used.
Purposes of Assessment
Counselors can learn more about the needs
(decision-making skills, career maturity,
removal of irrational beliefs) of clients.

Counselors can learn more about the
characteristics (interests, abilities, skills,
values, personality) of clients.
Purposes of Assessment
Clients can learn more about themselves
(such as their interests, skills, abilities, work
values, personality type).

Counselors can measure the progress (in
acquiring career maturity,decision-making
skills, career decidedness) of an individual
or group of individuals.
Counselor Responsibilities
Follow ethical guidelines provided by
professional associations
Possess knowledge
basic principles of assessment
details of specific instruments to be used
how to prepare clients/students
how to administer properly
how to interpret properly
Characteristics of Informal
Assessment

Instruments not subjected to scientific study
Results for one person cannot be compared
with those of others
No standard linkage between results and
occupational choices
No standard way to interpret results
Types of Informal Assessment
Checklists
Games
Career fantasies
Forced-choice activities
Card sorts
Structured interviews
Characteristics of Formal
Assessment

Known validity (instrument measures what
it claims to measure)

Known reliability (results of a later
administration will be highly similar to
those of first administration)
Characteristics of Formal
Assessment

Fairness related to diversity (instrument
adequately researched with kinds of
individuals who will later take the
instrument)
Measures of comparison (compares the
scores of one individual with those of
others)

Common Interest Inventories
Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS)
Career Assessment Inventory (CAI)
Career Occupational Preference Survey
(COPS)
Career Quest
Harrington-OShea Career Decision-
Making System (CDMS)


Common Interest Inventories,
continued
Interest Determination, Exploration, and
Assessment System (IDEAS)
Interest Explorer
Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS)
Kuder Career Search with Person Match
O*Net Interest Profiler

Common Interest Inventories,
continued

Self-Directed Search (SDS)
Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
Unisex Edition of the ACT Interest
Inventory (UNIACT)
Vocational Interest Inventory

Common Instruments to Measure
Skills and Abilities

SkillScan
WorkKeys
Passion Revealer
Career Planning Survey
O*Net Ability Profiler
Other Inventories

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) -
measures personality type
O*Net Work Importance Profiler -
measures the importance of six work values
Supers Work Values Inventory - measures
the importance of 12 work values

Steps of the Assessment Process

Prepare students/clients for assessment
Administer instrument(s) properly
Interpret instrument(s) properly
Follow through to assist students/clients to
use results for action planning
Ways to Administer and Interpret
Assessment
Print form - manual or optical scoring;
counselor interpretation
Computer (standalone or networked) -
administration and scoring; counselor or
computer interpretation
Internet - administration, scoring, and
interpretation
Advantages of Internet Delivery

Can be taken from anywhere 24/7
Immediate scoring and feedback
Standard interpretation, though customized
Capability to share report with others
electronically
No-Fee Assessment Websites
University of Waterloo Career Services -
www.careerservices.uwaterloo.ca
CareerKey - www.ncsu.edu/careerkey
University of Missouri Career Center -
http://career.missouri.edu (Select Career
Interests Game)
Motivational Assessment of Personal
Potential - www.assessment.com
For-Fee Assessment Websites

Kuder Career Planning System -
www.kuder.com

Self-Directed Search - www.self-directed-
search.com
Types of Reports
Raw scores - provide a tally of responses in
a specific category; examinee cannot
compare personal scores with those of
others
Percentile scores - compare the scores of
one person with those of a selected norm
group
Steps in Selection of Instruments
Determine purpose of assessment.
Consider characteristics of those to be
assessed.
Determine if norm group for instrument
includes characteristics of persons to be
tested.
Investigate the reliability and validity of the
instrument.
Steps in Selection of Instruments
Read critical reviews and talk to other
professionals.
Acquire a sample copy, take it, and read
publishers materials.
Administer instrument to a few individuals
and practice interpretation.
Determine cost and options for
administration and scoring.