ASSESSMENT AND CAREER PLANNING

Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century

4th EditionSpencer G. Niles and JoAnn Harris-Bowlsbey

Prepared By

Jennifer Del Corso

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-2

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-3

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-4

Becomeawa re of ne edto make career

decisions

1

Identifyoccupationalalterna tives

3

Obtaininformation

about ide ntif iedalterna tives

4Ma ke

tentativechoic es from

among a vaila bleoccupations

5

Ma keeduc ational

choic es

6

Impleme nta voca tional

choic e

7Le arn

about and/orre eva luate

self

2

(w ebsites,databases,

print materials,software)

Resources

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-5

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-6

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-7

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-8

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-9

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-10

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-11

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

Low cost or free materials

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-12

Types of Informal Assessment

Checklists

Games

Career fantasies

Forced-choice activities

Card sorts

Structured interviews

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-13

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)

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-14

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)

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-15

Common Interest Inventories

Career Assessment Inventory (CAI)

Career Occupational Preference Survey (COPS)

Career Quest

Harrington-O’Shea Career Decision-Making System (CDMS)

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-16

Common Interest Inventoriescontinued

Interest Determination, Exploration, and Assessment System (IDEAS)

Interest Explorer

Jackson Vocational Interest Survey (JVIS)

Kuder Career Search with Person Match

O*Net Interest Profiler

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-17

Common Interest Inventoriescontinued

Self-Directed Search (SDS)

Strong Interest Inventory (SII)

Unisex Edition of the ACT Interest Inventory (UNIACT)

Vocational Interest Inventory

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-18

Common Instruments to Measure Skills and Abilities

Campbell Interest and Skill Survey (CISS)

SkillScan

WorkKeys

Passion Revealer

The Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB)

Career Planning Survey

O*Net Ability Profiler

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-19

Other Inventories

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) - measures personality type

O*Net Work Importance Profiler - measures the importance of six work values

Super’s Work Values Inventory - measures the importance of 12 work values

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-20

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-21

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-22

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-23

No-Fee Assessment Websites

University of Waterloo Career Services - www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/steps.asp

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-24

For-Fee Assessment Websites

DISCOVER – www.act.org

Kuder Career Planning System - www.kuder.com

Self-Directed Search - www.self-directed-search.com

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-25

Types of Reports

Results typically come in print form from the website or computer from which the assessment was taken

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

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-26

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.

Niles/Harris-Bowlsbey. Career Development Interventions in the 21st Century, 4e © 2013, 2009, 2005, 2002 by Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved

5-27

Steps in Selection of Instruments

Read critical reviews and talk to other professionals.

Acquire a sample copy, take it, and read publisher’s materials.

Administer instrument to a few individuals and practice interpretation.

Determine cost and options for administration and scoring.