Secondary Transition Toolkit: Career Assessments
Career Assessments can help students identify their interests, identify careers related to their interests, and search for more information about careers. There is an observation form that can be used with students at a worksite and a planning tool to keep track of the information gathered and to compare different jobs.
We encourage you to use these assessments as well as transition assessments from other sources to gather and organize information on your students in order to prepare them for a seamless transition from school to adult life.
Career Clueless
Source: Champlain Valley Educational Services
An inventory of student interests to support finding a career path – students circle and total activities of interest in 6 categories to find their 3 letter “career code.”
AGE GROUP: Middle School
Time: 20 minutes
Who R U?
Author: Virginia Career VIEW (Vital Information for Education and Work)
“Who R U?” is an online career interest inventory. Students check off and then total items they identify as being of interest to them in 16 areas. Students identify top areas to get a career code. Students can also visit the Virginia Career View website to explore career cluster occupations and/or watch videos. This assessment must be done online.
AGE GROUP: Middle School and High School
Time: 30 minutes
My Next Move (O’Net Interest Profiler)
Author: U.S. Department of Labor
My Next Move is a web-based interactive tool for new job seekers, students, and other career explorers to learn more about their career options. Users can search careers using key words, browse careers by industry in addition to taking an interest assessment. In order to take the interest assessment, click start in the “tell us what you like to do” box and begin the O’Net Interest Profiler. This assessment must be done online.
AGE GROUP: Middle School and High School
Time: 30 minutes
Career Bridge
Author: Workforce Training and Education Coordinating Board, Washington State
The Washington State Career Bridge has three components. Students can take the “Explore Careers” quiz and view job trends online; the third component is specific to Washington state. This assessment must be done online.
AGE GROUP: Middle School and High School
Career One Stop
Author: US Department of Labor
The Career One Stop allows users to explore careers, identify job trends for those careers, and research careers by state. Students can match their skills to jobs by taking the “Skills Matcher” assessment. The Skills Matcher helps the user create a list of skills and matches them to possible job types. To take the assessment, click on “Skills Assessment,” then scroll down and click on “Skills Matcher.” This assessment must be done online.
AGE GROUP: High School
Job Observation Form
The Job Observation form is a tool for educators to use to observe a student at a worksite to assess a student’s independence and need for assistance.
AGE GROUP: High School
TIME: 30 minutes to half a day
Career Goal/Job Matching Tool
Author: Maryland Coalition for Inclusive Education
The Career Goal/Job Matching Tool allows students to compare their wants, likes, and needs with up to three jobs.
AGE GROUP: High School
TIME: 30 – 60 minutes
