Using Key-Word Dropping to Your Advantage
Related Resources:
Career Aptitude Tests
16 Personalities
This site provides a “personality” (or preference) assessment that returns a 4-letter code similar to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator. Users will answer questions and be provided with detailed free information about their type with the option to explore all 16 types. There is a strong “Our Theory” page that describes how the assessment was created and where to go for additional information.
assessment.com (MAPP)
The MAPP is an interest survey designed by the International Assessment Network in Minneapolis, MN. A free sample MAPP Career Analysis is provided to help individuals identify their preferences for working with people or things, and other job characteristics; it also suggests some occupations that match these preferences. The resulting report is sent to the user via e-mail, outlining his or her “natural motivations and talent for work” and matching these to five occupational descriptions from O*NET.
ASVAB Career Exploration Program
The Department of Defense provides high schools with the Career Exploration Program as a career planning and exploration program. This is free to the schools and students and can provide career path information that students may not be considering. It includes an aptitude and interest assessment with links to occupations.
CareerOneStop Self Assessments Pages
This site has free online self-assessments for interests, skills, and work values. Users who take the assessments can print and/or save their results and compare with occupational information.
cddq.org
In addition to the Career Decision-making Difficulties Questionnaire (CDDQ), this site includes seven more free assessments designed to assist individuals in the process of making a career decision by helping them clarify difficulties and providing a framework for career decisionmaking organized into a three-stage process. Information about and access to Making Better Career Decisions (MBCD), an Internet based career planning system, is provided. There is a special section of the website with information specifically for career development practitioners.
GSP Life Plan
Career, education, finance, leadership, and personal plans for success for students. Start with the assessments and learn how to create smart goals and action plans.
O*NET Career Exploration Tools
These instruments will help individuals identify their work-related interests, what they consider important on the job, and their abilities in order to explore those occupations that relate most closely to those attributes.
O*Net Interest Profiler
The O*Net Interest Profiler is an assessment of client interests based on Holland’s theory (RIASEC). This page has direct links to the four forms of the interest profiler including a 60- question web-based version, a 30-question mobile-friendly version, a paper and pencil handscored version, and downloadable software.
personal globe inventory
This interest assessment was created by Arizona State University to help students and clients match interests scores to occupations and college majors.
student interest survey for career clusters
A career guidance tool that allows students to respond to questions and identify the top three Career Clusters of interest based on their responses. This pencil/paper survey takes about fifteen minutes to complete and can be used in the classroom or for presentations with audiences who have an interest in career exploration. The survey is available in English and Spanish and can be viewed and printed.
work importance profiler
What's important to you in a job? Discover how much you value achievement, independence, recognition, relationships, support, and working conditions in a job. Get a list of jobs that reflect your values.
Related Resources:
Networking at DECA Events
If you are like most new DECA members, then you may be extremely nervous for competition. You are likely trying to remember your performance indicators, marketing concepts, and vocabulary. After all, this is your first time competing against the best high school students in the nation. However, don’t get too caught up in the competition. No doubt: your goal should be to place or even win, but there are other things that are intriguing at DECA competitions and events. It’s important to go out of your comfort zone and explore what the event has to offer.
For one, talk to your fellow competitors and peers. I know it can be daunting speaking to new people (even I, myself, struggle with it at times). However, you never know. Some of these new people could end up being the new faces of DECA. A common phrase is “It’s not what you know. It’s who you know.” Branching out and meeting new people is always a good way of establishing long-term connections, connections that could end up helping you in the future. And who knows, you may even make a new friend.
Most of the time, even at smaller, local competitions, there are guest speakers who are highly qualified and have real-world experience. It doesn’t hurt to go up to him or her and ask a couple of questions. Once again, it is about who you know. Establishing connections at an early age, especially to highly qualified individuals, is something that not many teenagers can speak of. You could consider creating a LinkedIn account and “connecting” with the guest speakers. Establishing contacts with successful professionals can lead to better career prospects.
Overall, meeting new people, whether they are competitors or professionals, is incredibly important. No form of social media or technology can replace face-to-face interactions. These can lead to endless opportunities, especially later in life. Just stand up, walk up to the person, and introduce yourself. These skills, though difficult to master, will set you up for success in the future.