Choosing a job

Finding the song

you were meant to sing!
Employment sequence
Choosing a job
Getting a job
Keeping a job





William Anthony, 1990
Choosing a job
Self awareness
Career exploration
Vocational evaluation
Employment assessment
How do we decide what to do?

Calling/avocation
Chance
Family/others we know
Discovery process
Discovery process
Trial and error
Vocational testing
Career counseling
Transferable skill
analysis
Vocational
evaluation
Individualized
assessment



Employment Assessment
vs.
Traditional Assessments &
Evaluations
Traditional Vocational Evaluations
Vocational evaluations are
normed against people without
disabilities
False negatives
Dont take into account
environment
Limited number of jobs in
profile
Types of Standardized assessment
Measures of Intelligence
Aptitude Tests
Personality Assessments
Interest Assessments
Vocational Evaluations & Work
Samples
Self-Analysis
Interest Inventories: Do they fit?
Information Exploration: Industry-specific,
Qualifications, Salary Ranges, Market
Analysis
List, Evaluate, Group: Helpful for people with
a limited work history, those changing
careers, and those who have difficulty sorting
/ articulating strengths and skills
List
Accomplishments (work-related and
personal)
Things the person enjoys doing
Things the person does well
Things the person does not do so well
Future goals and ambitions
Evaluate
Look over each section and entry to
determine what they say about the person:
I am really a take charge person
I am able to juggle a lot of things at once
I will go nuts if I have to work at a desk all day
Group
After reviewing the List and Evaluation,
organize them into Groups with headings
This helps clarify job fit, and creates a
template for a resume and for interviewing
purposes
Examples of Self-assessment tools
Strong Interest Inventory
Career Assessment Inventory
Kuder Occupational Inventory
Self-Directed Search
Example:
Strong
Interest
Scales
Career Assessment Inventory
The working mans
Strong
Includes careers that
require 2 years or
less of postsecondary
training
Profiles patterned
after Strong II
Online version
Kuder Occupational Inventory
100 questions
Activities presented; clients indicate the activity they
would most like to do and the activity they would
least like to do
Answers compared to persons in a college major or
working in an occupation
Online version
Self-Directed Search
Based on Hollands theory
Form E for adults & adolescents with
limited reading skills
Self-administered and self-scored
Relatively inexpensive
Scoring errors can occur
Online version available
Example:
Self-Directed
Search Results
Employment Profile / Assessment
Individualized
Serves as the vehicle
which drives the job
development efforts of
the employment
service
Based on strengths
Developing a Useful Assessment
Spend time with and
observing the person in a
variety of settings
Talk with people who
know the person best

Balance employees
needs and perspective
with the familys
Be specific about
concerns-focus on
support needs
Pay attention to
assistance needs and
attention to natural cues
Think about ecological
validity
Focus on the positive


Employment Assessment
Narrative format that describes a
consumers:
Interests
Abilities
Skills
Preferences
Support needs
Employment Profile Meeting
Never underestimate the
value of connections: the
applicants, family
members, employment
staff and other
participants.
Plan Killers
No follow through
Job development drops off significantly after
assessment
Not monitoring for progress
Setting goals that are too vague
Setting goals that are too big
Moving from Plan to Action
Create a doable action plan
with names and dates
DO IT!
Adhere to review dates
Adjust plan according to
new information obtained