Career counselors often use psychological assessments to assist individuals in career planning and goal-setting. There are several steps that can be helpful in the career planning process, such as conducting a self-assessment, exploring industries/careers, and determining factors that are non-negotiable (e.g., shift, location, salary, the need for specific benefits). Prior to beginning work on this assignment, you will need to read the article by Barr (2014) and take two different types of self-discovery assessment.

To begin, research VIA Character Strengths Test, O*Net Interest Profiler, and TypeFocus listed below to determine which one is of interest to you. Once you have completed your research, take one of the assessment to complete Part I of your Journal.

A. VIA Character Strengths Test 

Character strengths are viewed as our positive personality they are our core capacities for thinking, feeling, and behaving in ways that can bring benefit to us and others.
To take the VIA Character Strengths assessment: follow the link to register.  
VIA Character Strengths Test
https://www.viacharacter.org/Survey/Account/Register (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
*Please note, the results are free and please do not pay for this assessment.

B. O*Net Interest Profiler

The assessment can help you learn about your interests as it relates to different career fields. http://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

C. TypeFocus

This online assessment is designed to assess your personality type, interests, and values to assist you in making effective decisions about your career goals. TypeFocus also provides valuable information about careers that may likely be a good fit for you. Based on your results, a Career Services Specialist will guide you through the process of identifying career goals that fit your interests and personality type.

Click here to learn how to take the assessment. https://bridgepoint.equella.ecollege.com/curriculum/file/5a31c889-448e-438b-ab88-8122cd2ec0e7/1/TypeFocus_Getting_Started.pdf (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.

Journal Assignment Part 1: Take one of the assessments VIA Character Strengths Test, O*Net Interest Profiler, or TypeFocus. Provide the following information about the assessment in Part 1 of your journal:

• Name of the test
• Present your basic impressions of the test in 1-2 sentences.

Journal Assignment Part 2: Locate a free, online self-discovery assessment (e.g., career, personality, values, preferences) and take the assessment to receive your results. It is recommended that you do not take assessments that require you to submit an email address or other personal information in order to receive your results. Provide the following information about the assessment in Part 2 of your journal:

• Name of the test
• URL where the test is located
• Present your basic impressions of the test in 1-2 sentences.

Journal Assignment Part 3: Compare and contrast the professional assessment in career services with the popular press assessment you found online. Address each of the basic measurement issue listed below.

• Test content
• Administration format
• Administration time
• Item-response format
• Face validity
• Homogeneity and heterogeneity
• Using the test you took in Career Services as the criterion, judge the apparent criterion-related validity of the popular press assessment you located.
• If you took one or both of the assessments more than once, comment on test-retest reliability based on your experience.
• Conclude by critiquing the utility of the instruments.

This journal does not require you to share personal information about your mental health or any information that you deem personal and sensitive. You are not required to share your actual results. Per Standard 7.04 in the Ethical Principles of Psychologists and Code of Conduct, psychology instructors cannot ask students to divulge this kind of information for grading purposes. Your journal will be graded based on whether or not you provided a substantial and thoughtful evaluation of the assessment instruments and address each of the items required in the instructions.

The Journal Assignment: 

• Must be at least 1 single-spaced page in length (not including title and reference pages).