Detailed Information for Career Coaches or Outplacement Counselors

Undertaking a career transition is a daunting task but whether the individual is seeking to change industries, to transfer from the military to a civilian job, or return to college, CareerWay can streamline and simplify this process. CareerWay helps identify what jobs may match an individual and allows individuals to conduct in-depth on-line research from respected sources at the click of a mouse. In addition, individuals can identify their own needs for a job, as well as what skills, knowledge and abilities are important to each job. Providing realistic job information helps the career transitioners to make educated, informed choices about their future.

Automation vs. Participation:

Career transitioners/clients need to be engaged in the career exploration process. CareerWay is designed to balance automated job matching information with active participation by the individual. The individual can spend as much or as little time as he/she wants researching jobs, taking assessments, and evaluating job-fit. CareerWay can be tailored to the individual – they can take as many or as few assessments as they want to, or as you recommend. Through encouraging active participation, CareerWay helps facilitate educated and informed career choices where the individual has ownership of the final decision.

Gap Analysis Reports:

Through gap analysis reports, individuals can identify how well they fit a job and evaluate where they are willing to make trade-offs. No job will be a perfect match, but CareerWay helps the individual think critically through what things are the most important to them in a job, and provides them with information on how to develop any areas where they may have gaps. These reports help the individual to identify where they should focus their training and experience as they prepare for the job.

Facilitates the Counseling Process:

CareerWay is an interactive career program; not a “career test.” Coaches and counselors can introduce CareerWay at the beginning of the career exploration phase and encourage the individuals to complete multiple assessments as they progress through their career search. While Careerway can be a “stand alone” tool, it is most effective when integrated into the counseling process. CareerWay can help counselors direct individuals to applicable training programs or educational specializations and can also help them as they prepare for their career transition and reapply for jobs.

As you demo the system, keep in mind that CareerWay is comprehensive. The number of assessments an individual takes and the time spent using the system can be easily geared to an individual's current situation or learning style. Career transitioners are likely to be interested in learning how to apply their education and experience in a career and discovering any gaps they may have in their knowledge and skills in order to pursue a new career. CareerWay features can be customized for all individuals within each of the phases of the system:

EXPLORE

Filters: Encourage individuals to make use of the filters tab to help hone their career list.

• Individuals are likely to use the options:
  "Show jobs that typically require a college degree and/or equivalent level of experience (2 years or more)."
  OR
  "Show jobs that typically require some type of degree or vocational training and/or equivalent level of experience."
• Those who have interests in particular industries should choose specific job families within the filters option.

Assessments:

• For individuals looking for a fresh start and an entirely new career - Focus individuals on assessments pertaining to "My Needs" rather than "Job Needs". The Interests, Motivations, and Preference for Activities are assessments that will aid individuals in discovering their personal needs from a career.
  
• For individuals looking to transfer their current background and experience - Focus individuals on assessments pertaining to "Job Needs". That includes Knowledge, Abilities, and Skills which are assessments that will aid them in discovering how these personal attributes may fit a career.

Education:

• For individuals looking to continue their education - These individuals should utilize the "Related Training or Education" option under the education tab. This feature will help them find educational paths (training programs and areas of specialization) associated with the jobs of their interest. These educational paths will help individuals in their educational planning to match the particular career of their choice.
  
• For individuals looking to find a career using their current educational background and experience: These individuals should utilize the "Related Jobs: Training / Educational Area" option under the education tab. This feature will help them find assorted jobs associated with their education, major, or specialization.
  
• For individuals looking to transition from the military: These individuals should utilize the "Related Jobs: Military" option under the education tab. This feature will help them find assorted civilian jobs associated with military experience and training.

DECIDE

The primary problem of many job and career seekers is the lack of concrete information regarding the reality of an occupation.

• Individuals may use the "Suitability" link within Decide to get a better understanding of the critical aspects of the job of their interest.
• "Job Outlook" and "Salary" also give students a "reality check."

PURSUE

Career transitioners will want to utilize the "Researching" and "Applying" features offered in this phase of the system as well as the various worksheets to monitor progress. The information on "Networking" and "Interviews" will be helpful for individuals as they pursue their new careers and the "Development Resources" feature will aid them in closing any knowledge, skill, or ability gaps they might have.

Click here and visit our product demo to see how CareerWay works!