Careerway Review, by John Baughman, Baylor University

1. CareerWay utilizes the Holland Codes as a primary method for initial screening of occupations. Since I utilize the Strong Interest Inventory I am able to give students their Holland Code from the Strong prior to utilizing CareerWay. This makes for a very consistent transition into occupations. The second self-assessment in CareerWay focuses on Motivations (Values) which is also consistent with the Strong Interest Inventory; ( I am comparing apples to apples – trait and factor theory - when I go from the Strong to CareerWay). CareerWay does not require that you administer the Strong Interest Inventory, as students can choose their Holland Code directly from information provided at the beginning of the CareerWay assessment process;

2. CareerWay utilizes information from the O*Net – which I believe is going to become “the” standard for online classifications/descriptions of occupations. I feel I am on the proverbial “cutting edge” of career technology by using the O*Net;

3. CareerWay offers a review of over 900 different occupations based on the O*Net. This is the most extensive list I have found regarding occupational information;

4. CareerWay offers me a very simple registration form for the students. All they need is their email address – and I don’t have to mess with the registration process. The fact that CareerWay is available via internet allows access to CareerWay by students on a 24/7 basis;

5. CareerWay offers direct links to Collegeboard, Occupational Career Outlook, Princeton Review and America’s Career Info Net. The availability of a great deal of information for the student is a plus;

6. CareerWay offers a simple way for a student to explore majors associated with various occupations and occupations associated with various majors. This feature fits into our counseling model as we ask students to prioritize potential majors and occupations prior to the 3rd counseling session;

7. CareerWay also offers a management site which allows me to track the progress of each student;

8. I find that if I give some guidance to students on how to use CareerWay initially, it becomes a simple process for students to utilize CareerWay;

9. CareerWay is cost effective for my institution and the number of students we serve. Also, I have almost completely eliminated our “physical” library because most of the information is contained online through CareerWay;

10. CareerWay is what I refer to (respectfully) as the “Walmart” of career information – a one-stop internet shopping center that meets most of the career search needs of my students.

11. CareerWay effectively allows me to interact with alumni who are not located near our campus and cannot travel to our offices for an individual session;

12. The technical support from CareerWay staff has been excellent and they have responded very quickly to my requests for information. I have been impressed by their philosophy of wanting to take care of their customers in an expeditious and professional manner.