Students discover career needs

The 4-step process to career counseling. Part one of four.

The Career Service Center offers a four-step process for career counseling: assessment, exploration, focus, and implementation. This is a four-part series spotlighting each step. This week's spotlighted step is assessment.

The assessment process was born out of necessity in World War II. During WWI, soldiers were assigned wherever there was a need. WWII saw a need to categorize personnel where they would be the most effective. The military developed Meyers-Briggs Type Indicator, (MBTI) an assessment to determine where soldiers would be the most effective.

"The idea is you want to take square pegs and put them in square holes, and round pegs and put them in round hole," Dr. Winn Stanger, director of career services at WSU, said, "and not try to drive square pegs through round holes."

He said if a person were improperly placed in an organization, the individual would be less effective than a properly matched person.

To make a better match, assessments were created.

The career center at WSU offers access to assessments through the testing center.

When a student takes an assessment, the results are overlaid with millions of other assessments. The results determine where a student will find the most satisfaction.

The career center offers five different assessments.

The MBTI assesses a student's personality type.

The Strong Interest Inventory helps students find fulfilling careers according to ccp.com.

The California Orientation and Evaluation Survey (COPES) evaluates personal and social abilities.

The California Occupational Placement Survey (COPS) evaluates a student's job interest.

And finally, the Career Ability Placement Survey (CAPS) evaluates a student's aptitude and abilities. The tests range from $5 to $15.

A career counselor will determine what assessment a student should take. The counselor will review the results with the student.

"Out of the assessment, one to three different career choices are identified," Stanger said.

Students can then research the different job at the career services library, which houses more than 500 volumes pertaining to careers.

Students can then research the job- market; availability of jobs, what education and experience is required, learn what a job entails and learn pay rates.

"Once a person knows who they are, they can then determine what they want to do, and how to accomplish it," Stanger said.

Another assessment the career center offers is called Career Lift-Off.

"This is kind of an umbrella or overview assessment," Stanger said, "whereas these other things can give specifics."

Stanger said Career Lift-Off is a free assessment offered to all students. See a career counselor for more details.