Career Planning

As a counseling department, we know that helping students choose a career is more than just asking what that student wants to do. There are a number of questions and tests that can provide insights into careers and jobs that will suit each student’s abilities, dreams, and requirements. We partner with Naviance to help students through this process. Below is some insight as to how we may go about helping students find their "fit" and potentially their career:

1. Look at the Student’s Favorite Classes

Areas of academic excellence and interest are usually a good indication of what students like to do. A student interested in shop may prefer to work with his or her hands, one who loves math may want to become a scientist or engineer and one who excels in physical education might want to become a fitness trainer or a sports coach. Skills within subject areas can also be telling. Someone who excels at long history papers might translate those skills to a field that requires extensive research and analysis.

2. Consider Extracurriculars and Hobbies

Activities outside of school point to what students find fun — which can also be an important part of work. Band or music lessons signal an interest in the arts and perhaps creative endeavors that involve groups. Sports show an understanding of teamwork and strategy. Solo activities might indicate that the student would prefer a career where they can work mainly on their own.

3. Explore Study Habits and Social Skills

Does the student like or just tolerate being in class? Is she or he often tardy or skipping classes? Some people do well in a structured environment, such as an office. Others prefer a more active, looser environment, or they may not want to be in the same environment every day. These habits can help indicate whether they will thrive in a job that involves being at a desk all day, if they would prefer to work from home, if they would prefer to travel to a different environment, or if they want a job that requires them be more physically active.

4. Ask About Income and Financial Preferences

It can be hard for high school students to imagine the reality of financial income, but this is a valuable question for those who are mature enough to truly consider it. Is financial stability important to them? Or are they OK with a more freelance lifestyle? This may also help students explore the kind of studies or training they will need to get to the income level they want. Gently asking about family beliefs and habits about income and savings, where appropriate, can also offer insights.

5. Career and Personality Tests through Naviance

Assessments that measure and analyze personal preferences and aptitudes are valuable tools for narrowing a professional path. There are many career tests available online. In fact, students have some of these assessments available at their fingertips with Naviance. Naviance provides two assessments, Strengths Explorer and Career Interest Profiler. Both of these provide valuable information for students as they consider what they want to pursue after high school. See below for more information about both assessments.

Additional resources not through Naviance include personality quizzes like Myers-Briggs Type Indicator® and the DiSC® Profile, which can point to traits that reflect how and where people work best.

StrengthsExplorer® utilizing Gallup research has shown that students grow when they focus on what they do best rather than trying to improve on weaknesses. That’s the premise behind StrengthsExplorer, the Gallup assessment in Naviance. StrengthsExplorer assesses 10 talent themes for individuals and identifies each student’s three strongest emerging talents, such as Confidence, Dependability, or Future Thinker. It provides explanations of these themes, strategies for capitalizing on each, and action items to help students gain insight into their greatest talents – natural patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior – to leverage in the classroom and in life.

To find StrengthsExplorer: 1). Click on the “about me” tab at the top of your Naviance profile. 2). In the “my assessments” box, click on “StrengthsExplorer®.” 3). Click, “Okay, let’s get started” to begin.

Career Interest Profiler The Career Interest Profiler is an online career interest assessment for students based on Holland's interest codes. It allows students to complete an inventory that analyzes their own interests and pairs the results with potential career matches.

To find Career Interest Profiler: 1). Click on the “careers” tab at the top of your Naviance profile. 2). In the “what are my interests?” box, click on “career interest profiler” 3). Click, “Start Profiler” to begin.