Career and Employment Service - on-line tools for self-appraisal and for generating career ideas
Introduction
For some, the people in their lives have a significant influence on their career choice - by informing them of particular careers and what they involve for example. Others use self-appraisal techniques to create career ideas - through analysing themselves and what they do and don’t want from a career.
All, however, will find that sources of help are available. If you are at the stage where you'd like to generate career ideas based upon a process of self analysis you may want to try at least some of the on-line tools here. At the very least you may want to choose two - and compare the outcomes.
About the tools
In most instances you will have to register to use these tools but registration is quick; free and open to all. Doing so will require you to create a user name and password and this will allow you to work through the self appraisal in instalments should you so wish. Commonly you will be asked to consider aspects that include:
Your skills: Not surprisingly. People often seek work tasks that they can do best. As a result it is important to identify the skills you have; which are most important to you and the career implications of your battery of skills.
Your values: Crucially, note that your values are likely to change over time - not least because your needs will. Whilst your values don’t influence your ability to do things they do affect how comfortable you feel doing them. They may also influence your choice of work environment and the types of work you are most likely to find rewarding.
Your interests: By this we mean your career interests. Exploring what you think might interest you in work can help you to identify relevant roles.
Your personality: Personality types can be significant to particular career areas and people are often drawn to the types outlined in some of the tools we link to.
The tools are
- Careers NZ Interactive tools - a NZ based suite of tools that help you to find roles that match your skills, the subjects you enjoy, and your interests. We particularly recommend the CareerQuest tool found here.
- Prospects Planner is a web-based package from the UK which uses information that you input on your skills, interests and values to generate career ideas for you.
- My Guide is an Australian program designed to help you to explore career suggestions.
- Windmills Interactive offers a broad range of on-line activities and exercises that could help you to focus on your skills; explore career options; answer some of the careers queries that you have and identify career areas for you to focus upon. Although a UK based programme Windmills has applicability wherever you live.
- The University of Waterloo's Career Development eManual is a useful resource from this Canadian University.
Remember too, that if you can visit any of the Career and Employment Service's resource areas other help is available to help you to generate and explore career ideas. In addition, the Service’s staff can help you to clarify the process inherent in these tools and the career ideas generated.
