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Choosing a career and finding a job can seem overwhelming. The process requires you to make some important decisions about the type of work you like to do, the type of environment you prefer, work schedules and location. You will also need to determine whether or not you already possess the work skills or will need to enroll in a training or education program in order to gain them.
There are many resources that can help you to answer those questions. You will find them listed below. There are two resources that you can use to help you determine your interests and/or investigate training programs and work demand that are fairly comprehensive. We recommend you use these resources in conjunction with a vocational counselor who can help you understand the results.
WOIS is a private, nonprofit organization that researches and distributes information
about Washington careers, schools and training programs. They are located in Olympia,
Washington and have been serving their community of users for over 30 years. They
include assessments on Career Interest Areas, Interest Profiler, Skills Assessment
and Work Importance Locator. You will need a site key to use this site. Ask any
center staff to assist you with this.
The Strong Interest Inventory ® is a computerized assessment that measures your
interests. The cost to take the inventory is $25.00. After you have taken it, you
will schedule an appointment to review the results with a trained professional.
Once you know your interests, you can explore career options, education, and training
that are more consistent with your interests. The inventory will help you to better
understand your preferred learning environments and leadership, risk taking, and
teamwork preferences.
The process doesn’t have to be overwhelming. By following the steps outlined
below, finding the right career and the perfect job will be easier.
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Know and understand your interests, skills and aptitudes
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Locate information about economic projections and regional outlook for a given
job or trade
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Conduct an effective job search
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Research companies
Know and Understand Your Interests, Skills and Aptitudes
Are you exploring your career options? Are you not quite sure what direction
you would like your career to take? Take a career assessment test tk help
determine how your skills and interests match a career or training program that
meets your needs. Click on the following links to take a quick and free career
interest test.
www.myfuture.com
www.learningchoices.com/assessments.htm
www.humanmetrics.com
Locate Information about Economic Projections and Regional Outlook
Once you have taken an assessment test or if you are sure you know where your
interests lay, link to one of these websites to see what kind of outlook there
is for your chosen field.
Links to National and Local Occupational Projections:
www.acinet.org
www.bls.gov/oco/home.htm
http://online.onetcenter.org
www.wilma.org/wdclists/
http://www.wa.gov/esd/lmea/occdata/2year/king2yr.htm
www.workforceexplorer.com
www.jobweb.com/joboutlook/
Conduct an Effective Job Search
If you are ready to begin your job search, in addition to job leads provided by
the Student Success Center, the following websites can provide you with local
as well as national employment opportunities.
www.nwsource.com
www.todays-careers.com
www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/careeropp/main.html
www.wsrenton.org
www.monster.com
access.wa.gov
www.quintcareers.com/
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