When should I take a career assessment?
It's a great idea to take a career assessment when you are curious, before or after completing an application for admission to college, prior to meeting with an advisor or before completing the financial aid application process for your school.
What can an assessment help me do?
Career assessments help you learn about occupations that are a good match for you. They can also tell you where you need more training or experience, identify the skills you already bring to a job and introduce you to careers you may not have considered or thought about before.
I have a lot of interests. Why does this matter when I want to find a career?
Your interests are the passions that inspire you and the ideas that you want to know more about. Using your interests to help you make your career plan lets you find a career that you will enjoy during your years of work.
I just want to take my basics, so why do I have to complete an assessment first?
To determine the basic courses for your college program, your advisor must know what career paths interest you. That's because each program may have different basics. For instance, a student who wants to be a teacher is required to complete college algebra, while a student in the Business pathway must complete statistics. By taking a career assessment, you narrow down your options to ensure that you are not taking any courses that drive up the cost and extend the timing of degree completion.
How often should I take an assessment?
You may take a career assessment as often as you feel it is needed. Some students take an assessment more than once to see if they get the same responses and results. Some retake an assessment every so often to find out how they have grown. However often you decide, it is important to remember any assessment is a guidance tool to provide direction or to support a previous decision.
Can I fail an assessment?
No, you cannot fail an assessment because it is not a test. Assessments contain questions about what you like and don't like and what is important to you.
I do not understand my results. Who can assist me?
Visit any Dallas College Career Center to meet with a career coach or a career advisor who will review and explain your results, help you discover your career path, answer any questions you might have and guide you onto the next steps of the college admissions process.