Career Development Services focuses on helping you understand three important assessments:
- Your interests and how they relate to the job market
- Your personality type and how it helps you relate to others
- Understanding the three types of skills employers need.
When you have a basic knowledge of these three assessment concepts, you will be better prepared to conduct research, make good career decisions, and begin to take action that leads to your career goals.
Interests
It makes sense that if you are interested in the work you do, you are more likely to enjoy your work and look forward to working. However, it is not always easy to find work you like.
Several no-cost career interest inventories are available online. Although you must consider many additional factors when making a career decision (e.g. previous education, training, and work experience, etc.) the questionnaires are general guidelines to help you focus on how your interests relate to the job market.
Personality Type
Your personality type helps you relate to others, including potential employers and future colleagues. Many free resources are available online to help you understand your personality type.
Understanding Skills
Employers look for three types of skills: hard, soft, and portable. Work content or hard skills are unique to the occupation. For example, a carpenter has specific skills that are very different from an accountant. Carpenters measure, cut, and build. Accountants calculate, audit, and analyze.
Self-management or soft skills are in great demand because they help employees function on the job. Examples include teamwork, communication, attitude, and reliability. Every employer wants employees to have these skills, and hiring decisions are often based on soft skills.
Transferable or portable skills relate to many occupations. Examples include proficiency with basic software (e.g. MS Office), or the ability to manage appointments and deadlines using a computer (e.g. Microsoft Office). Some skills are more transferable than others.