The U.S. Department of Labor provides valuable resources for individuals and organizations looking to navigate career paths and workforce development. Among these are self-directed career exploration and assessment tools designed to empower both job seekers and those guiding them. These resources are particularly beneficial for individuals considering career transitions or students moving from education into the workforce. The publicly available Interest Profiler and Work Importance Locator serve as excellent starting points in this journey.
These tools are built upon a “whole-person” assessment approach. They assist users in identifying their work-related interests, workplace values, and abilities. By understanding these key attributes, individuals can explore occupations that align with their personal profiles. The tools seamlessly connect users to the extensive O*NET database, which details over 900 occupations, and to further occupational information available on CareerOneStop. This integration allows for a smooth transition from self-assessment to matching personal skills with the demands of various roles within the labor market.
For those seeking deeper insights, O*NET offers a series of Testing & Assessment Guides. These guides are tailored for different audiences, including employers, workforce development professionals, and individuals making career decisions.
One notable guide, Testing and Assessment: An Employer’s Guide to Good Practices, is designed to help managers and HR professionals effectively use employment testing and assessment to achieve organizational goals. It simplifies the core principles of employment testing, making it accessible for practical application.
Another guide, Tests and Other Assessments: Helping You Make Better Career Decisions, focuses on empowering individuals. It clarifies the different types of career assessments available and provides guidance on how to utilize them effectively in making informed career choices.
For workforce development professionals, Testing and Assessment: A Guide to Good Practices for Workforce Investment Professionals (December 2007), offers specific strategies for leveraging assessment instruments to foster talent development. This guide enables professionals to assist clients in exploring career options, identifying skill gaps, pursuing relevant training, and securing industry-recognized credentials. By using this resource, professionals can learn to evaluate and select appropriate assessment tools, understand administration and scoring, interpret results accurately, and adhere to professional and legal standards in career counseling and talent development.
More details about these Career Exploration Tools are available at the O*NET Resource Center tools page. Further information on the Testing and Assessment Guides can be found on the O*NET Resource Center Reports page.
