When is a Career Assessment Not Valuable? | PathwayU

I originally published this blog in Jan of 2022.  One year later , it's even more relevant today.  Let's stop assessing students and start really guiding them.  

When a career services department grows from helping students simply find a degree track that interests them and instead uses a platform that guides students to their life purpose, they are able to give students a path that allows them to become more fulfilled both in school and eventually at work too.

When it comes to career assessments, there can be a lot of hype and misunderstanding around their value. So, when is a career assessment not valuable? Let's explore.

Where Are The Students?

Enrollment rates are on track for their largest two-year drop on record and there’s no sign of that changing. Students are thinking about the world of work. They’re scared to take on debt for a future that still seems so uncertain. If they aren’t sure of what they want to do or how they want to contribute to the world, that leads to even more hesitation.

The most concerning aspect of young adults foregoing college is the economic repercussions. The more students hesitate to seek out a path for themselves, the more our communities and economy as a whole will suffer. College isn’t the only guaranteed path to success, but it’s undeniably one of the best options we have today for expanding skill sets and empowering tomorrow’s workforce.

A career service counselor’s task is a daunting one. How do we increase retention, performance, graduation rates, and financial benefits for the institution?

To start- empower the student’s self-discovery. We need every student to be able to say, “I know how to communicate who I am, I know my value, and I know I’m a good fit for this career path”. And yes, it’s absolutely possible.

When Assessments Aren’t Enough

A traditional assessment uses questions and examples based on the general population norms to determine whether a student should seek a career in agriculture or engineering. On the one hand, It might consider what you’re interested in and perhaps where your skills are the most aligned. But does it consider how long you’ll stay in that field? Will you feel a purpose walking into your job day after day? Will you thrive in this environment for the rest of your life?

People are leaving their jobs in droves. Very few are interested in a cookie-cutter office job just to pay the bills. Our parents and grandparents took what they got and called it an opportunity but PathwayU is committed to a different kind of career empowerment. Students today aren’t interested in going into business simply because it's what their father did. They have a purpose, a passion, and PathwayU will help them find it, harness it, and succeed in it.

Furthermore, your traditional career assessments could be flat-out discriminatory. When the norms in academia reflect a very specific population, it leaves a very large gap in addressing diversity, equality, and inclusion. As universities strive to diversify their enrollment, can we really afford to be using “one size fits all” assessments?

The Game Changer: Career Guidance Platform

PathwayU is not a  career assessment but a platform that guides people towards purpose or meaning in life. We believe what you choose to do with the rest of your life should be driven by your sense of purpose, not a standardized test. We employ a criterion-based analysis that uses an unbiased algorithm to provide guidance to each unique student, to find their unique purpose.  We then compare that criterion against a career fit to connect them to a career destination. The University is then better prepared to move them toward that destination, and the student feels more empowered to succeed. We support the University’s mission, support the needs of the student, and empower both for greater economic good.

We’re here to help you create a lasting impact on your students’ lives. Ready to see PathwayU in action?  Schedule a walkthrough with one of our experts.