The U.S. Department of Labor has released a set of self-directed career exploration / assessment tools to help workers consider and plan career options, preparation, and transitions more effectively. They also are designed for use by students who are exploring the school to work transition. The Interest Profiler, and Work Importance Locator are now available.

Each of these tools is based on a "whole-person" assessment concept. The tools will help individuals identify their work-related interests, what they consider important on the job, and their abilities in order to explore those occupations that relate most closely to those attributes. Users of the tools may link directly to the more than 900 occupations described by the O*NET database, as well as to occupational information in CareerOneStop, thus making a seamless transition from assessing their interests, work values and abilities to matching their job skills with the requirements of occupations in their local labor market.

More information on the set of Career Exploration Tools may be found at the O*NET Resource Center tools page.

O*NET Testing and Assessment Guides

The O*NET team has also developed a series of Testing & Assessment Guides:

Testing and Assessment: An Employer's Guide to Good Practices

This Guide can help managers and workforce development professionals understand and use employment testing and assessment practices to meet their organization's human resources goals. It conveys the essential concepts of employment testing in easy-to-understand terms.

Tests and Other Assessments: Helping You Make Better Career Decisions This Guide is designed to help individuals better understand the different types of career assessments and how to use them in making career decisions.

More information on the series of testing and assessment guides is available from the O*NET Resource Center Reports page.

Testing and Assessment: A Guide to Good Practices for Workforce Investment Professionals (December 2007)

This Guide helps workforce development professionals effectively use assessment instruments to promote talent development. Appropriate use of assessments enables workforce professionals to assist clients in exploring career options, identifying skill gaps and education needs, applying for appropriate job openings, and obtaining industry recognized credentials. Using the guide you can:

  • Evaluate and select assessment tools/procedures for career exploration, skill identification, knowledge demands, and career readiness;
  • Learn about administration and scoring of assessment tools to meet business and individual client needs;
  • Interpret assessment results accurately and effectively; and
  • Understand professional and legal standards related to assessment use in career counseling, training, and other talent development activities.