Competency Category:
Competency Series:

14.3 – Use Assessment Tools and Approaches

Purpose & Context

Career Development Professionals (CPDs) guide clients in the using a range of assessment methods (self-directed and CDP facilitated) to inform career decisions. This enables the client to have clarity on their traits such as strengths, interests, and values, explore learning and work options, and make informed decisions about career goals.Career Development Professionals will determine what assessment methods are appropriate based on the evaluation of client needs.

Effective Performance

Competent career development professionals must be able to:

  • P1. Formulate assessment options aligned with client’s objectives, considering:
    • Socio-economic context
    • Career choices and career determinants
    • Current and future labour market conditions
  • P2. Explain the purpose of assessment methods, for example:
    • Gain insights into own values, beliefs, and work preferences
    • Identify strengths and areas of improvement
    • Identify career options and possibilities not yet considered
  • P3. Present assessment approach options, such as:
    • Self-assessments, e.g. workbook
    • Standardized assessment tools and inventories, e.g. career interest, personality inventory
    • Informal assessments, e.g. dependable strengths, pattern identification exercise, mapping
  • P4. Select proposed assessment strategy with the client:
    • Describe the selected assessment(s)
    • Inform client how results will be used
  • P5. Obtain informed consent, as required, e.g. standardized tests
  • P6. Implement assessment strategies, e.g. facilitate guiding circle, administer assessment method, provide
    self-assessment tools and resources
  • P7. Review assessment findings with client
  • P8. Identify next steps with client, e.g. set a career goal
  • P9. Document interaction

Knowledge & Understanding

Competent career development professionals must know and understand:

  • K1. Career development theories and models underpinning assessment methods
  • K2. Categories of assessment methods, for example:
    • Personality inventories
    • Interest assessments
    • Abilities and skills assessments
    • Self-directed questionnaires and inventories
    • Narrative story telling
    • Structured activities, e.g. pattern identification exercises, creating mini self-portraits
  • K3. Standardized/formal assessment versus non-standardized/informal assessment
  • K4. Norms and sampling in standardized assessment
  • K5. Prediction and discrimination in standardized assessment
  • K6. Testing principles and ethical use of tests
  • K7. Cautions and limitations in the use of assessment
  • K8. Appropriate purpose/uses of assessment

Contextual Variables

Competent career development professionals must be able to perform this competency in the following range of contexts:

Clients who present with complex barriers or issues may require the support of a career development professional throughout the assessment process.

Glossary & Key References

Terms

Industry-specific terms contained in the standard defined here, where applicable.

None

Information Sources and Resources for Consideration

Standards of Educational and Psychological Testing. American Educational Research Association, American Psychological Association, National Council on Measurement in Education, 2014. ISBN 978-0-935302-35-6 Washington DC

Context Rating Scales

Criticality

Q: What is the consequence of a professional being unable to perform this skill according to the standard?

Moderate risk: CRITICAL

Frequency

Q: How frequent and under what conditions is this skill performed?

Routinely, regular course of procedure

Level of Difficulty

Q: Under routine circumstances, how would you rate the level of difficulty in performing this skill?

Moderate difficulty or complexity

Time Required to Gain Proficiency

Q: What is the average length of time or number of repeated events that are minimally necessary for an individual to become proficient in performing the skill to the standard?

A competent career development professional requires a minimum of one year of experience with at least 40 different clients, representing a broad range of individuals.

Autonomy

Practitioners typically perform this competency without supervision, and alone.

Automation

It is somewhat likely that this competency will automate.

Requisite Work Aids, Tools, Equipment or Materials

None