Career readiness means different things to different people, but most often it refers to whether a person is ready to enter the workforce. Do they have the knowledge and skills to do the job? Some narrowly define “career ready” to minimum skills in reading, writing, Social and Emotional Learning (SEL), and technology.

Knowledge and skills are necessary but leave out an important aspect – whether a person is ready to make a career decision – career decision readiness.

We know how ready a student or client is to choose a program of study or career path when we,

• understand how they feel about their career or education direction right now,

• learn what information they need about themselves and their options, and

• identify any barriers that keep them from moving forward.

All the skills and competencies in the world won’t matter if a barrier like mental or physical health concerns, finances, or difficulties at home make it impossible to plan and take action for the future. Career Key’s 5-minute Career Decision Profile provides these kinds of holistic insights for the individual and their advisors.

This is a tricky time for SEL and holistic approaches. But what professional counselors and academic advisors know for sure is that if you don’t care for the human (see Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs), you won’t get the success outcomes you want. And we all want the same thing for our students and clients – career well-being.

Let’s not forget the holistic aspects of career readiness in our well-intentioned, necessary drive to prepare people for today’s workplace.

Career Key offers and integrates with many free and affordable research-based tools and frameworks that will help you strengthen career well-being – for yourself and those you support. Here are a few ideas…

Self-guided, valid career assessments

• 5-minute Career Decision Profile, career decision readiness inventory

• 10-minute Career Key Discovery, personality and interest inventory with a unique, holistic approach to Holland’s Theory

K12

• Career Key Map to ASCA Mindsets and Behaviors

Colleges and Universities, Workforce

• Career Key Map to NACE Career Competencies

• How to Use Gordon’s 3-I Framework with Career Key (request information for a PPT copy)

Free downloads for everyone in our Shop

• Foundation Skills for the 21st Century (just updated!)

• Strengthening Career Well-being

• How to be Happier: A practical, science-based guide, by Dr. Lawrence K. Jones, NCC