Key features of Tucareers Framework

In this post we further detail the features which Tucareers provides which can facilitate career exploration and decision making.

Career assessments for school, graduate/post graduate students and working professionals

Career assessments or Career Tests evaluates an individual on multiple dimensions and then compare suitability of ones profile across the world of work to recommend the best options. A multi trait career assessment as per research is superior in approach to recommendations based on a single dimension (e.g. interest, skill or work style / personality) as these often the results are ambiguous and using a single trait has constraints. As an example, individuals with a collectivist mindset will choose a career less based on his/her interest than a person with an individualistic mindset. Tucareers assessments includes the assessment of abilities, interest, work values and work style (personality traits), skill, knowledge and work context as defined by the O*NET framework. The usage of these traits in different assessments, varies and is age appropriate (as example the assessment school students only considers Interest, Abilities and Personality while for working professionals all traits are included in the assessment). A predictive framework is used to make projections for career satisfaction; life time earnings and tenures for the different occupations recommended. A model based phased approach, helps users to sytematically consider and choose between the recommended options. More details on the career assessments are available in the following post.

Career exploration models (cluster/pathway, job families, industries and specific careers) 

Before taking any decision, it is advisable to be aware of the different options we have available. Career Decisions should be no different and hence the need to have career exploration models to systematically and exhaustively look at all options. Given the vast and fast changing world of work, it is also important that the career list or a career library of options is alligned to some career standards and is kept up to date with latest information. This is one area where the Tucareers scores highly when compared to other popular frameworks which maintain propritery career lists and libraries, ranging from a few hundreds to a few thousand options. A shorter (and exhaustive) classification of options is more helpful esp. for students as it also helps to understand the world of work and one's fitment in different options in it. Career Cluster and Pathways is a popular classification that we have adopted to use with students. Clusters (16) and Pathways (79) essentialy cover occupations in the same field of work requiring similar skills. For working professionals and industry entrants we also use the Job Families (23), Sub Job Families and Specific occupations model which provides a more focused exploration to the counsellor  Detailed career pages are maintainted on the Tucareers website and these are linked from the career reports to facilitate ease of exploration. More information on the exploration model can be obtained from the career exploration section of the Tucareers website.

Search tools

To facilitate ease of discovery of information , search tools are provided for careers, courses, entrance exams and college pages. 

Career Toolbox and other utilities

Besides the career assessments, the career toolbox section of the tucareers website hosts several behavioural and aptitude assessments which can be useful for counselors. More information on the career toolbox is available in a separate post. You can also access the a career toolbox section of the Tucareers website for the available assessments. 

In the next post we look at the career assessments in more detail.