Nashville, TN
Is it foolish for you to be upset because of class disparity? Nikki says, “It’s right” for you to be upset because of class differences due to class envy. “If one class [bracket] is sucking up all of the goodies, the other class will not like that.” With this thought in mind, how will the Middle Class be maintained if our youth of today are worried about what they will do tomorrow? Will there be a Middle Class? You might say, “Of course there will be a Middle Class”, whereas I would say, “Yes, you are right, you and I.” Whoever identifies as the Middle Class currently will be the Middle Class in the generations to come, possibly. If our youth and young adults are concerned about what they are going to do with their life, what options can we assist young people with today? I like how Nikki Giovanni stated in her keynote address at the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision Bi-Annual Conference that “we are the helpers” of the youth. Her caveat however, insisted that we should not be focused on helping youngsters get a job but we should be concerned with helping young people to “solidify their value.” I’ll give you a personal example and then I will give a “Food to Swallow”. Before my nephew graduated from high school, he admitted he had no clue of what he was interested in studying in college; although he did confirm that returning back to school was a great interest of his. After doing what aunts do best, interrogating him about his future plans and finding myself getting nowhere, I began researching career surveys for him to take online. Honestly, I suggested he take the career assessments I use in my courses, so I cheated. I wanted to encourage his individuality but also give him an opportunity to begin linking his interest. Well, the first career test did not adequately represent him. The first results were based on circumstances. The last thing young people want to do is sit down and take another test. I allowed a six month time span to lapse between him and me discussing his first results and determining a direction for his future before I asked if he was willing to take two more assessments. During this time, I could detect desperation starting to overwhelm him to determine what he may be good at. After completing both Career Assessments: Strong Interest Inventory (SII) and the Myers Briggs Test Indicator (MBTI), his results illustrated a vast difference from the FOCUS career assessment he completed six months ago. I do believe we may be headed down a bright path now.
FOOD TO SWALLOW – Notice the key words used: “I asked if he was willing”, “we”, “discussed”, “assessments”. The youth of today need our support not our judgment and despotism; the youth need their strengths validated; and we need to encourage an honest citizenship. If you or someone you know is in need of discovering their dream career or direction for a career interest, I encourage you to visit the “Book” page on this site and grab a copy of “Girl, Pray For Me”. You don’t have to be a woman to pull something from the pages of “Girl, Pray For Me”. I also encourage you to visit the following links to get you started on your assessments:
The FOCUS test is available through the following link: https://www.focuscareer2.com for $18.95 if you are not affiliated with a college or university. You can purchase your own account; however, if you are a student at a college or university this assessment is a FREE self-scoring assessment and does not require any follow up with a career advisor. (Recommended for High School Students)
Assessments based on the book, “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Bolles. Career testing, career development exercises can be accessed for FREE at: https://www.jobhuntersbible.com
The FREE version of the MBTI: https://www.humanmetrics.com/cgi-win/JTypes2.asp will not be the full version, but it can be an additional resource to use. Information on each type listed can be “Googled”.
The University of Missouri’s Career Center has adapted the Strong Interest Inventory into their Career Interest Game. This is another FREE site that can be accessed at: https://career.missouri.edu/majors-careers
Though I have provided the reader with several resources in hope of supporting and encouraging individuals to identify or support individuals identifying a career direction, I strongly encourage anyone deciding to take any of the career assessments listed to research and connect with a career counselor in your area. A career counselor will provide an adequate explanation of the assessment’s purpose and the test taker ‘s results in order for the test taker to determine the best suited path to follow. For counselor educators looking for free tools to use in class, counselors needing assessments for clients, or counseling trainee’s in need of tools for training, Enjoy! If the documents do not download upon clicking, copy and paste the link into your browser.
If you are interested in receiving career counseling, please contact Dr. Fuller at drlbfuller@gmail.com
Nashville, TN
Written by: Dr. Fuller
