1.
HELPING CLAIMANTS MAKE
EDUCATED CAREER AND
JOB TARGET DECISIONS
PRESENTED BY:
MARSHALL J. KARP, MA NCC LPC
CAREER COUNSELOR

2.
What are We Up Against?
Injured Workers Pain
No Job Medication
No Money Depression
Financial Worries System
Losing Possessions Concentration
Relationships Going Fear

3.
Career & Job Target Workshop
 Why do career assessment?
 What is a good assessment?
 How to do basic assessment?
 How to make educated career decisions

4.
Why do assessment?
 Improvement
 Accountability
 Goals and Plans

5.
Improvement
 Determine where they are at
 Set timeframes
 Achievement

6.
Sun Tzu
 If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need
not fear the result of a hundred battles.
 If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every
victory gained you will also suffer a defeat.
 If you know neither the enemy nor yourself,
you will succumb in every battle.

7.
Accountability
 Meeting Expectations
 Clear and Understandable Guidelines

8.
Goals and Plan
 Need to Know Where the Finish Line Is
 Plan Out the Work
 Work the Plan

9.
What is assessment?
Assessment is a systematic process of looking at
client achievement by gathering, interpreting and
using information for improvement.

10.
Basic Vocational Assessment
 Verbal
 Written

11.
Verbal Assessment
 What do you want to do?
 Describe your
background/experience/training?
 Why aren’t you doing this?
 Set objectives
 If a realistic and feasible job target, no need
for written assessment
 Set this as a goal

12.
Written Assessments
 Identify potential client goals
 Collect, analyze and interpret data
 Develop a direction in writing
 People are enamored with assessments

13.
The 3 Laws of Unemployotics
A term coined in late 2010 to describe the
study of the reasons for the long term
unemployed.

14.
The 3 Laws of Unemployotics
A term coined in late 2010 to describe the
study of the reasons for the long term
unemployed.
I coined it

15.
The 3 Laws of Unemployotics
 Improper Job Search Technique
 Element of Choice
 Long, Nasty Job Hunt

16.
Job Search Technique
 Lack of Job Hunting Fundamentals
 Traditional Versus Non-Traditional
 Good Economy Versus Bad Economy
 Waiting for Rescue
 Why Bother?

17.
Element of Choice
 Voluntary
 Non-Voluntary

18.
Long, Nasty Job Hunt
 Doing Everything Correctly
 Really Trying
 Encourage Along

19.
Basic Vocational Assessments
 Interest Inventory
 Transferable Skills

20.
Interest Inventory
 Holland Self-Directed Search
 Matches Interest Areas to Job Titles
 Generates Ideas
 Generates Discussion
 Taking a Step
 People are enamored with assessments

21.
Transferable Skills
 Portable Traits and Characteristics that Move
from Environment to Environment
 Often Referred to as “The Basics”

22.
Transferable Skills Scale
 Breaks Skills Areas Into Categories
 Matches Categories with Job Titles
 Useful with Interview Skills
 Useful with Resume

23.
O*NET Career Interest Inventory
 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational
Information Network
 Matches interests to job titles

24.
Assessment Goals
 Consistency
 Ideas
 Discussion
 Self-Direction
 Self-Motivation
 Realistic and Feasible Goals

25.
Ultimate Goal
 Develop a Written Ideal Job Description
 Interests
 Transferable Skills
 Physician’s Restrictions
 What is it?

26.
 Car  Great
 Test  Single
 Green  Jelly
 Zero  Season
 Paper  Tree
 Up  Window
 Gross  Lion
 Search  Share
 Down  Purple

27.
 Car  Great
 Test  Single
 Green  Jelly
 Zero  Season
 Paper  Tree
 Up  Window
 Gross  Lion
 Search  Share
 Down  Purple

28.
 Car  Great
 Test  Single
 Green  Jelly
 Zero  Season
 Paper  Tree
 Up  Window
 Gross  Lion
 Search  Share
 Down  Purple

29.
What If No Realistic Goal?
 Indicator of Possible Field
 Need to Find Entry Level Position
 Ask for Ideas
 Post Job Description on Internet Forums
 Beyond the Basic Level of this Workshop
 Referral to Career/Vocational Specialist

30.
Career Exploration
 Books
 Internet
 Information Interviews

31.
Books
 Occupational Outlook Handbook
 Dictionary of Occupational Titles
 O*NET
 Career Books
 Reference USA

32.
O*NET
 U.S. Department of Labor Occupational
Information Network
 http://www.onetonline.org/
 Hundreds of Occupation Descriptions
 Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
 Replaced Dictionary of Occupational Titles

33.
Internet
 Google Searches
 www.bls.gov/oco
 Occupational Outlook Handbook
 LinkedIn
 U.S. Department of Labor
 http://lmi.state.oh.us
 ODJFS Labor Market Information

34.
Caution
 Never base a career or training decision on book
or internet labor market information

35.
Employment Projection Limitations
 Employment projections are based on assumptions
about economic and labor force growth. These
assumptions reflect long-term trends, but because the
economy is affected by unforeseeable events,
assumptions and projections are subject to error.
 Assumption - The projected U.S. economy will be at
approximately full employment
 http://www.bls.gov/opub/hom/homch13.htm

36.
Employment Projection Limitations
 Updated biennially
 As with all forecasts and projections, Labor Market
Projections are subject to error, especially if events
negate underlying assumptions.
 http://ohiolmi.com/proj/projections.htm

37.
Never Base Career Decision on Trends
 1960s – Math, Science, Engineering
 1970’s – Solar, Wind, Gasohol
 1980s – Teaching
 1990s – Computers, Y2K
 2000s – Internet, Telecommute, Security
 20--s – Healthcare, Green Energy, Fracking

38.
Never Base Career Decision on Trends
 Trends Come and Trends Go
 The Winds of Politics Blow Hot and Cold
 Timing is Everything
 Those Finishing are in the Drivers Seat
 Those Starting Out are in the Back Seat
 Multiple Education and Degrees Symptom

39.
Making Educated Decisions
 Direct Labor Market Survey
 Information Interviewing

40.
Information Interviewing
 Talking to people to research the job or career
 Always have questions prepared in advance
 Stress this will help make a career/training
decision
 Get names of two other people
 Always send a thank you note

41.
Questions
 What skills are important?
 What personality traits are important?
 What training/school would you suggest?
 How many employees do you have?
 How often do you hire here?
 Is this industry expected to grow?
 Starting salary and after one year?
 What are the physical requirements?
 Names of two other people?

42.
Look for Consensus
 People in the field are considered subject matter
experts
 Do five information interviews and look for
consistency
 Continue to do information interviews until a trend
develops
 Verify!

43.
Making Educated Decisions
 Labor market information is crucial
 Need to know what to expect when done
 Get subject matter experts to lay out the
training/school

44.
Effective Performance Documentation
 Relate to goals
 Focus on the vital few elements to measure
 Foster improvement
 Are well communicated and measurable
 Are reviewed as often as appropriate
 Provide information on level, trend and
comparative/competitive data
 Focus on the long-term well-being of the client

45.
Achievement Blockers
 Fuzzy goals or action strategies
 Incorrect focus
 No agreement on priorities

46.
Assessment
Reveals the Gap
Client Start Point
Bridgeing the Gap
Client Goal

47.
Effective Career Planning
Closes the Gap
Client Start Point
Client Goal

48.
Identify Strategies for Change
 What will you do to reach goal?
 Which program elements could assist?

49.
Remember
 Be flexible, adaptive and prepared to adjust
to change
 There will always be problems
 Things always change (mandates, circumstance,
personal priorities)
 View assessment and goals as an evolutionary
process

50.
Bibliography
 Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor, Occupational Outlook
Handbook, 2009-10 Edition
 The O*Net Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Jist Works, Inc. Indianapolis, IN.
1998
 U.S. Department of Labor, Dictionary of Occupational Titles, Jist Works, Inc,
Indianapolis, IN. 1991
 What Color Is Your Parachute?: A Practical Manual for Job Hunters and
Career Changers, Richard N. Bolles, 2010
 JIST Inc. – (800) 648-JIST
 Handouts are at www.marshalljkarp.com
 Handouts are at www.slideshare.net/marshallkarp

51.
NEED MORE
INFORMATION?
Marshall J. Karp MA NCC LPC
Career Counselor
marshallkarp@hotmail.com