The self-evaluation process, developed in South Africa, is easily accessible, offers immediate feedback, links orientation to career options, crystallizes career choices and facilitates meaningful career planning and direction. The programme helps the student to identify individual values, abilities, interests and personality traits, brings them together and highlights the best career options - in order of priority.
Using an online career directory, the student can then explore in more detail, the most suitable career options as well as the required subjects/options.
The process gives students from all walks of life a potentially life changing experience. Knowing just what career direction is best suited to the student circumvents the unfortunate belief that any degree or diploma guarantees a better opportunity of getting a job. Studying in a field best suited to the student not only means more enthusiasm for that field of study, but also a substantially enhanced prospect of completing the study period and achieving excellent grades.
The earlier the process of self-evaluation is done, the better the results will be and to make the process accessible to all, the website designers suggest that companies adopt the process as part of a social responsibility undertaking and sponsor senior students/graduates in schools, particularly in underprivileged areas.
The tool also has great potential for testing applicants for internships, bursaries and learnerships and for such diverse undertakings as large companies offering sponsorship of the process for schoolchildren or staff member's children as a company benefit.
The site was launched on Madiba's birthday and has offered the process, free of charge to all matriculants of one of the schools adopted by Radio Highveld.
For more, go to www.careernavigator.co.za.
