The Odessa College Testing Center administers the following vocational tests:

• Self-Directed Search (SDS)
  The SDS is a guide to educational and career planning. It is based upon the theory that people can be loosely classified into six different groups; Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (R I A S E C). The SDS Interpretive Report has taken your code and searched a list of 1335 occupations, over 700 fields of study and over 750 leisure activities in order to print examples of each for your report.
  
  
• Do What You Are – An assessment based on the Myers-Briggs Inventory

All assessments are free of charge.

All tests results are interpreted by an Odessa College Career Counselor.

To determine what vocational testing would be appropriate for you please contact us.

Looking for work is much different now than five or ten years ago. This is true even in a strong and diversified economy. Today, one needs to take a different approach in a job search, one that is more structured and formalized.

Take time to analyze your job interests, abilities, and what it is you desire and need in a job. Consult the US Dept. of Labor's Dictionary of Occupational Titles to identify specific tasks for jobs that interest you.

It would be good if each of you would analyze your job interests, aptitudes, and what it is you want and need in a job. I would first suggest that you contact a Career/Vocational Counselor, or a Licensed Professional Counselor with expertise in the area of career counseling and request a career interest survey and vocational aptitude testing. These tests and surveys are formal standardized tests based on national statistical norms. A counselor can interpret the test results and provide the data necessary to help you make a reasonable vocational decision. Some other benefits from meeting with a professional counselor are that they will be knowledgeable about where and how to look for work, can advise you on appropriate job seeking skills, assist with resume development skills, and provide information in a wide variety of topics needed when looking for a job.

You may consider doing a self-assessment of your vocational interest and abilities. I will caution, however, that any self-assessment lacks the essential component of objectivity that one gets with professional counseling.

It is important to identify job interests, your job skills (aptitudes), and what you want and need from a job. For those of you who choose to do a self-assessment please develop three lists. The first will be a list of job or leisure activities that you have performed in the past and have enjoyed performing. You can begin with developing a very general list of activities and narrowing this list to very specific tasks. Examples of a leisure or job interest might be working with your hands to build and finish furniture or entering data into a computer. If you need help identifying specific job tasks you could consult the dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT). The DOT is a document printed by the US Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration and provides a description for over 12,000 occupations in one edition. This document can be obtained in the reference section of the local library. Developing this first list should take a considerable amount of time and thought.

Next, begin a list of job aptitudes or abilities. You may also use the DOT to assist you with developing this list. This list should be specific skills or abilities learned through school/training or learned on-the-job. An example of aptitudes or abilities might be: I learned to use inside and outside micrometers to measure the inside and outside diameter of steel rods (the aptitude is- using inside and outside micrometers). When listing aptitudes or abilities you need to be careful not to exaggerate your skills. You want to give a prospective employer a valid estimate of your abilities.

The third list, what you need and want from a job, will take more time and thought than did documentation of interests and aptitudes. Some hints to help with this section might be: What are your actual financial needs, do you need benefits, do you need benefits for your spouse and/or family, do you want vacation pay, or other forms of benefits. Our needs and wants, due to family and personal commitments,  change over time. The changing economy and the changing work force also are important factors to consider when making a vocational decision. Answers to these questions come only after careful thought and consideration.

Good luck working on your list of job interests, your job aptitudes, and your vocational wants and needs.