OCS 'Inventory' Helps Identify Career Goals

So what do you want to do after you graduate? If you are not sure, then the Office of Career services (OCS) may have just the test for you.

OCS administers the Strong Interest Inventory, a 317-question test which aims to help students identify their interests and provides them with a list of ten career options they should research.

"The test is not meant as a quick fix, and it isn't meant to tell students which career they should go into," said Gail E. Gilmore, an assistant director at OCS. "Rather it gives them a starting-off point for research and exploration."

Gilmore said the test is most helpful to students who do not know where their career interests lie.

She cites the example of a student who spends three years fulfilling premed requirements but then becomes unsure about whether he wants to be a doctor.

"Sometimes the students want to find out where their interests really are, and sometimes they just want official confirmation that they're headed in the right direction," Gilmore said.

Courtney T. Swain' 99 decided to take the test and is currently awaiting her results.

"I know I don't want to go through recruiting this year, but I'm just not sure exactly what I want to do," she said. "I thought the test might be helpful."

Other students expressed skepticism about the effectiveness of the test.

"I'm not exactly sure what I want to do, but I doubt that a multiple-choice test can tell me," said Jennifer S. Wagner '01. "I think this is something I'll have to find out through my own experiences in the future."

But for some, their curiosity outweighed their skepticism.

"I don't know if it would help me, but it sounds kind of fun," said Benjamin D. Tolchin '01, who said he would be interested in taking the test. "I'm curious to see what the test would tell me, but I don't think I would take its advice all that seriously."

Gilmore said an OCS advisor meets with each student before he or she takes the test to explain that the test results are merely suggestions for career options.

"The test is meant to give people a sense of occupations they should explore based on their interests," she said. "The test does not address personality or ability."

Five of the test's eight sections ask students to indicate whether they like, dislike, or feel indifferent towards various occupations, academic subjects, activities andtypes of people.

Another two sections ask test-takers to assesstheir personal character, and a final section asksstudents to indicate a preference between twodifferent activities.

Students interested in taking the test shouldcontact OCS, Gilmore said.

Those who decide to take the test do so ontheir own time and must pay a ten-dollar fee.

The completed tests are sent out to thepublisher of the test, Consulting PsychologyPress, to be scored, and results arrive back intwo weeks

Another two sections ask test-takers to assesstheir personal character, and a final section asksstudents to indicate a preference between twodifferent activities.

Students interested in taking the test shouldcontact OCS, Gilmore said.

Those who decide to take the test do so ontheir own time and must pay a ten-dollar fee.

The completed tests are sent out to thepublisher of the test, Consulting PsychologyPress, to be scored, and results arrive back intwo weeks