Self-Assessment: Resources & Tools

There are many resources available to you at UC Berkeley to help with the self-assessment phase of your career development planning. These include workshops, individual career counseling, books, and online tools.

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Click on the appropriate item for more information.

Workshops

The Center for Organizational and Workforce Effectiveness, through a partnership with Counseling and Psychological Services and Human Resources, offers free staff career development workshops. These services are offered to help staff in building a career on campus by developing a plan to connect personal interests and abilities with career opportunities available at the University. All workshop and enrollment information can be found at the UCB Learning Center, accessible through blu. PRE-REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED.

  • Introduction to Career Planning (BECAR001)
    Start here to clarify your career planning needs and learn about campus resources that can help you achieve your career goals and increase your career resilience at Cal. Attendance at this workshop is recommended prior to attending the other career workshops and services.
  • Exploring Career Interests with the Strong Interest Inventory (BECAR101)
    The Strong Interest Inventory is used to clarify prominent career and work interests. These themes will be discussed and related to job families and career opportunities on the UC Berkeley campus NOTE: There are pre-work requirements; see details online at the Learning Center.
  • Assessing Personality Type and Your Career with the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (BECAR102)
    The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) can help you understand your preferred work style and how it relates to specific careers and work roles. A clearer understanding of these can be beneficial to achieving higher career satisfaction. NOTE: There are pre-work requirements; see details online at the Learning Center.
  • Understanding Your Work Related Values (BECAR103)
    Identifying and clarifying your most important values is fundamental in career planning. This workshop will focus on clarifying your personal career values.
  • Identifying Your Vital Skills (BECAR104)
    This workshop will focus on helping you identify your skills, including those you enjoy using most and those you would like to develop further in your career at UC Berkeley. Campus resources for learning and/or developing skills will be discussed.

Individual Career Counseling Program for UC Berkeley Staff

Career counseling allows you to explore the world of work and educational opportunities and to plan goals you can achieve. The counseling process often leads to personal insights and growth, which will help you maximize the resources and opportunities available to you at UC Berkeley. The Center for Organizational and Workforce Effectiveness's career counseling program, housed at Counseling and Psychological Services (CPS) in the University Health Service, provides assistance to staff and faculty who wish to clarify career questions and to plan sound and attainable career goals. The program involves a process of assessment and self-exploration that will lead to a better understanding of interests, skills and goals and, ultimately, increased ability to make meaningful career decisions at UC Berkeley. It includes up to four personal interviews, career testing, and assistance in accessing information and resources to help you achieve your career goals. The personal and confidential nature of the meetings will be respected at all times.

This counseling program is staffed by a multicultural group of professionals with training in career development, career counseling, vocational psychology, and related fields - counselors who can offer meaningful assistance in helping you address the opportunities and challenges in career planning.

How to Schedule an Appointment

If you are interested in meeting with a counselor, please download the Career Counseling Request Form  (PDF). Fax the completed form, along with a copy of your resume, to (510) 642-2368 or drop off/mail to:

Counseling & Psychological Services
University Health Services
Tang Center, 2222 Bancroft Way
Berkeley, CA 94720-4300
Attn: Staff Career Program

After completing and submitting the form, call (510) 642-2367 to schedule your first appointment with a counselor.

Books

  • Invaluable: The Secret to Becoming Irreplaceable, Dave Crenshaw, Jossey-Bass, 2010.
  • Life Matters: Creating a Dynamic Balance of Work, Family, Time & Money,A. Roger Merrill and Rebecca R. Merrill, McGraw-Hill, 2003.
  • Love It Don't Leave It: 26 Ways to Get What You Want at Work. Beverly Kaye & Sharon Jordan-Evans, Berrett-Koehler, 2003.
  • What's Your Type of Career? Unlock the Secrets of Your Personality to Find Your Perfect Career Path, Donna Dunning, Davies-Black, 2001.

Online Tools

Assessment is a great way to begin your career exploration, and you can get started right here with your choice of assessment tools available on the web.

Different assessments focus on different areas, such as:

  • Interests/Skills
  • Personality
  • Values

Most assessments we have listed below are free, but some require fees ranging from $10 to $75. The fee range can depend on the version of the test you take, whether you receive telephone, e-mail or personal counseling (and for how long), or if you opt to take several tests bundled together. Most don't require a follow-up discussion with a counselor. The exception is MBTI, which requires certified providers to interpret and discuss the results with test takers.

Note:Assessment tools run the gamut from personality tests to inventories of your skills and values. Each can provide useful insight about careers and alert you to possibilities you may not have considered. To gain a better understanding of who you are, counselors suggest taking several kinds of assessments and comparing the results.

Before you use any of these tools you may want to read:
"How Can Taking An Assessment Help Me?"

Interests & Skills

Personality

Transferable Skills

  • Skillscan (Identify your transferable skills - $Fee)

Values

  • Career Key (Interests, skills, values, and self-image)
  • Elevations (Interests, skills, personality, values - $Fee)

One-Stop sites