Vocational Evaluation: The Roadmap to Your Vocational Success

As we look forward to the year up ahead, it’s the perfect time to start thinking of fresh starts and new beginnings. When it comes to a new career path, Vocational Evaluations can be just the roadmap you need. As Jenn Anken explains below, Vocational Evaluations can serve as a guide by combining your interests, abilities, challenges, and experience into a detailed, individualized map. To learn how Vocational Evaluations can help you start the year off strong and give you the tools and steps needed to pursue your career goals, read more below.  

Imagine you are traveling down a road.  You aren’t sure what your destination is, but you continue driving, almost aimlessly.  Or maybe you have an idea where you would like to be, but you aren’t sure how to get there – because you don’t have access to a roadmap.  Now imagine encountering someone along the way who listens to the story of your unique journey and works with you to not only find a destination where you want to be, but also provides a detailed map with steps and tools to reach that destination. You now have the confidence that you will reach the destination that is right for you. 

Finding your vocational path and reaching goals that are unique to you isn’t unlike the journey described above.  It can be a challenging and daunting task. Maybe you are unsure of your vocational goals, or maybe you aren’t sure how to get to where you want to be.  No matter where you are on this journey, you don’t have to figure it out alone.  A vocational evaluation, a service that can be referred by your Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor (VCR), is designed to provide you with the detailed map and guidelines you need to reach your vocational goals.  Your evaluator will meet with you to discuss your interests, abilities, vocational and educational history, and learn of any challenges, disabilities, and barriers to employment you may have. Testing may also be conducted to learn more about your vocational interests and academic and cognitive abilities. Depending upon the type of evaluation your VRC feels best suits your needs, you might explore jobs of interest to you within your community or spend part of a day with the evaluator working at one of our partner businesses in your community. Once the evaluation is complete, the evaluator compiles all the information you provided, along with test scores and observational data, and works to develop a comprehensive report – the roadmap – which provides clear recommendations to reach your vocational goals, along with workplace accommodation ideas, and tools to help you overcome any barriers to employment you currently face. Once the report is complete, your VRC will receive the report and make arrangements to discuss it and the next steps with you.  If you have any questions regarding the report, you can request your VRC schedule a meeting between you, the evaluator, and the VRC to provide clarification.  

Our team of experienced vocational evaluators are ready to assist you in identifying and reaching your vocational goals.  We look forward to working with you and are excited to be a part of your journey to success.  

To learn more visit https://employu.org/vocational-evaluation/  or contact us below.