614-404-0646
Guided Self Assessment
Approaching the future with confidence and clarity
A powerful “career-minded” tool
Opening a student’s eyes to careers and majors and how they fit their own strengths, interests, values, and skills.
Available to students in second semester of grade 10 and up
Headquartered in Central Ohio, At The Core has served families nationwide since 2012. We support families via online technology across the United States (with the option of face-to-face in Central Ohio and parts of Michigan.)
Because of the high cost of college today, going without a plan is risky
1 out of every 3 students change their major at least once
Guided Self Assessment was created because students don’t know how to do this thinking. They need a professional to walk them through – to teach them – the self assessment process.
Your child can do something tangible in high school to clarify their choices and have a surer footing going into college and career.
The process has been described by students as:
Students describe our conversations as:
Schedule your family’s 30-minute, no-obligation meeting to see if it’s right for you.
If you don’t see a date/time on our calendar that works for your family, please click to email our coordinator to find a date that works for you.
NOTE: we kindly ask that your student be at the meeting with you. The success of the process requires their understanding of what it is and is not.
An At The Core facilitator will be in contact soon about meeting via online technology (or in a Central Ohio coffee shop.)
Speed is not our goal – our process is built to take time. Guided Self Assessment is a “verbal journey.” We are kind of the antithesis of a quick-hit 40 question quiz that spits out an answer. We INTEND for the process to take time. There is VALUE in consideration and “mindfulness.”
–Beth Probst, Founder and CEO
Why does anyone go to college?
Students tell us they go to college “to get a better job.” If a specific job is the goal, the sooner good clues and a sound foundational knowledge about themselves can emerge, the better.
Our process guides them through important thinking now to give them confidence and clarity.
Do 10th & 11th graders need to think about jobs now?!
“You can’t really think my teen is ready to talk about careers!” You know what? Most of them really are. They know decisions are ahead, and they hear other kids start making bold statements about their career plans.
Some of our popular blogs about the process:
- Choosing a Major, Picking a Career, Understanding Yourself: We Have a Tool for That
- Teens picking careers?! Preparing your teen for effective career exploration and college major selection
- Heading to College with “Clarity and Confidence”
- When is your kiddo “in the groove?” Self Knowledge and Career Thinking
But Guided Self Assessment is about more than just figuring out a future career.
Success for our children is built on a foundation of self knowledge and the ability to leverage that knowledge for strong decision-making.
This knowledge (and use of it) gives a student confidence and clarity to make future decisions about the college they attend, the major they choose, the learning experiences they pursue, and the first career on the horizon.
As one of our students said:
“It is more than just choosing a college or college major. It’s a lifetime worth of valuable skills learned.”
High school students have three choices ahead: major, college, and career.
Guided Self Assessment can be a game changer so students can make better choices. The process is unique and comprehensive.
Our experienced facilitators guide the student through five one-hour, one-on-one casual interviews to draw out this information. Each student is paired with a single “matched” facilitator for the process, and that facilitator is only working with that single student. There are no group sessions.
Our team analyzes all their input, making connections, and reasonable conclusions. We report to the family all the findings, including a list of potential careers to explore and a customized set of next steps.
The process culminates with the student and facilitator beginning career exploration and research. Students will learn how to take specific actions to investigate careers and feel more confident to take the next steps (college, career) with this knowledge in hand.
We are honored to walk alongside each family on this journey!
Click to see what others have to say about Guided Self Assessment!
Questions? Need more details? Visit our FAQ page, give us a call at (614) 404-0646, or drop us an email.
What is the real value to this process?
- Students actively consider experiences, guided by an engaged & independent 3rd party. (Because students need enough experiences, we suggest the process starts second semester of 10th grade at the earliest.)
- Students are able to sort and sift, question and ponder with an unbiased guide skilled in the art of interviewing
- Students spend time thinking about themselves, a very important deliverable in this process.
- Understanding their strongest traits will assist with choices, interviews, essays, etc.
- Potential savings of an extra year in college! Indecision leads to transferring or changing of majors – not to mention lost wages/retirement savings.
- Helps the student develop their criteria for building their college list.
- Lays the groundwork for effective career exploration activities.
- Students gain the knowledge, experience, confidence, and tools to research careers and conduct informational interviews with professionals.
Guided Self Assessment
At a glance….
- FIRST, click to schedule your family meeting to learn more
- Five one-hour interviews with student to navigate the far reaches of their experiences, aspirations, and uncertainties (via online technology with the option of face-to-face in Central Ohio and parts of Michigan.)
- Minor homework in between
- Facilitators analyze, research, and collaborate
- Student reviews the draft of results
- Facilitator’s report includes resources tailored to your student – including next steps for career exploration
- Family meeting (90-120 minutes) to review the report.
- Three additional sessions to receive further instruction researching careers of interest.
- The facilitator will help the student identify a professional in a career of interest and help them make the connection with that professional so the student can conduct an informational interview. In a debrief session with the student, they will talk about what they learned.
IDEAL TIME: Second semester sophomore or junior year, but it works for slightly older students too!
Schedule your family’s 30-minute, no-obligation meeting to see if it’s right for you:
If you don’t see a date/time on our calendar that works for your family, please click to email our coordinator to find a date that works for you.
NOTE: we kindly ask that your student be at the meeting with you. The success of the process requires their understanding of what it is and is not.
An At The Core facilitator will be in contact soon about meeting via online technology (or in a Central Ohio coffee shop.)
What some past students have to say about Guided Self Assessment…
“By taking simple questions and going so in depth, At The Core was able to recognize things I had never thought of before.”
“This process was different than any aptitude test or discussion with my guidance counselor…”
“I want families to know that having that facilitator support answers the questions where do I go from here and got me going in the right direction.”
“The interview process was exciting. I was eager to find some potential career paths and I was able to find some that I had never thought about before.”
“Way more fun and casual than I thought it would be and helped me learn so much about myself.”
“I feel motivated, open-minded, and excited about my future and how I can use my strengths and interests to find a career that I love and am passionate about.”
“I was able to conduct deeper research into a career–alongside my facilitator–keeping my career fit factors in mind.”
“I am a busy high schooler. Having that accountability partner (my facilitator) to guide the career research was valuable. My next informational interview will be smooth sailing because of their support.”
You work so hard to provide your children with what they need to succeed!
At The Core offers a solution for the particular challenges you are facing.
Find that common understanding of what is important to your student!
Schedule your family’s 30-minute, no-obligation meeting to see if it’s right for you:
An At The Core facilitator will be in contact soon about meeting via online technology (or in a Central Ohio coffee shop.)
Questions? Visit our FAQ page, give us a call at (614) 404-0646, or drop us an email.
Is your student younger than a sophomore?
614-404-0646