Getting to know yourself

A vocational assessment helps you to gain a better understanding of yourself by identifying your strengths, weaknesses, interests and aspirations. This enables you to identify your talents, better understand your career preferences and discover the areas in which you excel most.

Make informed decisions

By understanding their skills and interests, students can make informed decisions about their educational pathway and choices for their future. The vocational assessment helps them to identify the career areas that best match their aspirations and future goals.

Exploring career options

A vocational assessment allows you to explore a wide range of career options based on your aptitudes and interests. It provides an overview of the career possibilities available and opens new perspectives.

Reducing indecision

Many students are lost when faced with the multitude of career options open to them. The vocational guidance assessment helps to reduce indecision by providing clear information on the career options most appropriate to each individual.

Technique

Using coaching techniques along with ability and personality tests, the assessment aims to develop self-knowledge so that you can choose your path and build your plan for the future.

From what age is it appropriate to do a vocational guidance ?

A vocational guidance assessment is aimed at secondary school students who wish to assess their interests, skills and motivations in order to determine their pathway to higher education. We recommend waiting until the age of 16 before doing a vocational guidance. Students have a better understanding of themselves and have the maturity needed to think about their future.

The student’s commitment and motivation are vital for a successful vocational guidance. As the time for making the choice draws near, students feel directly concerned and will put in the energy needed to back up their thinking and concretely explore the suggested ideas.

Based on our experience, the best time to do this is in the penultimate year of school. The study choice is close enough to be concrete for the student, while still having plenty time to plan the admission process without stress.

Nevertheless, it is important to listen to the student; indeed, some pupils feel the need even beforehand to make plans and find a sense of purpose in their studies.

The review can also be carried out once the student has finished their schooling so that they can choose a new direction or decide on the path of their master’s degree.

How does it work?

The assessment takes place in 5 phases, including 3 interviews (in our offices or by videoconference):

• Initial interview with the student and analysis of the current situation: interests, motivations, values, skills, doubts, questions. This interview gives us an idea of the student’s personality and motivations and helps us prepare for the assessment.
• The student takes personality and ability tests on the Internet.
• Analysis of the test results with the student: the aim of this interview is to define the pathways that correspond to the student, and to build a study plan based on the student’s strengths and talents.
• Investigation of the pathways selected by the student to get a real feel for the content of the studies and the opportunities available, and to assess whether they correspond to the student’s desires and ambitions.
• Submission of the personalised report and in-depth discussion of the recommendations with the parents and the student. This final stage is carried out jointly with the student’s parents, with the aim of aligning the whole family with the student’s study plans. It is also an opportunity to draw up a concrete action plan on the next steps to be taken to ensure the students’ success.

Next steps: how to make the most of your vocational guidance assessment

With a clear goal in mind, we advise students to capitalise on their assessment and to examine the reality behind their future plan. The more students know about their aspirations, the more they will be able to put them into practice. This can be done through a training or observation period, discussions with professionals in the field of interest or simply by investigating the universities that offer these courses. This also avoids the disappointment of false expectations.

The last decisive stage will be to put together the admission applications for the selected universities. Don’t worry, EDUCOM is there to help you at every stage of the process. However, bear in mind that applications take time and preparation. That’s why we recommend that you do your vocational assessment in your penultimate year of study, so that you can concentrate your final year on university applications.

They found their path thanks to EDUCOM

“You were a fantastic help to Alexandra, to help her identify her strengths and weaknesses.

These interviews enabled her to find the focus of her university course and put aside any misconceptions we might have had. Alexandra now feels confident in deciding her future, and I have to say, so do we.” Hélène A. Geneva, Switzerland

“I’m taking the opportunity of this email to tell you how remarkable I find the work done by EDUCOM with my son Melchior. The help and advice received are invaluable. It’s a real source of comfort for us parents too.” Gervane L. Paris, France