This edition of the REACH Toolbox begins a series of articles that detail the services that are offered by the REACH Program and University Career Services to help students with disabilities achieve their career goals. Although most of these services may appear to be more general in nature, it is important to remember that all students, regardless of the presence or absence of disabilities, have exciting opportunities to explore their career interests, apply for jobs, prepare for interviews, and engage in their chosen fields of employment. Therefore, REACH and University Career Services endeavors to provide the following services to assist students for each of these phases:
- Take assessments to identify potential careers based on personality preferences and interests.
- Partner with Career Directors in respective colleges to learn about industry-specific internship/employment opportunities.
- Create a Handshake (BYU’s platform connecting students to employers) to receive opportunities tailored to specific interests and skills.
- Prepare for Career and STEM Fairs. Prepare application materials (e.g., cover letters, resumes, references, thank-you notes).
- Prepare for job interviews.
- Determine if and when disability disclosure to employers is appropriate.
- Learn strategies to request accommodations.
What are Career Assessments?
Career assessments are tools to help you better understand your interests, skills, values, or personality. University Career Services offers various assessments to help you make decisions about your career. Although the following assessments are not specifically written to account for disabilities, they may be appropriate for you because you have skills, values, and interests that are equally important to those of your peers without disabilities. In terms of career assessment outcomes, there is a misconception that assessments might tell you what career to pursue based on your identified interests, skills, and abilities. However, the results that you receive are suggestions based on other respondents who gave the same or similar answers as you might give on the assessments. Career assessments can be a great starting point to prioritize skills or interests and learn about broad careers that utilize your skills and interests.
The REACH Manager, Tyler Briggs, is certified to interpret these assessments, and he can work with you to evaluate the feasibility of your chosen employment industry and the accommodations that you may need to work in it.
Available Career Assessments:
TypeFocus
- Purpose: Assesses career interests and personality type.
- Cost: Free to BYU students.
- Taking the assessment: Visit https://ucs.byu.edu/node/196, click the “here” link at the end of the second bullet point under the “TypeFocus” heading, and register for an account.
- Results: Provided immediately and you will receive an interactive report containing links to explore potential career choices further.
Strong Interest Inventory (SII)
- Purpose: Measures enjoyment in various occupations, school subjects, personality types, and activities; indicates preference between paired activities and identifies personal characteristics; and provides detailed lists of high-interest careers based on responses.
- Cost: $10.00 (charged to your student account).
- Taking the assessment: Call University Career Services at (801) 422-3000 and provide your name, student ID number, and email address to receive a link to take the assessment online.
- Results: Schedule an appointment with the REACH Manager, Tyler Briggs, by calling (801) 422-3000 to receive and review your individualized results.
Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)
- Purpose: Measures approach to, perception of, and typical reactions to information in terms of thoughts and feelings; includes typical career strengths and challenges for personality profile; and generates career results based on personality profile.
- Cost: $17.00 (charged to your student account).
- Results: Schedule an appointment with the REACH Manager, Tyler Briggs, by calling (801) 422-3000 to receive and review your individualized report.