Potential Magazine Winter 2016 | Page 66

WHAT’S YOUR DREAM JOB? Trying to find your place in the world? Need some help identifying careers that match your skills and interests? The ASVAB Career Exploration Program (CEP) allows you to explore the world of work, rather than limiting your exploration by prescribing a specific career. WHAT ARE MY SKILLS? The ASVAB assesses your ability to learn new skills and is a predictor of success in training and education. Test areas include science, English, mathematics, and mechanical comprehension. WHAT ARE MY INTERESTS? The FYI (Find Your Interests) is an interest inventory based on John Holland’s theory of career choice. The relationship between your interests and your career choice is very important. WHICH CAREERS MATCH MY SKILLS AND INTERESTS? The OCCU-Find is a career exploration tool that helps you quickly identify satisfying careers. Students have an all-access pass to a wealth of job related information—over 400 occupations are sortable alphabetically, by interest code, skill, or career cluster. MYTHS AND FACTS MYTH: The ASVAB program is ONLY for students interested in the military. Fact: As military personnel serve as proctors during the exam, the test is often associated only with the military. Last year, over 700,000 students tested – 18% expressed military interest. • 53% intended to pursue post-secondary education • 4% were going directly to work • 25% were undecided about future intentions. MYTH: Students are directed to military occupations. Fact: Students explore careers individually. As a Department of Defense program that supports military recruiting, we do include military careers in our OCCU-Find tool. A student’s dream job may be a military career! However, with over 1,000 careers to explore— regardless of where your dreams and aspirations take you—the ASVAB CEP can help you find your path! Visit www.asvabprogram.com or call your local representative at 1-800-323-0513 to learn more. 34 IMAGE COURTESY OF THE UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS ACING THE ASVAB If you want to enlist in the armed forces, you will be required to take the ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery) to determine the career that best fits your abilities. The ASVAB is key to your placement since certain jobs require a certain minimum score, so don’t take it lightly! Just like any other test, you should prepare. Here’s what you need to know: WHAT DOES IT COVER? The ASVAB is comprised of four categories: Mathematics Knowledge, Arithmetic Reasoning, Paragraph Comprehension, and Word Knowledge. HOW SHOULD I STUDY? You can buy study guides, bookstores and online, but you can also talk to your recruiter about how to prepare. You may also find it helpful to talk to others who have taken the test. Popular Study Guides: • The ASVAB for Dummies • Master The ASVAB Basics • 30 Days to the ASVAB • The Pass Key to the ASVAB ASVAB Study Apps: • ASVAB Mastery (iTunes) • ASVAB Test (Android) CAN I RETAKE IT IF I DON’T DO WELL? Yes. If you feel you didn’t do your best or didn’t score high enough for your desired c