Description of Service

To help a person receiving services determine what career they would like to pursue, Capabilities staff helps the person explore a variety of career paths available based on area need and individual interests and aptitude.

Per Opportunities for Ohioans with Disabilities (OOD) guidelines, Career Exploration “is utilized to assist a participant in exploring specific employment option(s) and involves conducting informational interviews with individuals or employers who are actually performing the duties or hiring for the duties of the identified occupation to ask questions about the job tasks, training required, and salaries. The participant may also have the opportunity to job shadow and observe employees performing the job tasks associated with the identified occupation.” 

What does the Service Look Like?

Finding a career that is well suited for you and your abilities can be a challenge if you are looking for your first job, finding a new opportunity, or reentering the workforce. Through working with a Capabilities Career Consultant, you discover and explore your areas of interest by speaking with professionals working in your fields of interest. You have the opportunity to ask questions, tour facilities, and observe a variety of career paths. Learning about a typical day, required education, skills desired, schedule demands, rewarding aspects, wages and benefits, and the physical working conditions are all important factors when considering a career. You learn about all of these topics and so much more during your Career Exploration, which provides you with the foundational information to help you decide which career path is best for you.  

Benefits

For the Job Seeker: Career Exploration will provide the person with the information needed to make a more informed decision about career paths for his/her future.  

For the Employer: This provides an opportunity to assist someone in learning about a variety of career paths so that they can make an informed choice, which ensures a long-term employee versus a short-term one. This in turn helps people choose a career they want, which often leads to better retention for the employer. 

For the Funding Source: This service provides the person served with essential knowledge about their career interests so they can pursue a career path with confidence.