Learn More About Career Direct

General FAQs for Career Direct® Guidance System

1. What is an assessment and how can it help me?

An assessment is a series of questions or statements that one answers or responds to that are then scored. The results are provided in a report that measures or gives feedback on the topic of the assessment. A career assessment gives information about careers and helps one make career-related decisions.

2. With all the other career assessments out there, why did you come up with Career Direct®?

Our co-founder, Larry Burkett, noted that during the many years that he was counseling families on their finances, he frequently observed people in career fields that did not match their talents and abilities. It concerned him greatly that so many people were not aware of their strengths and, therefore, were not being good stewards of their talents. This resulted in his vision for what is now Career Direct®.

3. What makes Career Direct® unique?

In Larry Burkett’s vision for helping people to be aware of their talents and abilities, he wanted to start with biblical principles of work. Although there were many assessments, few, if any, approached work from a biblical perspective. Fewer still covered all four aspects of career selection (Personality, Interests, Skills, and Values). Most only cover one or two of these areas. More than one test is usually necessary to cover all of the components of a complete personal profile. Career Direct® was developed based on biblical principles and designed to provide a full profile in one assessment report. Today, Career Direct® is still one of the only assessments that profile all four aspects of career selection.

4. How does Career Direct® compare to the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or other well-known assessments on the market?

Components of Career Direct® provide information similar to other well-known assessments which cover those components such as personality, interests, or skills. However, Career Direct® includes personality, interests, skills, values, stress, and financial management factors in one assessment, making it one of the most comprehensive assessments available.

The results from the personality portion of Career Direct® are correlated significantly with two well-known personality assessments, (Hogan Personality Assessment and Costa and McCrae’s Neo-PI), and compare favorably with results from other personality assessments such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, but is more comprehensive.

The results from the interests section of Career Direct® are correlated significantly with the Strong Vocational Interest Inventory and compare favorably with other interests-based assessments such as Campbell and the Self-directed Search.

5. How long does it take to complete the Career Direct® assessment?

The assessment itself takes from forty-five minutes to one hour on the average. Individuals utilizing all of the Career Direct® Application and Career Direct® Resources in the full Guidance System including the Job Sampler, Action Plan, Questionnaires, and Audio Instructions components will need additional time.

6. Why is a financial organization like Crown in the career guidance business?

Stewardship of talents related to work is directly related to stewardship of finances derived from work.

7. How long have you been in the career assessment business?

Larry Burkett initiated the Career Pathways program as part of Christian Financial Concepts in 1990. The program began with an assessment made up of several pre-existing assessments. After extensive research and development, the first version of what is now Career Direct® was introduced in 1995 as a paper assessment which was computer scored and printed. In 1999, the first CD-ROM version (1.8) was produced for use on individual computers. In 2003, this was revised and re-introduced with electronic documents and audio CDs in version 2.1. The Internet-based Career Direct® Complete Guidance System was released in 2006 and includes several streamlined improvements from the former CD-ROM software version.

8. How many people have taken Career Direct®?

An exact number is not possible since scoring is no longer done exclusively by the ministry; however, based on projections of individual and institutional licenses produced, it is estimated that well over 120,000 students and adults have taken Career Direct®.

9. I would like to buy additional administrations for my family. How do I do that?

Each online assessment is a one-time use assessment. Follow the purchase instructions online to purchase as many assessments as you need.

Cost

10. Why does Career Direct® cost what it does?

The cost of Career Direct® is competitively priced at $80.00 USD per assessment. The assessment is more comprehensive than most of the other career-oriented assessments, which only measure one or two dimensions. Two or more alternative assessments are usually required to cover all that is reported in a single Career Direct® assessment.

Research History - Validity and Reliability

11. How valid is Career Direct®?

The factors from the personality portion of Career Direct® were validated against and are correlated significantly with similar factors in the Hogan Personality Inventory and Costa and McCrae’s NEO-PI.

The factors from the interests section of Career Direct® were validated against and are correlated significantly with similar factors in the Strong Interest Inventory.

12. How reliable is Career Direct®?

Reliability tests are well above acceptable levels as shown in the internal consistency and test-retest reliability measures below.

Personality Section
Internal Consistency - Cronbach Alpha ranged from .86 to .94 for the personality general factor scales, and .76 to .92 for the personality subfactor scales (n = 4463).

Test-retest Reliability - mean correlation and range:

Time Frame
1 week (n = 100)
3-6 weeks (n = 166)
6 months (n = 75)
1 year (n = 50)

Personality General Factors
.91, .86 to .95
.87, .85 to .90
.84, .81 to .86
.82, .80 to .86

Subfactors

.83, .65 to .90
.78, .60 to .87
.61, .58 to .87

Interests and Skills Sections

Internal Consistency
1. Activities consist of 36 activity clusters with internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha) ranging from .78 to .93.

2. Occupations consist of 22 occupational clusters with internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha) ranging from .76 to .90.

3. Activity, Occupations, and Subject factors were combined into 21 General Interest clusters with internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha) ranging from .82 to .93.

4. Skills consist of 14 skill clusters with internal consistency (Cronbach Alpha) ranging from .70 to .90.

Test – retest Reliability - mean correlation, and range of correlations:

Time Frame -
One month (n = 166)
Six months (n = 75)
One year (n = 50)

Interests General Factors
.88, .81 to .93
.87, .70 to .93
.86, .68 to .92

13. What is the research history behind Career Direct®?

A complete description of the research and development history is found under Research and Development on the Education/Ministry/Coaching Inquiries page. Briefly, the assessment was developed over a ten-year period using standard psychometric principles and testing thousands of people. The assessment is not based or derived from existing instruments but was developed from the item level using factor analysis and other statistical analyses to develop the factors and scoring.

Uses of the assessment

14. I took the assessment a few years ago. Would it help me to take Career Direct® again?

Although the assessment is stable over time, some areas change depending on your life experiences and training and education. Before making major life decisions, it is always wise to base those decisions on the most current information.

15. Will Career Direct® tell me what job I should be in?

No, and no assessment can do that or should do that. Career Direct® will help you to narrow your choices to those that best match your personal pattern, but your specific life situations may influence the specific direction that you decide to pursue.

16. Will Career Direct® get me a job?

No, however Career Direct® will help you determine the best type of occupation to pursue and give you directions on how to proceed in your job search.

17. Who would benefit the most from using Career Direct®?

People of all ages can benefit from Career Direct® whether they are preparing for a career, entering the workforce for the first time, re-entering the workforce, or seeking to maximize their God-given talents and abilities in their current situation.

18. Are there keys points in a person’s life when you would recommend he/she take an assessment?

Certainly at the beginning of career selection is a critical time, either in high school, or early in the college experience, in order to select an appropriate college or technical school major and course of study. Before one enters the workforce, Career Direct® can help narrow the focus of jobs that will best match one’s pattern. Mid-career assessments can help to make critical mid-course corrections to help best use the prime income-earning years. And even at retirement age, it is helpful to know what options for paid or volunteer work would best use the talents and accumulated experience to benefit others and provide enjoyable and satisfying work.

Disabilities

19. Does Career Direct® help people who have disabilities?

Career Direct® has not been tested with a disability population and does not take into account any adjustments or allowances needed for particular disabilities. A qualified counselor experienced in the particular disability is the best choice for help in determining career direction.

20. I’m currently suffering from depression. Will taking Career Direct® at this time help me and provide me with accurate feedback?

Depression can affect and possibly mask accurate feedback from any assessment. Professional assistance and advice should be sought before making any major life decision in this situation.

Assistance

21. Do I need a counselor to interpret Career Direct® for me?

Career Direct® is designed to provide you with the tools you need to interpret your results. However, a coach, family member, or friend may be very helpful in assisting you to fully understand your results and to make appropriate plans for the future.

22. If I need additional assistance after taking Career Direct®, where can I get it?

If you feel that you need assistance, please refer to the Career Direct® Network of Consultants for a person in your area or one that can assist by phone at a distance. Please Contact Us for this information.

Career Direct® Network consultants have been certified by Crown Financial Ministries. CDN consultants are independent of Career Direct® and Crown Financial Ministries and charge for their services provided in person or by phone. This charge is not included in your Career Direct® purchase; CDN consultant services are optional and assistance from the Career Direct® Network is not required to receive the full benefits of your Guidance System.

23. What other tools are available to help in my career search?

Crossroads Career® provides many career search resources, including a career guide designed to help you walk through your career transition in a Christ-centered manner, an entire set of career tools and links to the best resources on the web, and a job board to find career opportunities with local employers - for free through member Network churches. Click here for more information.

Technical Support

24. If I have technical questions about the Career Direct® software, who can I ask?

Please see the Contact Us section for directions on how to reach us.

Organizational/Institutional use

25. I’m in an organization (school, church, business, private practice) that could really use Career Direct®? Do you have a version for institutions?

Yes, we do. Please see Contact Us for the appropriate contact.

References

26. Do you have references of others who have taken Career Direct®?

We do have testimonies from those that have taken the assessment, but do not have a public listing for references. Please Contact Us for your specific type of reference.

Business use

27. Could I use Career Direct® in my business?

Because of the faith-based nature of Career Direct®, its biblical references, and its inquiry into personal financial management, it is not recommended for job selection screening in the public realm. However, it is very appropriate for voluntary career enhancement opportunities provided by a company with appropriate disclaimers and explanations for its use.

Training

28. Do you offer training on how to administer and interpret Career Direct®?

We do not offer training at the present time. However, because of the ease of use and simple, easy-to-read reports, most persons trained in evaluation and counseling are able to use and interpret Career Direct® simply by using the assessment. Please see Contact Us updates in the future on this topic.

Reseller/Distributor

29. Can I become a reseller of Career Direct®?

No, we do not have reseller options at the present time.

Promotional materials

30. I know a Christian organization that could really use Career Direct®. Do you have any promotional materials like handouts or PowerPoint presentations that I could give them?

Please Contact Us and we will be glad to provide this information.

International Use

31. I live outside of the United States. May I purchase Career Direct®?

Currently, the online version of the Career Direct® Complete Guidance System is available to U.S. residents only. We are working now to make it available to all international customers. Please continue checking this Web site for availability.

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