Early Career Planning & Exploration Goes Virtual

Many parents of middle and high school students find themselves comparing the limited career counseling provided at their schools with the high cost of private and individualized college and career counseling.  Thankfully, over the past couple years, new web and mobile applications have emerged that provide parents and students with greater insight into career planning and the requisite post-secondary pipelines that support those pathways. 

Whether parents and students are looking for more information on career pathway requirements or job outlooks, the tools below will help jumpstart career planning process without spending thousands of dollars on private counseling.  

I submit a pithy review of my personal top five…  Happy pathway planning…

Top 5 Early Career Planning & Exploration Applications

1. Onet Online:  

O*Net is a storehouse of career data that covers nearly 1,000 occupations in the U.S. economy.  In addition to providing updated information on career pathways, the site also provides a personalized pathway development assessment through their “My Next Move” portal.  This web application provides incredible data on nearly every career pathway in the country.

2. Sokanu:  

One of the best web application based career pathway comparison tools, Sokanu enables the user to compare nearly 900 careers through personally selected filters.  They also provide one of the better career finder tests available for free and allow the user to connect their chosen career pathway to actual open job postings.

3. Shmoop Careers:  

A fun but detailed web application that helps students find a career destination and create a plan to get there.  They provide a worthwhile career quiz and a depth of insight on hundreds of careers. Though some might find the site a bit text heavy, the information is well researched and is worth the time.

4. NerdScholar:  

A designer of cost saving tools ranging from credit cards to healthcare, Nerdscholar is dedicated to assisting students with informed decisions regarding their education.  Specifically, the FAFSA assistance tool provides a user friendly tutorial, while also providing recommendations to students with unusual family circumstances.  The website also provides college comparison and career planning tools in addition to a host of other practical resources that every college going student needs to explore.

5. College Abacus:  

Designed to be a one-stop, secure research site that enables families to compare the net price of over 4,000 post-secondary institutions, College Abacus aims to solve the mystery of the college financial aid process.  Harnessing the information in federally mandated, post-secondary institution’s Net Price Calculators, this free service enables families to project their cost of education at targeted institutions or simply identify institutions that will align with their budget.  If your career destination requires post-secondary education, this is a great site to compare your options.