Identify what drives you and what matters most in your life and career.
💾 Your progress saves automatically. When your session ends, click Export Student File to download your work. Use Import to pick up exactly where you left off, on any device.
👤 Counselor PromptBegin by exploring what the student values most. For students who seem stuck or anxious, start with the Future Success Exercise first to shift the frame from “I don’t know” to “here’s what I’m moving toward.”
1. Future Success Exercise
Research shows that when people vividly imagine their best possible future self, they make more goal-directed decisions and are more likely to follow through (King, 2001).
Community Cultural Wealth
Research on Community Cultural Wealth shows that the values, connections, and experiences you gained from your family and community are genuine professional strengths.
Explore your Holland Code, skills, work environment preferences, and personality tendencies.
👤 Counselor PromptGuide the student to build their Holland Code by exploring which environments and activities resonate. Introduce abilities as realistic self-knowledge, not limitations, but data. OCEAN goes last and is framed as a tie-breaker for Step 4, not an identity.
Indoors / OfficeOutdoorsRemote / From HomeHospital / HealthcareSchool / CampusCommunity / FieldLab / StudioQuiet / IndependentFast-Paced / Active
4. Abilities and Physical Considerations
Color vision challengesHearing considerationsVision considerationsLimited physical strength / staminaFine motor challengesStanding for long periods difficultShift work / night hours difficultMath / numbers challengingWriting / reading challengingPublic speaking anxietyNo significant considerations
5. Your Personality Tendencies (Big Five / OCEAN)
The Big Five personality traits describe how you naturally tend to think and work. This is NOT a test. There are no wrong answers. You will use this in Step 4 as a tie-breaker, not a label.
Build a list of 3 to 7 career options to research and compare.
👤 Counselor PromptGuide the student toward 3 to 7 career options that connect to their Holland Code and values from Steps 1 and 2. Encourage breadth before narrowing.
1. Career Options Add 3 to 7 careers
Click any career card to edit. Tip: search your Holland Code in O*NET to find careers you might not have considered.
2. What I Want to Learn About Each Career
Typical salary range10-year job outlookEducation requiredDay-in-the-life activitiesEntry-level job titlesSkills neededSomeone I can talk to
Get insider perspective on what a career is really like, then evaluate options using the MAUT grid.
👤 Counselor PromptBefore filling out the MAUT grid, use the Informational Interview section to help the student get insider knowledge. Then walk through the grid together. The number is a thinking tool. The conversation around it is the real work.
1. Get the Insider Perspective
Informational Interview Guide
A 15 to 30 minute conversation with someone who works in a field you are considering. You are NOT asking for a job. You are gathering real-world insight.
Opening script"Hi [name], my name is [your name] and I am a student at Norco College exploring careers in [field]. I am not asking for a job. I am doing research. Would you be willing to speak with me for 15 to 20 minutes?"
What does a typical day actually look like in your role?
What do you wish you had known before entering this field?
What skills matter most that do not appear in job descriptions?
What is the most challenging part of this work?
How did you get your first job in this field?
Is there anyone else you would suggest I speak with?
AI-Simulated Career Deep Dive
Copy one of the prompts below into ChatGPT, Claude, or any AI tool. Treat the AI like an expert you are interviewing.
Prompt 1: The Real Day-to-Day
"I am a college student exploring a career as a [career title]. Please roleplay as an experienced [career title] with 10+ years in the field. Tell me honestly what a typical Monday looks like, the best parts, the most frustrating parts, and what people do not tell you in job descriptions."
Prompt 2: The Honest Trade-offs
"I am comparing [career 1] and [career 2]. What are the honest trade-offs between these two paths, salary trajectory, work-life balance, job security, and day-to-day fulfillment? Do not give me only positives."
Job Posting + Review Analysis
Find 3 real job postings for a career you are considering. Then read at least 5 employee reviews on Glassdoor or Indeed.
How to Use This Grid
For each combination of your values and career options, rate how well that career delivers that value (1 = poor fit, 5 = excellent fit). Weight each value by how important it is to you personally. The career with the highest weighted total is your best mathematical fit. The number is a thinking tool, not a final answer.
CASVE: Valuing
Step 5: Make a Decision
Declare your career choices and build a SMART goal that connects your decision to a concrete plan.
👤 Counselor PromptSupport the student in making a formal, named decision. Validate that this is a working decision, not a life sentence. Then walk through the SMART Goal builder one section at a time.
1. Declare Your Career Choices
Not yet declared
2. Who Will You Share This With?
Parent or guardianPartner or spouseFriendMentor or teacherCounselorKeep it private for now
3. Build Your SMART Goal
A SMART Goal is Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound. Filling in each section below builds the goal for you automatically.
S
Specific: What exactly do you want to achieve?
Be concrete. "Get a good job" is too vague. "Become a licensed registered nurse" is specific.
M
Measurable: How will you know when you reached it?
Name the credential, the degree, or the milestone that marks success.
A
Achievable: Is this realistic given where you are right now?
Name one thing that makes this possible for you specifically.
R
Relevant: Why does this goal matter to YOU personally?
Connect it to your values, your family, or your community from Step 1.
T
Time-bound: By when will you achieve this?
Set a realistic target date. A goal without a timeline is just a wish.
CASVE: Execution
Step 6: Build Your Plan
Create your education plan, career development plan, and financial reality check.
👤 Counselor PromptNow that a decision is in place, build three connected plans. Use the Financial Calculator to make the cost of the path visible and tangible. This is where abstract goals become real-life planning.
Reflect on your journey, anticipate life transitions, and build your action list for what comes next.
1. Reflecting on My Journey
I feel clearer about my directionI still have questionsThis process helped me see new optionsMy values shaped my decisionI feel more confidentI need more timeMy community influenced my choice positively
2. Anticipated Life Transitions
Graduating this yearStarting a familyMoving / RelocatingChanging jobsHealth changeFinancial changeNone anticipated right now
3. My Action Items
4. Next Counseling Session
Where you are is information, not a verdict.
Norco College Career Center • jethro.midgett@norcocollege.edu
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Career Thoughts (CTI) Level
🏫 How to Save and Resume Your Work
1. Export your student file
Click Export Student File in the top bar. A .json file will download to your device.
2. Keep that file somewhere safe
Email it to yourself, save it to Google Drive, or put it on your phone.
3. Come back any time
Open this dashboard in any browser. Click Import and select your saved file. Everything will load exactly where you left off.
4. What is saved in your file?
Everything you filled out across all seven steps. Your counselor’s private notes are never included in your file.
Add Career Option
Type a title and results appear automatically. Select a match to auto-fill all fields.