Job Exploration Counseling can include a variety of activities to help people explore and reach their career goals. Rehabilitation career counselors work with people with disabilities to explore their interests and abilities, short- and long-term career goals, jobs available in the local economy, and issues related to disability and employment.
Why is it Needed?
Job Exploration Counseling fosters motivation and helps people explore opportunities so they can make informed decisions about the future. Developing career awareness helps people decide on a career path and learn about the skills and requirements needed to be successful in that field.
How Does it Work?
Job Exploration Counseling might include discussions and information on the following:
Counseling on all or some of these topics can help a person identify career options and develop a plan to achieve employment goals.
Tips for Success
The job seeker should not be limited due to a disability. Interest inventories are a powerful tool and can be used as a starting point for job exploration.
Want to know more about how this employment strategy can be incorporated into your work? Check out these resources:
Featured Training
Watch webcasts to gain valuable information that will help improve employment outcomes and quality of employment for people you serve.
- Remote VR Counseling Service Provision
- Evaluating Career Self-Efficacy: Research Findings
- Social-Cognitive Career Theory: Research Findings
- Motivational Interviewing in Vocational Rehabilitation: Foundations and Fundamentals
- Motivational Interviewing in Vocational Rehabilitation: Theory to Practice
- Career Development & Employment Research in Rehabilitation
Selected Tools and Resources
These tools and resources offer information to support your practice.
Best Practices/Research
Project E3’s research summaries provide an “At-a-Glance” overview of the latest research findings, as well as recommendations for best practices and how to incorporate them in your work.
- Is Motivational Interviewing a Part of Your Rehabilitation Counseling Practice?
- Vocational Rehabilitation Strategies to Enhance Early Career Development for Young People with Disabilities
- The Impact of Employment Goals and Settings on People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities
- Understanding Employer Views on Disability and Hiring Practices
- Examining Biases to Support Employment as a Means out of Poverty
Strategy Use in Targeted Communities
Several Project E3 Communities identified Job Exploration as a strategy to improve employment outcomes for their most underserved populations. They include: