Career Development

Holland RIASEC Interest Assessment

A framework for matching personality types to career environments. Everyone has a combination of all six types — the dominant 2-3 form a "Holland code" that maps to compatible career families.

Use scripts/riasec_scorer.py to calculate a Holland code from user responses and get career family suggestions.

See references/riasec-framework.md for detailed type descriptions, combination interpretations, and self-assessment questions.

Skill-Will Matrix

A 2x2 framework for assessing where someone stands on a particular skill or career move:

Useful for evaluating: Should I pursue this path? Where should I invest development time? Why am I stuck?

IC vs Management Decision Framework

A structured comparison for the most common career fork:

Individual Contributor Track: Jr → Mid → Senior → Staff → Principal → Distinguished

• Increasing technical depth, scope of influence, architectural authority
• Impact through expertise, mentorship, and technical leadership
• Direct hands-on work remains central to the role

Management Track: Tech Lead → Engineering Manager → Director → VP

• Increasing organizational scope, people responsibility, strategic authority
• Impact through team building, process design, and organizational health
• Hands-on work decreases; communication and decision-making increase

Key questions for the decision:

• What energizes you more — solving a hard technical problem or helping someone grow?
• Do you measure a good day by what you built or by how the team performed?
• Are you drawn to management because you want it, or because it seems like "the only way up"?

See references/career-ladder-templates.md for detailed skill expectations per level and a structured decision matrix.

NACE Career Readiness Competencies

Eight competencies that employers consistently value, regardless of industry. Use for self-assessment and development planning:

1. Critical Thinking — Analyze information, evaluate options, make sound decisions
2. Communication — Clearly convey ideas in written and verbal form
3. Teamwork — Collaborate effectively across diverse groups
4. Technology — Leverage tools and platforms appropriately for the task
5. Leadership — Inspire and guide others toward a shared goal
6. Professionalism — Demonstrate integrity, accountability, and work ethic
7. Career & Self-Development — Proactively manage your own growth
8. Equity & Inclusion — Value diverse perspectives and create inclusive environments

Self-assessment approach: Rate each 1-5 (beginner to expert), identify the top 2 strengths and bottom 2 gaps, then build a development plan targeting the gaps with specific actions and timelines.

Career Transition Planning

For career changers — a structured approach to moving between fields:

Step 1: Transferable Skills Inventory Map current skills to target role requirements. Most skills transfer more than people expect:

• Project management → any industry
• Data analysis → any analytical role
• Client management → account management, customer success
• Teaching/training → L&D, product education, technical writing

Step 2: Gap Analysis Compare your inventory to the target role's requirements. Categorize gaps as:

• Quick fills (online course, certification, side project — 1-3 months)
• Medium investment (bootcamp, part-time study — 3-12 months)
• Long-term (degree, extensive experience — 1-3 years)

Step 3: Bridge Roles Often the shortest path isn't direct. Bridge roles combine existing expertise with target-field exposure:

• Teacher → Corporate Trainer → L&D Manager → HR Director
• Accountant → Financial Analyst → FP&A → Strategy
• Developer → Developer Advocate → Product Manager

Step 4: Timeline and Milestones Set realistic timelines with checkpoints. Career transitions typically take 6-18 months for adjacent moves, 1-3 years for major pivots.

Tools

• scripts/riasec_scorer.py — Calculate Holland code from interest ratings or rankings, with career family suggestions

References

• references/grow-model.md — Full GROW coaching questions and facilitation guide
• references/riasec-framework.md — Detailed RIASEC types, combinations, and self-assessment
• references/career-ladder-templates.md — IC and management ladders with skill expectations per level