Learn
The State of Alabama has partnered with Kuder to provide the Alabama Career Planning System (ACPS) to students in Alabama middle and high schools. This unit uses the ACPS (sometimes referred to as Kuder or Kuder Navigator) for several assignments. If you have never used the ACPS or do not have a ACPS login, it is important that you speak with your school counselor as soon as possible to get the information needed to create a new account (school counselors are usually the key contact for this information). Sometimes an email to your school counselor will get you the info quicker (instead of waiting until you have free time during your school day).
You will need the following information from your school counselor to get ACPS access:
- Kuder Navigator Activation Code (a new one is used every school year) and/or Your Student State ID number, or
- a Clever login
If you have used this system prior to this year, you will continue to use the login you used before this class. If you have forgotten your login information, your school counselor can provide this information.
If your school does not have access to ACPS/Kuder, please tell your ACCESS Career Preparedness instructor immediately what career planning system your school uses. If you do not know, ask your facilitator and/or school counselor to assist you.
Alabama Career Planning
The Alabama Career Planning System provides you with career and academic planning resources that will help you visualize your future. Once you have gotten access to ACPS, you will take three short assessments that will help you evaluate your skills, interests, and values. This jumpstarts and personalizes all the incredible tools the ACPS provides you.
Before the assessments appear, you will be asked to select your education preference. Select the highest level of education you wish to achieve; then choose Take Assessment. Also, it’s important that you are honest and accurate on each question to get a true understanding of your interests, skills, and values. Your results will influence the rest of this unit, so let’s be sure it truly reflects who you are.
- Career Interests Assessment: – This assessment will find out what types of things you like to do.
- Skills Confidence Assessment: – This assessment will find out what you are good at.
- Work Values Inventory: – This assessment will help determine what types of things on the job are important to you.
To get started go to the Alabama Career Planning System website (al.kuder.com). It’s probably a good idea to save it to your bookmarks. If you have never used Kuder Navigator before, here are instructions for registration.
Factors Impacting Career Choice
There is rarely one factor that makes someone choose one career over another. Usually there are many factors that come into play. Here are some of the most common factors that impact career choice:
- Salary: This one seems to be the big one, but why then, do so many people choose to be teachers? It's not for the salary, so maybe salary isn't quite as important as many people think.
- Education and Training: How much longer do you want to go to school? If school isn't your thing, maybe you should reconsider medical school, where you may be in school until your 30s. You also need to consider the cost of additional schooling, which you investigate in a future lesson. Many jobs only require an Associate's degree and the pay is often similar to typical jobs for four-year college graduates.
- Type of Work: Do you prefer working in an office, driving around all day, or working with your hands? Do you think you would prefer working at a computer all day or talking with people all day?
- Hours: How important is a traditional schedule? (Monday-Friday, 8-5)
- Job Outlook: As our economy grows and time passes, the need for some jobs decline while others are expanding. Be sure to choose a job that will be in demand in the future.
- Job Location: Are you tied to where you live currently? The more flexible you are in regards to location, the more opportunities are open to you.
- Values: Only you can decide what is most important to you. You may love the idea of being an elementary school teacher, but if you value making a high salary, you may need to consider another career.