Lesson 15: Demystifying Marginalization in Career Assessments

The greatest danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that our aim is too low and we reach it.
— Michaelangelo

This lesson will discuss strategies to address marginalization in and through assessments with a more practice-based focus. For many career development practitioners, we often draw on informal and formal assessments in our practices. It has become a common standard to support a more holistic picture of clients and students. Assessments facilitate career knowledge or support internship and job placements. Although there might a host of motives for administering career assessments, career assessments are not faultless nor acultural, ahistorical, or asocial. Some assessments are not exhaustive. Some assessments do not leverage the strengths of historically marginalized communities. On the other hand, assessments can be empowering when they are purposed for the goals, needs, culture, and community of the client/student.

Preparing for the Assessment and Practitioner-Client/Student Interactions

We have the opportunity to provide a meaningful cultural experience in tandem with assessment. Remember that addressing marginalization is not siloed to the assessment experience. Although multicultural assessment practices are valuable, infusing culturally responsive practices and addressing marginalization goes beyond the assessment. In the video, I talk through more ideas about how you can conceptualize your preparation, relationship, and interactions with clients/students during the assessment process. View it below. VERY LONG VIDEO. CONSIDER RERECORDING AND TAKING SOME PART OUT AND MAKE IT TEXT AND BULLET POINTS.

Evaluating an Assessment for Equity, Cultural Relevance, and Marginalization

Let’s talk a bit more about the evaluation of career assessments you might be using in your practice, school, or career center. In the following video, I walk through a few ways to evaluate your assessment processes. Watch it below.

Lesson 15 Takeaways