KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jada Pittman knows she’ll work in business, and she’d like it to center around music somehow, but the freshman student at University of Missouri - Kansas City isn’t exactly sure what that’ll look like after she graduates.
“I have a lot I want to accomplish in life,” she said confidently.
She’s getting help from the DeBruce Foundation. Pittman enrolled in a summer program with UMKC, which connected her to the Kansas City-based nonprofit focused on economic growth and opportunity.
A free online tool the DeBruce Foundation created in 2018 called the Agile Work Profiler caught fire during the COVID-19 pandemic. The profiler is a short survey which identifies a person’s top agilities.
“It’s a combination of what one likes to do and what they do well,” explained Leigh Anne Taylor Knight, the DeBruce Foundation’s executive director.
There are 10 agilities in every job like developing others, managing, serving and caring, inspecting, organizing and more. Taylor Knight says identifying a person’s top agilities can help them find their best career path.
The Agile Work Profiler will help users translate their skills into language employers look for in resumes and LinkedIn profiles. The DeBruce Foundation’s website includes several other free career pathway tools to show users what careers align with which agilities, salaries of different careers, what degrees or certifications each career requires and more.
Taylor Knight said the foundation keeps its tools relevant by working with researchers, entrepreneurs, business leaders and by analyzing data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
“It is a lifecycle product you can use over and over again,” Taylor Knight said. “Whether it’s finding the first job or transitioning to new job mid-career, someone can benefit from knowing their agilities and using the Agile Work Profiler.”
Pittman is a member of the DeBruce Campus Corps which provides input and feedback on the Agile Work Profiler and other career pathway tools.
“It allowed me to really recognize the qualities I have within myself and present myself within the best way possible to companies,” Pittman said.
To complete the Agile Work Profiler, visit the DeBruce Foundation’s website.
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