This Is Why I Built VP Career Exploration. And What You Will Find There.
Nobody taught me how to choose a career.
I figured that out the hard way. And now my job is making sure other people do not have to.
I am Vicky Payne — a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor, adjunct professor in the College Success Department at Johnson County Community College, author of Career Compass: A Guide to Career Exploration, and founder of VP Career Exploration.
Most people arrive at their career decisions without the tools to make them well. They pick a major because it sounds interesting. They take a job because they need a paycheck. They follow a path that someone else laid out and spend years wondering why it does not feel like theirs. The questions that actually matter — what are you good at, what do you value, what kind of work would actually fit you — never get asked. Not in high school. Not in college. Not until something goes wrong.
I built VP Career Exploration to fill that gap.
Here is what you will find there:
Career assessments — the MBTI Career Report and the Strong Interest Inventory, two of the most trusted research-backed tools available for understanding how you think, what engages you, and where you are most likely to thrive professionally. Each assessment includes a one-on-one virtual session with me to review your results and connect them to real decisions.
Career Compass: A Guide to Career Exploration — the book I wrote to walk anyone through a complete four-part process for understanding themselves before committing to a path. Not what pays well, not what looks good, not what your parents suggested. What actually fits.
I have created three free downloadable resource guides available at no cost at vpcareerexploration.com:
Career Services Resource Guide
Financial Literacy Resource Guide
Felon Friendly Employers Guide
Whether you are a high school student trying to figure out what comes next, a college student questioning your major, or an adult ready for something different — exploration has to come first. Everything else follows.