DYL25 Career Algorithm

The paper presents an innovative algorithm, "Design Your Life at 25" (DYL25 Algo), designed to assist teenagers aged 12 to 18 in career planning and life design. This algorithm integrates the Holland Code personality assessment and tailored-to-teenager version of Stanford's "Designing Your Life" framework, offering a structured approach for teenagers to hypothesize and evaluate three distinct life / career paths: their primary career choice, a backup option, and a radically different career without constraints. The algorithm leverages the Occupational Information Network (O*NET) database to assess personality-career fit, identify common skillsets, and suggest additional career options. A survey of 148 participants across 16 countries reveals interesting differences across demographical and psychological profiles. And respondents provided positive feedback on the algorithm's effectiveness in enhancing teenagers' understanding of their future, especially on its utility in career-personality fit and common skillset identification. Despite its strengths, the algorithm's reliance on user-provided input and existing databases highlights areas for future improvement, including expanding the dataset, enhancing geographical applicability, and integrating emerging careers. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research to refine the algorithm and better support teenagers in their career planning endeavors.