We encounter many people who have tried other, more simplistic methods of career assistance. They have tried career advice books (e.g., "What Color Is Your Parachute?") and career tests and some have even gone to a career counselor. Most often, their question is: How is the Oxford Program different and how can it help me when other methods haven't?

When Steve Bohler was going through his own personal career change dilemma,  he read just about every career self-help book out there, took about half-a-dozen tests, and even worked with three different career counselors. The end result was that he was simply no closer to being in the right career than when he started. After his career change at Oxford University, it became evident to him that most forms of career assistance for adults fail for several reasons.

First, most approaches aren't specifically targeted towards adults. Adults are a unique audience because they have different financial/situational constraints and a wealth of work experience that should be included in their career analysis. In addition they need to determine a more precise fit before they will take a leap. TOP is targeted to help adults who want to find a profession that is meaningful, yet also meets their financial needs.

Second, conventional forms of career assistance are incomplete. They tend to include either testing, coaching, networking, or contain career information, but not everything together. Each alone is very useful to learn more about your life, but not as likely to produce life-transforming results on its own. Moreover, most services only examine one or two aspects of your Vocational Identity, while at TOP we believe that the whole you must be assessed in order to have a full understanding of exactly where you fit and what it will take to satisfy you emotionally, spiritually, and financially. We assess all aspects of the whole you - - your abilities, skills, personality, work values, motivated skills, ideal work environment, and entrepreneur suitability.

Third, there is a lemming-like focus on interests and preferences as an insight into career choice among career counselors/coaches. Not only do interests and preferences change over time, but the assessment of them can be easily influenced by the test-taker. Instead of focusing on your interests as the center of your vision, we focus on your hard-wired, natural talents as the foundation of your Vocational Identity and your future satisfaction, motivation, and success. We believe these "Trademark Talents" remain constant for most of your life. So creating a mismatch between one or two of your major talents and your job can make it impossible to find career happiness.

Fourth, we believe that the most successful solutions follow an efficient structure with an obsession towards results. TOP clients go through an in-depth, 6-phase process, our Natural Vocation Discovery Methodology, that provides proven results. From day one you are given a plan that details every goal and step.

Fifth, you need to know your options. Even when other forms of career assistance offer insight into a client's Vocational Identity, they frequently leave the client without the understanding of how to use that information to select a career. TOP clients discover a wide variety of unique career options coming from our unique blend of career testing, coaches, other TOP clients, the TOP Career Bulletin, and the TOP Discovery Room (where we have created a vault of the most interesting and in-demand professions for mid-career adults).

The Oxford Program is an advanced, complete approach, quite different from anything you may have already tried.

"...a great program"

"I want to thank you for for putting together such a great program. I had already signed up to see a local career counselor at the same time I signed up for the Oxford Program. The results....he should be directed to YOUR service!" - Candice Lazar, Ocean City, MD