How can one navigate the vast variety of IT professions, choose a specialty that aligns with personal expectations, aspirations, and even personality type, while minimizing the risk of burnout or wasting time on irrelevant skills? How do you craft an optimal career plan to achieve your goals faster? These challenges might require a career coach, but EPAM Campus offers an alternative approach. The Campus platform’s latest feature — the Navigation Assessment — is designed to help newcomers launch their IT careers quickly and effectively.
Imagine a massive metropolitan subway system with dozens of lines, hundreds of stations, and complex connections. Now, picture a tourist navigating this system without a map or a navigation app. Their journey is likely to become a chaotic and frustrating search for the right route. For many beginners, finding their place in the IT industry feels much the same. The rapidly evolving tech world introduces new fields, professions, and skill requirements almost daily, making it easy to get lost or invest effort into something that might not pay off later.
The Navigation Assessment by EPAM Campus addresses this problem. Transforming the platform from a “training catalogue” into a single-entry point to IT career, it empowers novices to identify a specialization that aligns with their expectations and personality traits. It also maps out the most efficient path to kick-start their IT careers. EPAM Campus has evolved into more than just a learning platform—it’s now your personal online career coach.
What Does the Navigation Assessment Include?
The Navigation Assessment is a holistic system that thoughtfully guides novices from the decision to step into IT to landing their first job.
Step 1: Psychological Profiling and Strengths Analysis
For those unsure about choosing their profession, EPAM Campus offers psychological profiling and strengths analysis through a unique career test. This simple, quick, and accurate tool scientifically evaluates your key traits to determine which tech career suits you best. Based on extensive neurobiological and psychological research—including theories of leading trends and recent studies on congenital and acquired human brain features—the test helps uncover your strengths and abilities, maximizing your potential while also mitigating the risk of burnout.
After completing a 15-minute quiz, you receive:
- A tailored list of IT specializations aligned with your personal traits,
- Recommendations for effective learning methods, and
- Insights into potential challenges you might face along the way.
Step 2: Technical Knowledge Assessment
After selecting a direction, candidates can take the technical knowledge assessment to evaluate their current skill level in the chosen area. This step ensures that you enroll in an educational program at the appropriate level, avoiding programs that are too easy or too advanced. Based on your results, the system suggests educational programs that perfectly match your current abilities.
The technical knowledge assessment also serves as a risk-free trial, simulating an entry assessment for the actual educational program.
Step 3: English Proficiency Assessment
What language should you master first when entering the IT industry? The answer is English. As part of the Navigation Assessment, EPAM Campus offers an adaptive English test to evaluate candidates’ grammar, vocabulary, and reading skills.
Developed by EPAM experts and calibrated on data from over 300,000 participants during two years, the test features minimal error margins and includes anti-cheating mechanisms. The test comprises seven modules, each containing 20 questions, and evaluates proficiency levels from A1 to C1. Starting with B1-level questions, the adaptive algorithm adjusts task complexity based on your responses to ensure the questions align with your actual proficiency level.
Step 4: Career Roadmaps
Predefined “roadmaps” for high-demand professions guide users from beginner to junior specialist. These roadmaps outline the skills and tools needed to launch a career successfully.
- Self-learners can use these roadmaps to create personalized learning plans.
- EPAM Campus participants can preview their program curriculum and chart their learning journey.
Amina Idigova, Talent Development Manager at EPAM Campus:
"Most educational platforms, including industry leaders, do not provide a knowledge assessment option before program enrollment. Instead, they leave program level selection to users, who often rely on self-assessment. This approach carries a high risk of frustration and wasted time due to inappropriate program choices. In the Career Journey section of the EPAM Campus portal, users can explore detailed descriptions of every program level, assess their current knowledge, get recommendations, look through tailored learning roadmaps, and make informed, fact-based decisions rather than relying on guesswork."
EPAM Campus offers programs at four levels:
- Basics of Tech: an introductory stage for beginners to familiarize themselves with the key IT concepts.
- Beginner: for those who have chosen their preferred direction and are ready to start learning the theoretical part.
- Fundamentals: a stage where theory is blend with practice, allowing for a deeper exploration of complex concepts, principles, and technologies.
- Specialization: this stage focuses on refining skills, understanding local market specifics, and working on training projects that can be included in a professional portfolio. It serves as a springboard for launching a successful career as a Junior IT specialist.
Each level description includes an estimated time commitment, helping candidates determine whether they have the resources needed to achieve their goals.
Amina Idigova: "Education has a unique nature that sets it apart from any other product or service—it requires effort from the customer to achieve results. Unlike purchasing a Netflix premium subscription or getting a haircut, the success of the learning process largely depends on the candidate’s commitment and contribution. At EPAM Campus, we focus on helping candidates choose learning paths that align with their current knowledge and interests, ensuring their time and effort are well-invested. The Navigation Assessment, as a holistic system, plays a critical role in this process."
Start your journey to career in tech with EPAM Campus
Starting a career is more than picking a profession—it’s a journey that requires thoughtful planning. EPAM Campus serves as your virtual career consultant, roadmap, and single entry-point to dream job, simplifying your path into the IT world. It answers key questions like:
- “Where do I start?”
- “What profession suits me best?”
- “How do I reach my goals efficiently?”
Explore EPAM Campus features and start your IT journey with us!
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