Planning Your Career
To meet needs, wants and goals Provides a sense of purpose
Helping others Making a difference in the World
Identity- a sense of who you are. Work often becomes a way of life, strongly linked to your identity
Your career will affect nearly every part of your life
Values and Lifestyle Aptitudes and Interests
Personal Qualities
Values- are the ideals I life that are important to you
Based on life experiences as well as perceptions
and beliefs You will choose what you believe to be true, meaningful, and important Are shaped by your family, social and cultural groups, and religion Influenced by media and society
Lifestyle- is the way people choose to live their lives, based on the values they have chosen
Is evident from the clothes you wear and the things
you buy, use, do, say and enjoy A career is an important part of most people’s lifestyle
▪ It affects the way you spend your time, but also your level of income ▪ Understand the connection between your lifestyle choices and the commitments required to achieve those goals
Aptitude- is a natural physical or mental ability that allows you to do certain tasks well
Ex: good with numbers= engineering or accounting would be a
good career fit
Aptitude test can help you ID your natural abilities Internet is a good place to take these tests for free
Interests- the things you like to do
By examining what you like to do you can choose a
career you will find interesting and satisfying
good fit
Ex: if you enjoy people= sales or a helping profession would be a
Personality- is made up of the many individual qualities that make you unique May include: intelligence, creativity, sense of humor, and general attitude Most jobs require a particular set of personal qualities You will be happiest in a job that fits your personality
Is an important task for your future Over the course of a lifetime of work (age 2265) you will have spent around 86,000 hours on the job
Effective career planning involves careful investigation and analysis
You should start now and revisit throughout your
work life
Step 1: Self-Analysis
Determine your wants, needs, values and desired
lifestyle Assess your aptitudes and interests and how they match your job Analyze your personal qualities and the kinds of job tasks that best suit your personality
Step 2: Research
Seek info in books, magazines, web sites as well as
libraries, counseling centers, online resources, and employment offices Compare your interests, aptitudes, and personal qualities to job descriptions and requirements Talk to people in the fields of work you are interested in Observe occupations, spend time learning about jobs and companies, and seek part time work to get experience
Step 3: Plan of action
Use good job search techniques ▪ Be organized, make a plan, follow through, and don’t give up
Develop necessary skills by taking courses and
gaining exposure to the field you are interested in Seek a part time or volunteer job to gain experience in your area Evaluate your choices over time
Step 4: Re-evaluation
The world changes rapidly you should prepare
yourself to meet challenges ahead
▪ Prepare to take advantage of new opportunities ▪ About every five years or so look ahead to see where you want to go in the next five years
Goal- is a desired end toward which efforts are directed
Three types of Goals
▪ Short-term goal- one you expect to reach in a few days or weeks
▪ Ex: get a B on the next Calculus test
▪ Intermediate goal- one you wish to accomplish in the next few months or years
▪ Ex: graduation from college, a spring break trip, or plans for a summer trip
▪ Long-term goal- one you wish to achieve in the next five to ten years or longer
▪ Ex: career, marriage, or family
Your goals should be meaningful, should be defined, and written to become part of your life
Experience- is the knowledge and skills acquired from working in a career field More experience you gain in a field the more valuable you are to an employer
1.
Contacts
Many jobs are not advertised ▪ They are filled from within or by people outside who have been privately informed of the opening by a contact Contact- is someone you know, such as relatives,
friends, members of groups to which you belong, and former employers
▪ Can provide you with inside info on job openings ▪ The more people you know the better your chances of hearing about a job opening
2. School Counseling and Placement Services - Most schools have these programs to assist their students
- Cooperative work experience or supervised field
experience is an example of a program
- Students receive high school credit for on the job experience that directly relates to classroom studies in a chosen career field - Students placed in work situations are given grades on their work and are paid minimum wage - Employers are given tax credits for this program
2.
School Counseling and Placement Services
▪
School counselors and teachers are also good sources of job opportunity info
They are often asked by employers to recommend students for them
▪ ▪ ▪
Placement centers
Usually offer services for free Post job openings at the school and provide info to qualified students Keep info about students so potential employers can view the information
▪ Folder contains: attendance, academic, and disciplinary records
3.
Public and Private Employment Agencies
These are business to help you find a job for which
you are prepaid and help employers locate the best applicants for job openings Private agencies will charge for their services, either the employer or prospective employee
▪ Compare agencies before signing on
Public agencies do not charge a fee
▪ Obtain info about gov’t job training assistance programs ▪ Ex: YES(youth employment services), Youth Corps, Civil Service, and apprenticeship boards
4.
Newspaper, Yellow Pages, and Private Job Listings
Help wanted ads
▪ Give brief descriptions of the positions, often with salary ranges ▪ Respond quickly
Yellow Pages
▪ Alphabetically arranged subject listing of businesses advertising their services ▪ To look for a job in a certain field look for the subject heading
▪ Send your resume by mail or email to all those listed, asking to be considered for the next opening
Bulletin boards
▪ Are located in many businesses, as well as companies advertising for jobs
Online Job Information
Searching the Internet using keywords related to your
field will provide many new sources of job info certain web sites are designed to help find jobs, allowing you to post your resume, and even apply
▪ Ex: Monster.com, careerbuilder.com
Many companies list job openings on their website Professional associations
▪ Allow job seekers to post resumes and browse their database of job openings ▪ Ex: SD teachers can post to Associated School Boards Website
Work history- is a record of the jobs you stayed with each employer
When applying for a job an employer will evaluate
your history If you change jobs frequently, it will show to employers that hiring you is risky
Get Organized
This is the 1st step after deciding on a job You will need to prepare a checklist to complete this task
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. assemble all the info you will need about the type of work you want to do list prospective companies for which you would lke to work Gather sources of info, research descriptions, skills and aptitudes needed make lists of personal contacts, places to go and people to see prepare a current resume and letter of application Ask previous employers, teachers, or others to write letters of recommendation for you update your placement folder at school
Make a Plan
Is important to your job search success, as it
shows you what you have done and what you need to do A good plan lists all your goals and shows a time frame for getting them done When meeting a goal be sure to check it off
Follow Up
After contacting a potential employer by letter,
application, or after an interview be sure to check back from time to time
▪ This will show them you are interested in the position
▪ Ask them a time frame to when they will make a decision on the job
Don’t Give Up
Remain courteous and upbeat, and keep checking
back for openings Try all job leads Be prepared, incase you are granted an interview in a short notice Check constantly the want ads, your contacts A good job search may take several weeks or months REMEMBER the effort will pay off!!!!!