Choosing a Career

One of the hardestand most excitingchoices youll ever make is your career. Although chance may play a part, come prepared!

Rule#1: Choose a career that is something you really like to do. Rule#2: Do your research and choose carefully and thoughtfully. Rule#3: Make it meaningful to you.
You owe it to yourself to look for work that is meaningful and rewarding!

Choose Career Options That Match Your Values

Knowing what you value most will help you refine

your career search and choice:

Helping others Prestige High income Flexible work hours

Establish and align values, career choice, and

career goals for motivation

Surviving in a Fast Economy

!ou will always have some control over your

career !ou must accept risks and plan for the future to advance your career " college degree does not guarantee employment " commitment to lifelong learning will help keep you employable

Factors to Consider
#o: explore a number of careers and ma$ors get involved %et advice from people in your target occupation follow your passion #are to try something new #on&t: focus on a ma$or $ust to get a career out of it select a ma$or $ust because it is 'cool( or seems to promise prestige let someone else push you into a $ob "ssume that you have it all figured out

Factors Affecting Career Choices

)nterests *kills "ptitudes People skills Experience Family traditions Personality +ife goals and

work values

Exploring Your nterests

Hollands Hexagonal Model of Career Fields

ealistic

Investigative

!onventional

Artistic

"nterprisin g

Social

!here to "o for #elp

,areer center Faculty -pper.class students *tudent organi/ations Placement services

$ecome %no&ledgea'le A'out Careers

Explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook at http://www.bls.gov/oco/ Research several careers, not just one Browse the Careers section of a local bookstore See a career counselor Scope out nternet resources !etwork""#an$ people love to talk about their jobs%

Explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook http://www.bls.gov/oco/

Keep up with the occupational outlook for various fields. Get to know which ones are adding jo s and which ones are losing them. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is an e!cellent source" and is updated every two years. Good news! #ver the ne!t few years" jo s re$uiring college degrees will e the fastest%growing and highest paying.

What to Look for in a Career

&ajor career fiel' target (referre' t$pe of work nco#e re)uire#ents *eographical re)uire#ents Special nee's n'ustr$ preferences Stress level +evel of interaction with other people n'oor vs. out'oor ,#ount of in'epen'ence Balance between creative an' conventional tasks

-he t$pe of people $ou woul' interact with (h$sical re)uire#ents +ocal/national/international organi.ation Benefits an' perks ,'vance#ent opportunities , goo' boss -raining n'ustr$ outlook Reputation of the fir# in the in'ustr$

Select Several Careers( )ot *ust One

t/s a goo' i'ea to have several careers in #in' rather than just one in $our first $ear of college. ,pproxi#atel$ 012 of stu'ents change their #ajor at so#e point 'uring their college career. t pa$s to be knowle'geable about #ore than just one career fiel'. -he average gra'uate changes their job seven ti#es in their life. t also pa$s to 'evelop a wi'e variet$ of general skills, particular those relate' to co##unication.

)et&or+
Check with people $ou know about career infor#ation. !etworking can lea' to #eeting so#eone who #a$ be able to answer $our )uestions about a specific career or co#pan$. t is an effective wa$ to learn about the t$pe of training necessar$ for a particular position, what it took to get into the fiel', an' the positive an' negative aspects of the work. &ore an' #ore professionals are active on online networks such as +inke' n.co# an' 3oostang.co#. So#e professionals even use 4acebook to get in touch with others in their fiel'5as well as research potential can'i'ates.

 Assess Your S+ills

"cademic *trengths

0eading, 1riting, *peaking, and +istening 2ath ,reative 3hinking Problem *olving and #ecision 2aking

Personal 4ualities

*elf.Esteem, *elf.2anagement, 0esponsibility

People *kills

*ocial, 5egotiation, +eadership, 3eamwork

See a Career Counselor

-he career counselors at $our college

are traine' professionals who can help $ou 'iscover $our strengths an' weaknesses evaluate $our values an' goals sort through what t$pe of career $ou want -he$ will not tell $ou what to 'o, the$ will si#pl$ help i'entif$ what factors #a$ lea' to successful an' interesting career options.

,uestions for Academic Advisors

&hat classes should ' take this term and ne!t( &hat se$uence of classes should ' take( )m ' taking too many difficult classes in one term( &hat electives do you recommend( &hat career opportunities are there if ' study mainly *****(

"etting Experience
6olunteer or service learning *tudy abroad )nternships7co.ops 8n.campus employment *tudent

pro$ects7competitions 0esearch 8n.the.$ob training "pprenticeships

-esearch the *o'

)dentify the skills and experience

necessary to perform the $ob you want #etermine the general re9uirements of the $ob +earn about the day.to.day tasks and responsibilities 0esearch the company and employer #etermine the company&s philosophy 3he more you know about the $ob, the stronger the candidate you will become

6ow big will #$ office be7

Explore -elevant .art/Time and Summer *o's

*tudents benefit when their $obs are on campus )nvestigate if there exists a part.time $ob in the department of your ma$or "dvanced planning will help you obtain a summer $ob with a company related to your field )f you can&t find a related $ob, you can still demonstrate work.related skills and a work ethic that will impress prospective employers

nternet Career *ourney Activity 0123 //!e' -esources

#ccupational #utlook +and ook ,,*Careers*new.ppt Career -esource Center http.//www.careers.org/ 0o +unt http.//www.jo %hunt.org 1he Catapult on 0o &e http.//www.jo %hunt.org/ 1he -iley Guide. 2mployment #pportunities and 0o -esources on the 'nternet www.rileyguide.com Monster.com http.//www.monster.com/ 3uintessential Careers
http.//www.$uintcareers.com/inde!.html