Career EMPOWERMENT Curriculum Taking Control of Your Career Getting Started in Your Career

Getting Started in Your Career Prepare for a career Understand the starter job Understand the impact of education Choose a strategy for your career

Module Flow Introduction Target Career The Starter Job Educational Programs Using Your Network and Other Ways to Move Forward Short-term and Long-term Planning Action Plan Applying the Learning

Introduction We want… participants to feel safe participants to start talking to gather relevant data from the participants We want this to be a safe place for you to explore this topic. These ground rules help keep the environment safe

Prepare for a Career You want to know: Skills required Salary projections/range Job description Working conditions Employment and upward mobility opportunities Education requirements In order to effectively prepare for the career that you want, you need to know some key pieces of information about your target career.

The Starter Job A job in the same field or same place as your target career. Builds contacts Gain experience Develop skills Work with or near people who have the job you want A starter job is a job in the same field or same place as your target career. At a starter job, you build contacts, experience, and skills, while working with or near people who have the job you want.

Possible Starter Jobs Target Career Starter Job Registered Nurse Computer Technician Loan officer Project Manager Real Estate Broker Medical Assistant Data Entry Clerk Bank Teller Administrative Assistant Receptionist in a real estate agency

Educational Programs Educational Foundation ABE, Adult Basic Education GED ESL, English as a Second Language Union apprenticeship program Career Education Certificate programs Associate of Arts or Associate of Science Degrees Associate of Applied Arts Degrees Bachelor’s Degree There are 2 main types of educational programs: educational foundation and career education.

Learn More Before You Enroll Ask questions Visit the school or program Sit in on classes Talk with a teacher in your department Talk with students Talk to someone in the financial aid office Choosing a school or educational program is an important decision. Now, maybe the best-known nursing school in the area is just down the street from you and the choice is easy. If not, you might want to learn more about potential programs before you enroll.

Short-term and Long-term Planning Short-term goals Take less than a year to complete and are stepping stones to long-term plans. Long-term goals Take more than a year to complete or are those that you won’t be able to start taking action on until after your short-term goals are achieved.

Your Action Plan

Apply the Learning What was the most valuable part of this module? What will you do differently as a result? What is your biggest obstacle to getting started in your desired career and how will you handle it? As you move forward getting started in your career, it’s good to have a plan to get you from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be in your career.   You want to engage in both short-term and long-term planning.