Chapter 10 At Work and Play

Chapter Overview At Work and Play Your Career Outlook Forecasting Your Career’s Growth Changing Jobs or Careers Choosing Your Career Taking Stock of Yourself Identifying Compatible Careers Arriving at Your Career Decision Preparing for Your Career

Chapter Overview cont’d At Work and Play Leisure Time What Is Leisure Time? Work and Leisure Using Leisure Positively Contemporary Issues in the World of Work Job Satisfaction Technology and Work Diversity in the Workplace

Careers CHAPTER SUMMARY Taking stock of yourself Identifying compatible careers Arriving at your career decision Preparing for your career

CHAPTER SUMMARY cont’d Your Career Outlook Forecasting Your Career’s Growth Changing Jobs or Careers Mining is one occupation that is not expected to grow.

CHAPTER SUMMARY cont’d Contemporary Issues in the World of Work Job Satisfaction Technology and Work Diversity in the Workplace

CHAPTER SUMMARY cont’d Leisure Time What Is Leisure? Work and Leisure Using Leisure Positively

Definitions Workplace--place of paid employment outside the home. Job--position of employment or set of work activities and responsibilities associated with a given position. Underemployed--working in a job beneath ability or education. Career--one’s purposeful life pattern of work, as seen in the sequence of jobs held throughout one’s life. Leisure (unconditional)--activities freely chosen, excluding work and maintenance activities. Workplace: place of paid employment outside the home. Job: position of employment or set of work activities and responsibilities associated with a given position. Underemployed-working in a job beneath ability or education. Career: one’s purposeful life pattern of work, as seen in the sequence of jobs held throughout one’s life. Leisure (unconditional): activities freely chosen, excluding work and maintenance activities.

Taking Stock of Yourself Choosing Your Career Taking Stock of Yourself What are your interests? What school subjects do you like the best? What are your hobbies?

Choosing Your Career cont’d Taking Stock of Yourself What are you good at? What have been your greatest achievements? How would you describe your personality? What do you think you would enjoy most about work (your values)?

Choosing Your Career cont’d Identifying Compatible Careers Occupation–the activities and responsibilities necessary to perform given work tasks in a particular line of work. Books you can use: The Occupational Outlook Handbook (go to the website of the Bureau for Labor Statistics) The Guide to Job Opportunities (College Board, Princeton, NJ). Interest inventories may be offered at your campus counseling or career center (e.g. Strong Interest Inventory).

Choosing Your Career cont’d Arriving at Your Career Decision Be sure you know about the decision-making process. List the pluses and minuses related to each possible career. Guard against making impulsive choices.

Choosing Your Career cont’d Arriving at Your Career Decision Don’t be attracted to a career after only one job in that particular field. Don’t select a career based just on its prestige or financial status. Try to be your own decision-maker; do not allow family or friends to unduly influence you.

Preparing for Your Career Choosing Your Career cont’d Preparing for Your Career Get a good education. Enroll in an internship, apprenticeship, or mentoring program in the career field that interests you. Check out state licensing, certification, and other requirements.

Choosing Your Career cont’d Preparing for Your Career Practice for your job interview. Use planned searches to find open positions (e.g., personal networks, job fairs, the Internet, career service centers, professional journals).

Forecasting Your Career’s Growth Your Career Outlook Forecasting Your Career’s Growth The Bureau of Labor Statistics expects employment opportunities to grow in service sectors such as: Finance Health care Law Education Data processing The number of manufacturing jobs won’t grow as fast….

Your Career Outlook cont’d Changing Jobs or Careers The longer you delay changing, the more difficult it is. People are changing jobs more today than before. As people age, they are less likely to change jobs.

Your Career Outlook cont’d Changing Jobs or Careers Reasons for change: Burnout Low job satisfaction Changes in one’s family

Contemporary Issues in the World of Work Job Satisfaction-- how well one likes a given job. Researchers report that most Americans have high job satisfaction. How well you perform in a job is not directly correlated with your satisfaction (e.g. people who like a job still might not work hard).

Contemporary Issues in the World of Work cont’d Job Satisfaction-- Satisfaction depends on: work activity contact with other employees learning opportunities autonomy working conditions pay job security working hours supervisor’s style

Technology and Work Examples: computers cell phones palm pilots Contemporary Issues in the World of Work cont’d Technology and Work Examples: computers cell phones palm pilots voice mail teleconferencing

Contemporary Issues in the World of Work cont’d Technology and Work More Americans are telecommuting every year! Virtual office workers have greater job satisfaction…. Cyberslacking--the overuse of the Internet in the workplace for purposes other than work--can be a problem! E-recruiting is becoming common--job candidates are screened by phone, video, or computer. Be sure to practice!

Diversity in the Workplace Contemporary Issues in the World of Work cont’d Diversity in the Workplace Some interesting statistics: The percent of Whites in the labor force will soon decline from 73% to 58%. Hispanic workers will soon outnumber Blacks…. Asians are the fastest growing group…. The number of women in the labor force will grow…. Sexual harassment is an issue…. Diversity in the Workplace Some Interesting Statistics: The percent of Whites in the labor force will soon decline from 73% to 58%. Hispanic workers will soon outnumber Blacks in the labor force. Asians are the fastest growing group of employees. The number of women in the labor force will grow faster than the number of men in the labor force. A related issue is the presence of sexual harassment in the workplace when men and women work together.

Diversity in the Workplace Contemporary Issues in the World of Work cont’d Diversity in the Workplace What this means for you: Be prepared to work with diverse coworkers! Learn as much as you can about other cultures and customs. If you are from an individualistic culture, be patient; you will more easily differentiate work time from leisure time than someone from a collective society. Try to understand role conflicts (i.e., those related to home/family versus work). What this means for you: Be prepared to work with a diverse group of coworkers. Try to learn as much as you can about other cultures and cultural customs. If you are from an individualistic culture, be patient; you will more easily differentiate work time from leisure time than someone from a collective society. Try to understand role conflicts, especially those related to home/family versus work.

Leisure Time Leisure – time free from work or duty that may be spent in recreational activities of one’s choice. Most American feel they are working more and playing less. The average number of hours in the work week has increased: Administrators - 60+ hours/week Small business owners - 50+ hours/week Working women have less leisure time than working men because women do more housework than men Downsizing is partly to blame; remaining workers are assigned additional responsibilities. Most American feel they are working more and playing less. This is true; the average number of hours in the workweek is increasing: Administrators typically work 61+ hours a week Small business owners work 50+ hours a week Working women have less leisure time than working men because women do more housework than men Downsizing is partly to blame; remaining workers are usually assigned other job responsibilities.

Leisure Time cont’d Another cause may be technology. Instead of reducing the amount of work, it has increased the amount of work! Too much work time? Not enough time with spouses, partners, kids….

What Is Leisure? Leisure Time Cont’d It is different from maintenance activities--activities necessary for life, which include housework, food preparation, doing homework with children. Playing a musical instrument and being paid for an orchestra performance is work; playing an instrument for the sheer enjoyment is a leisure activity. If you work too hard at a leisure-time activity, it becomes more like work!

Leisure Time cont’d Work and Leisure There are individual differences in leisure activities depending on values, personal characteristics, needs. There are gender and racial differences: Men haven’t become more physically active as recommended…. Blacks have lower level of leisure time activities. Involvement in leisure activities helps us cope better with negative life events (e.g. divorce). Leisure activities also help with our overall personal adjustment.

Using Leisure Positively Leisure Time cont’d Using Leisure Positively Americans’ favorite way to spend leisure time is watching TV. …but there are many other leisure activities—we need to choose and plan! Select activities that coincide with your interests, lifestyle. Keep in mind that you may need to acquire the related skills; budget your time, money. Leisure activities in early life can make retirement easier to adjust to.