Making the Right Career Choice One of the reasons most students attend college is to learn skills they can apply to a job or career. In this lesson we’ll look at ways to make career decisions, and steps to take to get a job. Does anyone have any questions before we start?

Careers and the New Economy Characteristics of today’s economy Global Unstable Innovative Without boundaries Changing Social A college degree does not guarantee employment You are solely responsible for your career To advance your career, you must accept the risks and plan for the future Career choice is not permanent Over the past few years, the global economy has experienced extreme ups and downs. Economic uncertainty is a reality. Todays economy is defined by the following characteristics: Global. Many corporations are multinational, so US college graduates compete for jobs with others around the world. Unstable. Having a college education gives you an advantage over those without degrees in an unstable economy. Innovative. The economy depends on creativity to generate consumer interest. Without boundaries. In almost every organization, teams need to work together. Ever changing. New jobs in nearly all industries require you to keep learning throughout your life. Social. You will have to work with others, no matter what career you choose. See text pp. 273-275

Self-Exploration in Career Planning Values: things you feel most strongly about Aptitude: natural or acquired proficiency Skills: Personal: come naturally or learned through experience Ex: Punctuality, self-motivation, conflict management Workplace: learned on the job Ex: designing websites, bookkeeping Transferable: gained through previous experiences Ex: planning events, attention to detail, motivating others Personality: characteristics or qualities that form character Self-assessment is a good first step in setting your academic and career goals. Factors that can affect your career choices include your values, skills, aptitudes, personality, and interests. Your values, formed through your life experiences, are the things you feel most strongly about. Your skills, or ability to do something well, normally fall into three categories: personal, workplace, and transferable. You may bring different skills to different situations. Aptitude refers to you natural or acquired proficiency in a certain area, which makes it easier to learn or to do certain things. Your personality makes you who you are, and cannot be ignored when you make career decisions. See text pp. 276-277

Planning for Your Career Create a career plan Important steps: Take a variety of classes Visit the career center Take self-assessments Prepare a draft of your résumé Create professional profiles Get involved Network Volunteer Research possible occupations Build on your strengths and develop weaker skills Get a job Just like you should have an academic plan to navigate your time at college, you should create a career plan to guide the process of making a career choice. Start by understanding yourself and what you want out of a career. Then, begin creating a professional image – draft a résumé, create a LinkedIn profile, and network by attending career fairs and connecting with instructors, family, and friends to find contacts. Next, it’s time to start getting some experience – volunteer, do research, conduct informational interviews and shadow professionals, and get a job. See text pp. 278-279

Getting Experience Experiential learning opportunities Working Service learning/volunteer activities Internships/co-ops Student projects/competitions Working On-campus/Off-campus employment Work-study Gaining experience in your field while in college can help you meet people who may later serve as important references for employment, and can teach you things you won’t learn in the classroom. Service learning a required part of a course in which you perform unpaid service work. Some instructors build these opportunities into their classes, but if not you can volunteer! Co-op programs allow you paid work assignments. Students usually alternate taking classes for a term and working in a co-op program. They are particularly common in the engineering field, though can be found in other areas as well. Working while in college allows you to gain professional experience, earn money, network and make connections, and develop key skills. You will have to decide if you want to work on or off campus – on-campus employment is often more flexible in terms of scheduling, but you might make less money than you would in an off-campus job. Be careful of overextending yourself, no matter where you work, and don’t let your academics slide. See text pp. 280-282

Job Search Strategies Learn the names of major employers Check postings Be aware of un-posted openings Market yourself Building a résumé Chronological format vs. skills format Write a cover letter Get the most recent name and address Interviewing Conduct research Mock interviews Dress appropriately Be on time Follow up You may need a job while you are in college, or after you graduate. Check online job postings, classified ads, and opportunities in your college’s newspaper. This will help you find jobs that are geographically close, and employers who favor hiring college students. Be aware, though, that many job openings are never posted. Employers usually prefer to hire people who are recommended to them by current employees, friends, or the person leaving the position: who you know is important. You also need to market yourself. This involves developing a presence at your college and within your industry – if you can create a name and reputation for yourself, you can shape your future. Think about how you can stand out from your peers (in a good way!). A résumé is necessary for marketing yourself. Employers spend an average of 7-10 seconds screening résumés for the first time, so make sure yours is concise and well organized. If you are a new professional, a one page résumé is appropriate. Your cover letter is more important than your résumé and much harder to write. Make sure you address the letter to the right person – this is type of detail employers pay attention to. See text pp. 282-287

Skills Employers Seek Content skills Transferable skills Cognitive, intellectual, or “hard” skills Acquired as you gain mastery in your academic field Ex: writing proficiency, computer literacy, and foreign language skills Transferable skills Skills that apply to or transfer to a variety of settings Ex: solid oral and listening abilities, leadership skills, critical thinking, and problem solving One of the many important purposes and outcomes of your college experience is gaining a combination of knowledge and skills. You need both content skills – “hard” skills such as writing proficiency and foreign language skills – and transferable skills – skills that apply to a variety of settings such as teamwork and communication skills. See text pp. 287-288

Staying on the Path to Success When you finish a course, take a step back and reflect What did I learn in this course? How can I apply what I have learned? What challenges do I still face? Your completion of this course is a good predictor of your overall success in college. You have learned many success strategies that can help you throughout your entire college experience. For many students, the first year is by far the most challenging time in college. Now, you have some strategies to help you throughout the adjustment. See text p. 289

Tech Tip: Conduct Industry Research Use O*NET and other resources to conduct industry research Visit O*NET Search by keyword or occupational category Identify desired role within industry Identify promising companies Research individual employers Information about industries and the companies that represent them is essential for anyone who wants to get a sense of how careers are trending, what the most innovative sectors are, which college majors are most beneficial, where the money is, and who’s hiring. Use O*NET Online to conduct industry research. See text p. 290