Visual Thinking and Career Development: Using Graphic Organizers to Enhance Your Impact Dr. Katharine S. Brooks You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career Session 3: Cluster Diagrams and Circles

Goals of this webinar series 1.Introduce visual techniques for different career issues to enhance your career advising activities. 2.Encourage you to develop even more creative ways to explain and illustrate choices, options, or ways to think about a situation. 3.Promote an action-oriented approach which helps client take a more active role. Dr. Katharine Brooks : You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Advantages of Visual Thinking “It’s easier to organize your thoughts if you can see them.” Visual thinking: Helps us organize and clarify our thoughts, while reducing complexity. See relationships more easily. Encourages specific types of thinking or problem-solving. Enhances understanding and retention of information Is easy to do and inexpensive Provides a tangible “take-away” product for students. Dr. Katharine Brooks : You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Pie Wedges R I AS E C

Venn Diagram Skills JobsValues

Target 4-year college 2 nd Year at CC 1 st Year at CC

Covey’s Circle of Influence Circle of Influence Circle of Concern

Cycle DiscoverDreamDesignDestiny

Expanding Circles Professional Organizations Teachers & Supervisors Friends Family

Cluster Diagrams Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Cluster Diagram

When to Use Cluster Diagrams Considering several options To demonstrate how one central idea can expand to other ideas To demonstrate how divergent ideas or items can be consolidated into a whole. Examples: – Skills analysis – Career choices Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Clusters: Possible Lives Me Cosmetologist NutritionistCoachDietician Fitness Trainer Elementary Teacher CSI Analyst Humane Society Nurse Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Analyzing the Possible Lives Exercise 1.Review the career ideas with the student 2.Look for themes in the choices 3.Select 2-3 to start analyzing 4.Draw a line from the center to the job 5.Write the steps to get to the job 6.Watch the energy level Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Clusters: Possible Lives Me Cosmetologist NutritionistCoachDietician Fitness Trainer Elementary Teacher CSI Analyst Humane Society Nurse Steps If not, ask student to insert the steps to get to the career. Ask: Can you do that career tomorrow? Notice where the student starts to gain or lose energy in the process. Write down the main themes. Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Strengths Jobs? ________ OrganizedPatientCreative Problem Solver Multi-tasker Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Strengths Jobs? ________ OrganizedPatientCreative Problem Solver Multi-tasker Story__________ ______________ ______________ Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Cover Letter Design Cover Letter for Job How I heard about job Strength #1 What do I most want them to know about me? What is the next action step? How can they contact me? What I know about company or job Why I think I would do this well What I like about Job Strength #2 Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career

Questions? Thank you for attending. Look at your schedule for next week and see if there’s a place you could try applying one of these visual exercises. “See” you next Friday! Kate Brooks