Career and Financial Management Making Effective Decisions

Introduction  Senior High School is an important time to plan and prepare for the future  The goals you set and accomplish now will have a great effect on the rest of your life  It is time to begin careful educational planning and development

Career Ladder No High School Diploma High School Diploma Career/Technical School Training Bachelor’s Degree Advanced Degree Associate’s Degree

emp/ep_chart_001.h tm Note: Data are for persons age 25 and over. Earnings are for full-time wage and salary workers.

Objectives  Name the seven steps in the decision- making process  Apply the decision-making process to career selection

Big Decisions  Decision-making process: a series of steps that can help you identify and evaluate possibilities and make a good choice  The longer a decision will affect your life, the more you need to think about it  Buying a car, joining the military, selecting a career

The Decision-Making Process  STEP 1: Define your wants and needs  STEP 2: Analyze your resources  STEP 3: Identify your choices  STEP 4: Gather information  STEP 5: Evaluate your choices  STEP 6: Make a decision  STEP 7: Plan how to reach your goal

Career Decisions  One of the biggest decisions a person can make in their life  Often not taken seriously enough  Use the decision-making process

Step 1: Define Your Wants and Needs  Do you want to work full-time?  Where do you want to live?  How much money will you have to earn to have the lifestyle you would like?

Step 2: Analyze Your Personal Resources  Who are you?  What do you have to offer?

Step 3: Identify Your Career Choices  Select several possible careers  Match personal wants and needs with career choices

Step 4: Research Your Career Choices  Learn more about careers before selecting one  Many sources for finding information

Step 5: Evaluate Your Career Choices  Using your research, look carefully at each career  Determine whether the career matches personal needs and resources

Step 6: Make Your Decision  Select the career that best fits your wants, needs, and resources  One will probably stand out as a best choice

Step 7: Plan How to Reach Your Goal  Determine the steps it will take to reach your career goal  May have to adapt or compromise career plan

Applying the Process—Step 1: Define Your Wants and Needs  Live in a large city  $50,000/year  Full-time, stable job

Applying the Process—Step 2: Analyze Your Personal Resources  Enjoys helping others  Organized  Mathematical

Applying the Process—Step 3: Identify Your Career Choices  Economist  Teacher  Financial planner  Real estate agent

Applying the Process—Step 4: Research Your Career Choices  Spoke with guidance counselor  Visited websites about math careers

Applying the Process—Step 5: Evaluate Your Career Choices  Compared amount of money you could make  Where to live  What daily tasks would be like

Applying the Process—Step 6: Make Your Decision  Personal finance planner

Applying the Process—Step 7: Plan How to Reach Your Goal  High school courses  College programs  Bachelor’s degree  Special certifications

No Decision  Is not making a decision, a decision?  YES!  Must accept the decision others make for you