Deciding What You Want to Do A job is something you do to make money. A career is an occupation or field in which you work over a long period of time.

Deciding What You Want to Do Career planning consists of assessing your potential, analyzing your options, and preparing for the future.

 Three steps to planning a career are 1.Deciding what you want to do.  Take an inventory of your abilities, interests, goals, and values. 2.Analyzing your job options 3.Researching a career.

Interests Many people’s hobbies, such as cooking, hiking, and writing stories, are their interests. Each one might suggest a possible occupation.

Interests Some questions to keep in mind when looking at specific occupations or careers are: What tasks do people in the position typically perform? What qualifications are necessary to secure the position? Which skills do people in the position use? What personal and physical characteristics are necessary? Is any previous work experience required or preferred? What are the wage levels for the position? What is the outlook for this occupation?

Abilities Aptitudes are talents that come naturally. Skills are abilities developed through learning and experience.

Goals and Values When you choose a career, it’s important to consider whether it will give you the satisfaction that you want. The occupations that you choose should relate to what you value or think is important for your life.

Career Planning Graphic Organizer Research Careers Consider Analyze Your Options Values Goals Interests Responsibilities Skills and aptitudes Education, training, and experience

Step 2 Analyzing Your Job Options Before deciding on a career, you need to find out where the jobs are and how to find them.

The Job Market  The job market changes along with changes in population, technology, and other factors.  As the population increases, there will be an increased demand for workers in construction and engineering.  As a result of the boom in computer technology, there is a great demand for computer experts.  Health care is expected to be one of the biggest areas of growth.

Career Information Career information is plentiful and simple to use if you know how to find it. Your teachers might be able to suggest careers that would use the abilities and interests you have shown in class.

Networking Networking consists of meeting and talking to people in different occupations to find out what they do and make connections.

Researching Careers A simple way to learn what the market is for certain types of occupations is by looking in the want ads of a newspaper. Business magazines and journals are a good source of information on changing job trends. You can find information about careers at your school library or public library.

Researching Careers You can find a lot of information on the Internet by checking out the Bureau of Labor Statistics or job Web sites such as

Researching Careers For other sources of information, you can attend career days and job fairs that might be held at a local school or community center.

Researching a Career The more skills you acquire, the better your chances of having the career you want and the more money you’re likely to make.

What abilities/talents or interests do you have that could turn into a career?

Education Most jobs today require at least a high school education. To pursue a career, you’ll probably need some form of advanced education. A profession is a field that requires a high level of education, such as law, medicine, or architecture.

Education A trade is a field that requires a high level of manual or technical skill, such as carpentry, mechanics, or computer programming.

Education To pursue a profession, you have to study at a college or university for several years and get an advanced degree.

Education If you want to learn a skill, you can go to a trade, technical, or vocational school. Most schools offer students some form of financial aid, or money to help you pay for your education.

Experience In planning for a career, gaining experience is as important as getting an education.

Apprenticeship An apprenticeship consists of learning a trade by working under the guidance of a skilled worker, such as a chef, a plumber, or an electrician. Many apprenticeship programs are available through labor unions and trade schools.

Apprenticeship An apprenticeship can last from two to five years. As an apprentice’s skills increase, so does the pay. An apprentice who completes a program is called a journey worker, or skilled craftsperson, and can make very high wages.

Internship An internship is a program that provides hands-on experience for a beginner in an occupation, usually as a temporary, unpaid trainee. Internships allow you to learn how a business works from the inside and can lead directly to a job.

Other Types of Experience You can gain valuable skills and experience by doing volunteer work. Your school might have a cooperative work or earn-and-learn program.

Other Types of Experience Shadowing means following a person throughout a workday to see what a job involves. Business and community leaders, teachers, and students work together to plan students’ work experiences and educational goals.

The Career Ladder You can’t expect to go from an intern at a local TV station to a network news anchor. You have to move up the career ladder, or through different job levels within an occupation. You climb the ladder to better positions as you gain more skills, knowledge, and experience. You might have to start out with an entry-level job, or a beginning career job.

Employability Skills Different jobs require different qualifications, or education, skills, and work experience to do a particular job.

Employability Skills The factors that make up a person’s employability skills are: Qualifications Character Personality Ability to work with others

Level of Education High school dropouts have fewer job opportunities, especially if they have no previous work experience. The more skills and education you have, the wider the job market will be for you.

Figure 21.1 MEDIAN EARNINGS OF FULL-TIME WORKERS What is the annual difference in earnings of a high school dropout and a high school graduate?

Required Skills The basic skills employers expect workers to have are: Reading Ability to communicate with others Math Computers Ability to follow instructions

Work Experience Many employers look for people with some work experience. Sometimes employers even require that potential employees have a certain number of years of experience.

Work Experience It’s important to get some kind of experience either through a school program, volunteer work, or even helping out at a family business.

Work Experience The more skill and experience a job requires, the better it pays.

Employability Skills Different jobs require different qualifications, or education, skills, and work experience to do a particular job.

Employability Skills The factors that make up a person’s employability skills are: Qualifications Character Personality Ability to work with others

Level of Education High school dropouts have fewer job opportunities, especially if they have no previous work experience. The more skills and education you have, the wider the job market will be for you.

Required Skills The basic skills employers expect workers to have are: Reading Ability to communicate with others Math Computers Ability to follow instructions

Work Experience Many employers look for people with some work experience. Sometimes employers even require that potential employees have a certain number of years of experience.

Work Experience The more skill and experience a job requires, the better it pays.

Character and Personality The character and personality traits employers value are: Honesty Dependability A willingness to work hard continued

Character and Personality Good attitude A desire to do the job well The ability to get along with other workers

Body Language Your body language, or nonverbal communication, often says more about you than your spoken or written words. If you seem fidgety or bored during an interview, it looks like you have short attention or aren’t interested in the job.

Character and Personality The character and personality traits employers value are: Honesty Dependability A willingness to work hard continued

Character and Personality Good attitude A desire to do the job well The ability to get along with other workers

Body Language Your body language, or nonverbal communication, often says more about you than your spoken or written words. If you seem fidgety or bored during an interview, it looks like you have short attention or aren’t interested in the job.

School Records Employers might check school records for information about your character and personality. Good attendance and punctuality indicate that you’re reliable and will show up for work on time.

Extracurricular Activities Extracurricular activities are activities in which you take part outside of school. Extracurricular activities indicate extra effort on your part, as well as possible leadership ability.

Preparing Your Résumé A résumé is a summary of your skills, education, and work experience. Its purpose is to persuade potential employers to grant you an interview.

Preparing Your Résumé The beginning of a résumé includes personal information such as your name, address, and telephone number.

Preparing Your Résumé Your education and work history tell an employer about your abilities and work ethic. Include volunteer work you’ve done.

Preparing Your Résumé The appearance of your résumé makes the first impression on an employer. Be sure the résumé is neatly formatted and that the information is presented clearly. Check spelling and grammar.

References A reference is a person an employer can contact to find out about your experience, education, and character.

References Job and school references are used to verify that you worked and went to school where you claimed. Personal references are used to testify to your character.

Employment Objective An employment objective is a statement of your career goals or interest in a business.

Figure 21.2 A SAMPLE RÉSUMÉ A résumé tells a prospective employer four things—who you are, what you want to do, what you have done, and what you can do. Why was it a good idea for Peter Cortez to list his activities?

Looking for Openings A job lead is information about a job opening. Job leads can come from several sources.

Your Network Your network consists of people you know, such as friends, relatives, neighbors, and members of groups to which you belong.

Your Network People in your network might be able to tell you about better job openings or openings that aren’t advertised.

Your Network A referral is a personal recommendation to an employer or other job lead.

Your School Your school might have a work placement office. Employers often post job openings at schools.

Want Ads Want ads help you find out quickly if any jobs are listed in which you might be interested.

Want Ads Want ads will give you a good idea about how much certain jobs pay and what skills or education are required.

Want Ads You can search local and national databases on the Internet for jobs. The databases are updated often and usually provide detailed descriptions of jobs.

Local Businesses Some businesses post job notices on bulletin boards in supermarkets or in shopping malls. You can also call a company’s personnel office to see if they have jobs open.

Local Businesses Sometimes you can find a job by walking around your local business district and asking business owners if they’re hiring new employees. You might find help-wanted signs in the windows of businesses.

Employment Agencies Services that help people find jobs are called employment agencies. Employment agencies can be public or private.

Employment Agencies Public agencies are usually run by the state or local government and might be connected with the unemployment office.

Employment Agencies The Federal Job Information Center has regional agencies that can give you information about government job openings.

Employment Agencies Private employment agencies, such as temp services, often charge for their services.

Graphic Organizer Sources of Job Leads Graphic Organizer employment agencies family friends school counselor localbusinesses ads

Contacting Potential Employers The process of applying for a job includes several steps: Cover letter Job application Employment testing Interview

Cover Letter A cover letter is a one-page letter that tells the employer about you and why you’re applying for the job. A cover letter should be specifically addressed to the employer.

Job Application Like your résumé, the job application form presents you to a potential employer so you should carefully follow the directions.

Job Application Don’t leave any blanks on a job application. If a question doesn’t apply to you, write “not applicable,” or N/A.

JOB APPLICATION ESSENTIALS Part 1 A cover letter introduces you to an employer. It should be tailored to the position you’re interested in. What should accompany the cover letter? Part 2 Most employers ask potential employees to fill out application forms. It’s important to read the directions carefully and fill out the form neatly and completely. How many computer applications is Peter able to use?

Employment Testing When you apply for a job you might be asked to take a test to see if you have the proper skills.

Job Interview A job interview is a formal face-to- face discussion between an employer and a potential employee.

Job Interview A few things to keep in mind about your job interview are: Do some homework about the job Be on time Wear appropriate clothes continued

Job Interview Put your best foot forward Ask questions about the job Don’t expect an answer right away

Job Interview Call or write a letter thanking the interviewer. This shows you’re still interested in the job and allows you to add anything you forgot to mention in the interview.