Careers and Leadership Objective 4

Thinking About Careers Chapter 7

More Than a Paycheck Choosing a career today is very difficult There are more than 200,000 different jobs to choose from Working a job is not always about making money Working also improves your self-esteem, makes you feel proud and competent, helps you gain knowledge, develop social relationships, and contribute to society

Self-Assessment Doing a personal assessment will help you to understand what you are good at Look at your interests, skills, aptitudes, personality traits, and values to help make that decision

Career Exploration The public library has many resources on jobs The Department of Labor publishes the Occupational Outlook Handbook and the Dictionary of Occupational Titles Both give specific information about jobs

Cont. Interviews Talk to someone that works doing what you are interested in Observing/Job Shadowing Follow a person in the occupation you are interested in and see if you are still interested in it

Career Preparation Once you figure what career you would like, you need to know what type of education is required Possibilities for training: High school, technical institutes, trade schools, apprenticeships, U.S. armed services, community college, four-year college or university, and graduate schools

Career Planning Now that you have explored different careers and know their requirements, it is time to plan Set goals for yourself Make decisions now and know how they will affect you later

Cont. Work a part-time job Volunteer in the community Internships Apprenticeships Cooperative education programs

A Clear Focus Starting to plan for your future now is important Stay focused on your goal and remember what you accomplish now will affect your future!