CAT Career Conference November 9, 2013

Developing a Career Search Strategy Ann Sherman, Director of Human Resources Julane Cappo, Assistant Director of Human Resources for Employment and Compensation Northern Michigan University

Inspiration for this Presentation! (Forrest: Spring 2013 graduate)

What is a Career Strategy?  What jobs can you get with your degree?  Where do you want to live?  Geographically  Urban/rural  Politically  What type of work environment do you thrive in?  Size, playfulness?  Where do you have a good social network (if you want one)?  What industries are most aligned with your values?  What cultures are you interested in and/or most comfortable with?  What do you enjoy doing in your free time?

Jobs vs Degrees?  What are some typical job titles (check out the info at the ACAC wall)?  What does an “analyst” do? A “coordinator”?  An “account representative”?  What are the unique knowledge or skills that you’ve acquired as a result of your educational experiences?  What types of entry requirements are most typical in your field?  How can you translate other job experiences to your first professional position?  What do you uniquely offer that will make a difference to a hiring manager?  Who do you know that can help you explore a possible job, or network for various opportunities?

Where to live? If you could go anywhere, where would you want to go, and why?  Weather (hot/cold, natural disasters)  Language  Culture (politics, religion, diversity)  Location (near/far)  Foods  Activities (sports, theatre, outdoors)  Rural/urban/global

What type of work environment will you thrive in?  Banker vs Google programmer?  Entrepreneurial, small-, mid-, large?  Opportunities for career movement?  Flexibility & # of hours expected?  Risk or safety factors?  Office vs outdoors

Social Networks Collective  Do you want to live near friends and family? How close?  Are holidays and celebrations important events?  Does it feel awkward to break into new social circles?  Where do other people that you know live? Individual  Do you want to live somewhere else?  Would you rather be vacationing during the holidays?  Do you make new friends readily?  Are you comfortable being on your own?  What experiences are you eager to explore?

What Industry?  Medical  Airlines  Toys/dolls/games  Golf  Education  Tobacco  Guns  Government  Banking  What kinds of products or services do you love?  What kinds of activities do you enjoy?  How do your values and life perspective match with an industry’s output?

What culture?  Culture has many dimensions. Where will you feel most effective living and working?  Do you have biases/prejudices?  Do other cultures intrigue you, scare you, or excite you?  What if you can’t find your favorite foods?  What if your faith community is not present, or actively persecuted?  Can you adapt to new cultures quickly?  What stereotypes do you have of Asian, European, or American cultures?

What makes life fun?  Theatre (New York)  Music (Austin)  Skiing (Colorado)  Beaches (coasts or Great Lakes)  Hiking  Wide open spaces  Vibrant cities

The Reality:  You can plan, but be prepared for your life to take you in a different direction!  Don’t burn bridges: you never know who will lead you to your next job.  Take advantage of every opportunity you get to learn and apply new skills.  Don’t sell yourself short, but don’t oversell yourself, either.  Give yourself time to explore, but don’t hesitate to make another decision if needed.  Timing will be a factor in the decisions you make.  Do what you love, not just what you’re good at!

Let’s Put it All Together Use your worksheet to begin to develop your career strategy. We know the who (you!): now let’s determine what, where, when, and why