1. Career EMPOWERMENT Curriculum
Taking Control of Your Career
Getting Started in
Your Career

2. Getting Started in Your Career
Prepare for a career
Understand the starter job
Understand the impact of education
Choose a strategy for your career

3. Module Flow Introduction Target Career The Starter Job
Educational Programs
Using Your Network and Other Ways to Move Forward
Short-term and Long-term Planning
Action Plan
Applying the Learning

4. Introduction We want… participants to feel safe
participants to start talking
to gather relevant data from the participants
We want this to be a safe place for you to explore this topic. These ground rules help keep the environment safe

5. Prepare for a Career You want to know: Skills required
Salary projections/range
Job description
Working conditions
Employment and upward mobility opportunities
Education requirements
In order to effectively prepare for the career that you want, you need to know some key pieces of information about your target career.

6. The Starter Job
A job in the same field or same place as your target career.
Builds contacts
Gain experience
Develop skills
Work with or near people who have the job you want
A starter job is a job in the same field or same place as your target career. At a starter job, you build contacts, experience, and skills, while working with or near people who have the job you want.

7. Possible Starter Jobs Target Career Starter Job Registered Nurse
Computer Technician
Loan officer
Project Manager
Real Estate Broker
Medical Assistant
Data Entry Clerk
Bank Teller
Administrative Assistant
Receptionist in a real estate agency

8. Educational Programs Educational Foundation ABE, Adult Basic Education
GED
ESL, English as a Second Language
Union apprenticeship program
Career Education
Certificate programs
Associate of Arts or Associate of Science Degrees
Associate of Applied Arts Degrees
Bachelor’s Degree
There are 2 main types of educational programs: educational foundation and career education.

9. Learn More Before You Enroll
Ask questions
Visit the school or program
Sit in on classes
Talk with a teacher in your department
Talk with students
Talk to someone in the financial aid office
Choosing a school or educational program is an important decision. Now, maybe the best-known nursing school in the area is just down the street from you and the choice is easy. If not, you might want to learn more about potential programs before you enroll.

10. Short-term and Long-term Planning
Short-term goals
Take less than a year to complete and are stepping stones to long-term plans.
Long-term goals
Take more than a year to complete or are those that you won’t be able to start taking action on until after your short-term goals are achieved.

11. Your Action Plan

12. Apply the Learning What was the most valuable part of this module?
What will you do differently as a result?
What is your biggest obstacle to getting started in your desired career and how will you handle it?
As you move forward getting started in your career, it’s good to have a plan to get you from where you are today to where you ultimately want to be in your career.
You want to engage in both short-term and long-term planning.