Choosing the Right Career

Total words: 1390
Career development while in college is an on-going decision process regarding the world of employment and that's more than just looking for work...you need to find fulfillment in a career and not just a paycheck. Career preparation is a search that encourages you to accept individual responsibility for your life. Sounds all adult like don't it?

I would say that there are three stages of career development while in the old alma mater:

Self-Assessment

Career Examination

Go for it!

Self-Assessment
Stage one provides an important base for finding your career. As you learn about yourself and about occupations, you become better prepared to make better career choices. Before you begin exploring careers and trying to identify jobs and careers which will prove satisfying, you must first develop a true understanding of your self, your skills, interests, values, and personality characteristics. Questions to ask yourself when you are trying to avoid studying are:

Skills
What are my strengths & weaknesses?
What are my most prominent skills & capabilities?
What skills do I want to use in a career?
What talents do I need to acquire?

Values
What do I seek in a career?
How must I be challenged and rewarded?
In what type of environment would I be happy?

Interests
What am I interested in doing?
What activities have I enjoyed the most?
What kinds of people would I like to work around?
What kind of job settings would I enjoy?

Self-Assessment is the first and most important step in the career development during college. If you are willing to invest the time and effort, you should be able to use this self-assessment to identify career options that are most appropriate for you.
Most college career centers offer several options in terms of resources and services to help you conduct a self-assessment inventory. Stop in or call your career center to schedule an appointment to discuss the process and how they might be able to help.

Career Examination
The Career Examination stage is best described as the "information gathering" phase. Essentially, you will gather as much information as you can about potential careers in order to make an educated career decision. "Educated" it the key word here. Never go blind into a career decision. Also, as you go through the lists of potential careers, be open-minded. Don't discount a career until you have done some research.

Making A Wish List
It is likely that there are several career possibilities you have already thought about, but are not sure of. Make a list of them...no career idea is too small or insignificant.
·     Talk with your family & friends and ask them for their ideas for career possibilities.
·     Go through the want ads or job listings and clip out those that interest you.
·     Attend career programs, panels, or seminars to learn about different career fields.
·     Surf the web.
·     Talk to participants at Career Fairs to find out about their jobs and careers.
·     Take a course to see if you like it and are good at using new skills.
·     Add all new possible careers to your list.

Gathering General Information
One place to start your career search is with literature. There is information written about every career field. The information will provide general overviews of career fields giving the types of jobs which are available, working conditions, environments, employment outlooks, qualifications and credentials required, and other general information describing that career field. Your career center, library, bookstore and the internet can provide information about a wide range of career fields.

Gathering First Hand Information
One of the best ways to obtain career information is to talk with someone who is working in the field which you have an interest. An informational interview is an excellent way to gather first-hand information about a particular career field and various jobs within that field.

Go For It!
From your research and experiences you should be ready to choose one of the options available to you. It is OK to pursue several career possibilities at the same time, but ultimately you will choose one over the others (at least for the time being). Many students have pursued several career options at one time and then opted for the one that fell into place first. The course of action you choose will depend on where you are in terms of the career development process. Good luck!

Four Year Planning Guide

First Year & Sophomore Year: Explore
Your first two years at college should be spent learning about yourself, beginning to explore the world of careers, and discovering the resources available on campus to help you plan for that career after graduation. At the end of your sophomore year you will have had to choose a major....a very important step in the career search. Yet, the major is not everything. Many, many graduates go on to careers that have little or nothing to do with their academic studies. Yet, choosing a major is an altogether different article. Back to careers. All things being equal...if you have been doing your "homework" all along, you should be selected a major which fits into your career plans.

·     Begin to develop a relationship with your Academic Advisor.
·     Stop by your career center to learn more about career resources.
·     Schedule an appointment to meet with a career counselor to get started on career planning
·     Identify five to ten careers to explore in depth.
·     Browse through career books in the career library to identify career options. Can be found in your career center, library or bookstore.
·     Attend career programs and presentations to hear alumni and other professionals talk about their jobs and career paths.
·     Conduct informational interviews with alumni and other professionals to gather specific information
·     Browse the job announcements posted in the career center and check job posting to learn about the current job markets.
·     Gain practical experience and exposure to career fields through volunteer work, on-campus, part-time, summer or full-time jobs.
·     Maybe begin planning an internship experience

Junior Year: Focus
During your junior year you can begin to explore career alternatives in depth, gain additional and relevant experience and talk with alumni who are experienced in your field of interest.

·     Meet with a career counselor to discuss your career plans and options.
·     Identify two or three careers to research in depth.
·     Schedule a meeting with your advisor and other members of the faculty to review and adjust your academic plan to prepare for career choices.
·     Take specific and necessary courses to complete your major and focus on your career.
·     Look for part-time and/or summer employment positions which are in your specific field.
·     Secure and internship or volunteer position directly related to your career planning.
·     Gather information about potential job opportunities and employers.
·     Attend career programs and presentations which include alumni panelists to hear about their jobs and career planning process.
·     Continue to conduct informational interviews.
·     Begin researching graduate and professional programs.
·     Meet with career counselor to begin rough draft of your resume and cover letters.
·     I necessary, register and prepare for any graduate exams (GRE, MCAT,GAT, LSAT)

Senior Year: JUST DO IT!
Your senior year is full of activities which include research projects, completing major requirements, attending senior functions and saying good-bye to faculty, staff, and friends. It is also important to begin your job search or complete the graduate school application process. It is time to begin to plan for life after college...all that "real world" stuff you have heard so much about over the past few years!

·     Meet with your advisor to finalize academic plans.
·     Target specific jobs and career interests.
·     Take appropriate adjunct courses and graduate exams (GRE,MCAT,GMAT,LSAT)
·     Join professional associations and attend meetings, conferences and set up specific internships or volunteer positions.
·     Develop and practice effective interviewing skills.
·     Meet with a career counselor to have your resume and cover letter critiqued.
·     Obtain at least three letters of reference from faculty, internships supervisors and employers.
·     Participate in on-campus recruiting programs
·     Utilize all the resources of the career library including career books, employer directories, employer literature, alumni networking information, job postings, etc.
·     Contact friends, relatives, faculty members, and other professionals for job leads.
·     Begin your comprehensive job search and/or complete graduate school application materials.

Whether you are a freshman or a fifth year senior...it is never too late to start the career search process. Eventually they are going to ask you to graduate or take tenure...and then you will indeed need to have a career and a job!

Good luck!

Add a Review for this free essay

Be the first one to review this free Essay

Sticky Note Text....

Welcome! Not a Member? Click here to Join Now!
Log in
Forgot Password?