Journal Assignment Final
Majors and Careers Making the right choice! Choosing A Career Rule#1 : Choose a career that is something you really like to do. – If you can get an employer to pay you to do a job you already enjoy, you are way ahead of the game. Rule#2 : Choose carefully & thoughtfully. Rule#3 : Make it meaningful to you. Choose Career Options That Match Your Values Knowing what you value most will help you refine your career search and choice. – Helping others – Prestige – High income – Fewer work hours Establish and align values, career choice, and career goals for motivation. Surviving in a Fast Economy You are, more or less, solely responsible for your career. You must accept risks and plan for the future to advance your career. A college degree does not guarantee employment. A commitment to lifelong learning will help keep you employable. Factors to Consider Do: explore a number of careers and majors get involved follow your passion Don’t: focus on a major just to get a career out of it select a major just because it is “cool” or seems to promise prestige let someone else push you into a job Factors Affecting Career Choices Interests Skills Aptitudes People skills Experience Family traditions Personality Life goals and work values Exploring Your Interests Holland’s Hexagonal Model of Career Fields Investigative Artistic Social Realistic Conventional Enterprising Where to Go for Help Career center Faculty Upper - class students Student organizations Placement services Become Knowledgeable About Careers Explore the Career Center Select several careers, not just one Network See a career counselor Scope out Internet resources Explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook - Career Center It’s a good idea to keep up with the occupational outlook for various fields. Get to know which ones are adding jobs and which ones are losing them. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is an excellent source, and is updated every two years. Good news! Over the next few years, jobs requiring college degrees will be the fastest -growing and highest paying . Select Several Careers, Not Just One It’s a good idea to have several careers in mind rather than just one in your first year of college. Approximately 60% of students change their major at some point during their college career. It pays to be knowledgeable about more than just one career field. It also pays to develop a wide variety of general skills, particular those related to communication. Network Check with people you know about career information. Networking can lead to meeting someone who may be able to answer your questions about a specific career or company. It is an effective way to learn about the type of training necessary for a particular position, what it took to get into the field, and the positive and negative aspects of the work. Assess Your Skills Academic Strengths Reading, Writing, Speaking, and Listening Math Creative Thinking Problem Solving and Decision Making Personal Qualities Self -Esteem, Self -Management, Responsibility People Skills Social, Negotiation, Leadership, Teamwork Information to Use In Your Career Goal - Setting Major career field target Preferred type of work Income requirements Geographical requirements Special needs Industry preferences See a Career Counselor The career counselors at your college are trained professionals who can help you – discover your strengths and weaknesses – evaluate your values and goals – sort through what type of career you want They will not tell you what to do, they will simply help identify what factors may lead to successful and interesting career options. Questions for Academic Advisors What classes should I take this term and next? What sequence of classes should I take? Am I taking too many difficult classes in one term? What electives do you recommend? What career opportunities are there if I study mainly _____? Getting Experience Volunteer or service learning Study abroad Internships/co -ops On -campus employment Student projects/competitions Research On -the -job training Apprenticeships Research the Job Identify the skills and experience necessary to perform the job you want. Determine the general requirements of the job. Learn about the day -to -day tasks and responsibilities. Research the company and employer. Determine the company’s philosophy. The more you know about the job, the stronger the candidate you will become. How big will my office be? Know What Employers Want Potential employers will look for evidence of your accomplishments and experiences. Did you hold leadership positions? Were you active in campus organizations or extracurricular activities? Did you have relevant experiences in co -op, internships, or part -time work? Did you make good grades? The more you have of these experiences, the better. Go by incognito and get the “lay of the land.” – How do the employees dress, interact with each other, look for company policy wall signs and so on. Building a Resume Put contact information at the top. State an objective if appropriate. List education to date. Use action verbs in stating accomplishments. Separate work experience related to your major from other work experience. Explain honors and awards. Include interests. Knock ‘Em Dead in a Job Interview The examples you give of your past experiences is critical. Résumés are important in getting you an interview in the first place. Make yours organized and clear. Prepare for the interview: research your prospective employer. Anticipate what you will be asked and practice interviewing. Ask appropriate job - related questions. Keep your cool. If you decide you want the job, ask for it at the close of the interview. Type a brief follow -up letter to mail within 24 hours. Explore Relevant Part - Time and Summer Jobs Students benefit when their jobs are on campus. Investigate if there exists a part -time job in the department of your major. Advanced planning will help you obtain a summer job with a company related to your field. If you can’t find a related job, you can still demonstrate work -related skills and a work ethic that will impress prospective employers. Internet Career Journey Web Resources Career Resource Center http://www.careers.org/ Job Hunt http://www.job -hunt.org The Catapult on Job Web http://www.job -hunt.org/ The Riley Guide: Employment Opportunities and Job Resources on the Internet www.rileyguide.com Monster.com http://www.monster.com/ Quintessential Careers http://www.quintcareers.com/index.html
