Must add resorces from Vocational INformation Center (Career and College Planning Resources)

 

 

1. What is Career Planning?

To manage means "to control, handle, or cope." Career management is the ability to control your life, handle the demands of work and life, and cope with a dynamic and changing economy that directly affects your work life and career development. Ask yourself:

ü  Who are you?

ü  What interests you?

ü  What do you like to do?

ü  What are you good at doing?

ü  What do you value, what's important to you?

ü  What are your special assets, skills, and abilities?

ü  Who needs the talents, skills, and abilities you can provide?

ü  What work environment and/or arrangements make sense for you?

ü  What skills do you need to acquire to develop and manage your career?

Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupation, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring.

 

2. Know Yourself

Self-assessment is the process of "knowing yourself." It involves taking an inventory of your likes, dislikes, personal characteristics, values, wants, and needs. Ask yourself and also ask friends, family members, teachers, or mentors if they see the same qualities in you as you see in yourself. Simply ask:

ü  What do I like to do?

ü  What activities do I find fun, motivating, interesting and enjoyable?

ü  What skills and abilities do I have or want to develop?

ü  What personal style or characteristics do I have that are important to me in the work place?

ü  What purpose or goal do I want to accomplish in my career?

Self-assessment includes:

Interests                Things you enjoy doing can give you important clues about work or career interests. Fixing things, using computers, cooking, and caring for children are just a few examples of everyday activities and skills that can be transferred into a career.

Personality            Each person's unique combination of emotional and behavioral characteristics constitutes their personality. Different careers fit better with different personality traits. For example, an outgoing, friendly person who enjoys meeting and talking to people all day would be suited for jobs in sales, customer service, or public relations.

Skills       Skills are acquired not only from past work experiences, but also from community service and other roles in your life. Skills are divided into three types:

·         Transferable or functional skills ─ Skills that can be transported from one job to another.

·         Self-management or adaptive skills ─ Skills or strengths developed through life and work experience, or from exposure to role models. They are also behaviors learned in families and from significant others. Certain self-management skills are very important in some occupations, less important in others.

·         Technical or work content skills ─ Skills that are learned through training and often can be applied only to a narrow range of occupations. Recognizing the satisfaction generated from using these skills can sometimes indicate alternative career choices.

Abilities                  Talents and natural abilities often indicate potential in a particular area. People often take for granted the skills that come easily to them, yet those are precisely the areas that should be explored when considering careers.

Work Values         The motivation or personal incentives needed for job satisfaction are unique to each person. By examining your work values, you can prioritize what role work plays in your life. However, as you grow and mature, some of your values may change. Therefore, a job or career chosen at age 20 may not match the values held at age 40 or 50.

Lifestyle & Financial Considerations                Your preferred living conditions can affect your career and occupational choices, and vice versa. Financial needs are an important consideration. Knowledge of monthly expenses and having realistic financial goals can help in choosing appropriate occupations.

Preferred Work Environment            Preferences regarding working conditions can be just as important as what you choose to do. Work environment can play a large part in how you feel about your job.

 

3. Skills and Abilities

The skills can be divided into two categories:

·         Foundation Skills ─ skills people bring to a job, also known as transferable skills

·         Functional Skills ─ skills specific to the functions workers perform doing their job

FOUNDATION SKILLS

I. Basic Skills

ü  Reading - Locates, understands, and interprets written information in prose and documents including manuals, graphs, and schedules to perform tasks. Learns from text by determining the main idea or essential message.

ü  Writing - Communicates thoughts, ideas, information, and messages in writing. Composes and creates documents such as letters, directions, manuals, reports, proposals, graphs, and flow charts with language, style, organization, and format appropriate to the subject matter, purpose, and audience.

ü  Arithmetic - Performs basic computations using basic numerical concepts, such as whole numbers and percentages, in practical situations. Uses tables, graphs, diagrams, and charts to obtain or convey quantitative information.

ü  Speaking - Organizes ideas and communicates oral messages appropriate to listeners and situations. Participates in conversations, discussions, and group presentations. Speaks clearly.

ü  Listening - Listens carefully and understands and responds to listener feedback. Receives, interprets, and responds to verbal messages and other cues such as body language.

II. Thinking Skills

ü  Creative thinking - Uses imagination freely. Combines ideas or information in new ways. Makes connections between seemingly unrelated ideas, and reshapes goals in ways that reveal new possibilities.

ü  Decision-making - Specifies goals and constraints. Generates alternatives, considers risks, and evaluates and chooses best alternative.

ü  Problem solving - Recognizes that a problem exists. Identifies possible reasons for the differences and creates and implements a plan of action to resolve them. Evaluates and monitors progress and revises plan as indicated by findings.

ü  Knowing how to learn - can adapt and apply new knowledge and skills to both familiar and changing situations. Is able to use ways of learning, such as note taking and organizing information. Becomes aware of false assumptions that may lead to wrong conclusions.

III. Personal Qualities

ü  Responsibility - Exerts effort and perseverance toward attaining goals. Works to become excellent at doing tasks by setting high standards, paying attention to details, working well even when assigned an unpleasant task, and displaying a high level of concentration.

ü  Social skills - Demonstrates understanding, friendliness, adaptability, empathy, and politeness in new and ongoing group settings. Asserts self in familiar and unfamiliar social situations. Relates well to others. Responds appropriately. Takes an interest in what others say and do.

ü  Self-management - Assesses own knowledge, skills, and abilities accurately; sets well-defined and realistic personal goals. Monitors progress toward goal attainment and motivates self through goal achievement. Exhibits self-control and responds to feedback unemotionally and nondefensively. A “self-starter.”

ü  Integrity/honesty - Can be trusted. Recognizes when faced with making a decision or acting in ways that may break with commonly held personal or societal values. Understands the impact of violating these beliefs and codes in respect to an organization, self, or others. Chooses an ethical course of action.

FUNCTIONAL SKILLS

IV. Resources

ü  Manages time - Selects important, goal-related activities and ranks them in order of importance. Allocates time to activities and understands, prepares, and follows schedules.

ü  Manages money - Uses or prepares budgets, including making cost and revenue forecasts. Keeps detailed records to track budget performance and makes appropriate adjustments.

ü  Manages material and facility resources - Acquires, stores, and distributes materials, supplies, parts, equipment, space, or final products in order to make the best use of them.

ü  Manages human resources - Assesses people’s knowledge, skills, abilities, and potential. Identifies present and future workload. Makes effective matches between individual talents and workload. Monitors performance and provides feedback.

V. Systems & Technology

ü  Understands systems - Knows how social, organizational, and technological systems work and operates effectively within them. Makes suggestions to modify systems to improve products or services, and develops new or alternative systems maintenance and quality control.

ü  Uses technology - Judges which set of procedures, tools, or machines will produce the desired results. Understands the overall intent and the proper procedures for setting up and operating machines, including computers and their programming systems. Prevents, identifies, or solves problems in machines, computers, and other technology.

VI. Informational Skills

ü  Acquires and evaluates information - Identifies need for data. Obtains it from existing sources or creates it and evaluates its relevance and accuracy.

ü  Organizes and maintains information – Organizes processes and maintains written or computerized records and other forms of information in a systematic fashion.

ü  Interprets and communicates information - Selects and analyzes information and communicates the results to others using oral, written, graphic, pictorial or multimedia methods.

VII. Interpersonal Skills

ü  Participates as a member of a team - Works cooperatively with others and contributes to group effort with ideas, suggestions, and effort. Resolves differences for the benefit of the team and takes personal responsibility for accomplishing goals.

ü  Teaches others - Helps others obtain necessary information and skills. Identifies training needs and supplies job information to help others see its use and relevance to tasks.

ü  Serves clients, customers - Works and communicates with clients and customers to satisfy their expectations. Actively listens to clients and customers to avoid misunderstandings and identify needs. Communicates in a positive manner, especially when handling complaints or conflict.

ü  Exercises leadership - Communicates thoughts, feelings, and ideas to justify a position; encourages, persuades, convinces, or otherwise motivates an individual or groups; responsibly challenges existing procedures and policies

ü  Works with cultural diversity - Works well with men, women, and those with a variety of ethnic, social, or educational backgrounds. Bases impressions on individual performance, not on stereotypes.

Self-Assesment tools and instruments:

Assessment tests and self-assessment activities provide a useful means for learning more about yourself.

Career Path:                   http://careerpath.com/career-tests/

Education Planner:        http://www.educationplanner.com/careerkey/default.asp?sponsor=2859

Resource:                        http://www.khake.com/page51.html

                                          http://www.quintcareers.com/teen_jobs.html

                                                   http://www.moneyinstructor.com/careerplanning.asp

Video:                              http://www.nextsteps.org/video/

4. CAREER EXPLORATION

After self-assessment, the next step is  to locate information about careers of interest. Because careers are rapidly changing, it is important to locate current sources of information.

If you are asking yourself:

ü  How did you get started in this career?

ü  What is a typical day like?

ü  What type of training or education is required?

ü  What are the starting and average salaries?

you will need to research some more about:

ü  Job descriptions and requirements

ü  Salary and working conditions

ü  Education and training requirements

ü  The labor market, including demographics, industrial and occupational trends

Resources:

http://www.soicc.state.nc.us/soicc/planning/c2.htm

Next Steps: http://www.nextsteps.org/finder/profiles.html

3. JOB SEARCH

Once you've decided on a career path and made strides in obtaining the required training and education, you will be prepared to begin searching for a job that suits you. Job searching skills include:

ü  How to write a resume and cover letter

ü  How to network to find job openings

ü  How to fill out an application

ü  How to interview successfully for a job

 

5. Job Seeking Checklist

I will do the following to help myself look for a job:

	Define my objective ─ know what kind of work I most enjoy and can perform the best.
	Ask employers, colleagues, and other people who know about my skills for letters of introduction and/or recommendations and to serve as references for me.
	Talk with contacts in business and industry, friends and family, and others to discuss potential employment contacts (network).
	Prepare or update a resumé.
	Register at my local JobLink Career Center.
	Plan how to get to employment interviews and job sites.
	Develop a telephone script for making initial inquiries.
	Call or send letters and resumés to potential employers.
	Prepare for interviews by finding out as much as possible about prospective employers.
	Practice interviewing with friends, family, and other contacts.
	Follow-up all employment contacts with thank you letters, telephone contacts, and/or more information about myself.
	Maintain an active file on employment inquiry contacts.

 

6. Networking

Networking Objectives

ü  Let people know you are seeking employment.

ü  Discover the hidden job market – those jobs that are not advertised.

ü  Increase your knowledge of the industry, companies, and/or occupation.

ü  Increase your knowledge about a new or related career field.

Networking tips- Follow these steps to develop your network:

ü  Identify your network ─ List as many people as you can.

ü  Select the most promising contacts

ü  Follow-up ─ Keep careful records of all the people you contact, and always send a thank you note.

ü  Expand your network ─ Continue to generate a list of people you can contact

Building a strong network can be the most effective way to find employment, because your contacts can:

ü  Introduce you to others in their network.

ü  Refer you to others for more information.

ü  Make suggestions of other businesses or agencies that may be of interest to you.

ü  Give you feedback on your job search strategy, resumé, and correspondence.

ü  Help you stay motivated by their encouragement and support.

People Skills Necessary for Networking:

ü  Assertiveness – Take responsibility for getting what you want, and do not apologize for asking for help.

ü  Excellent Listening Skills – Most of your networking will require listening for information.

ü  Asking Good Questions – Good questions indicate good listening skills.

ü  Presenting Yourself Attractively – Communicate self-confidence.

 

7. Employment Aplication

Most employers will ask you to complete an application form. Have with you:

ü  Address and telephone number where you can be contacted

ü  Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of previous employers

ü  List of school programs and special skills/achievements that help qualify you for the job

ü  Names, addresses, and telephone numbers of at least three references

ü  Driver's license

 

8. RESUME/CV

A resumé is one of the most important tools in your job search. Its purpose is to market your experience, skills, and abilities to entice an employer to know more about you and contact you for an interview. In other words, it is used to get you an interview, not to get you a job. It is usually the first impression you make on the person making hiring decisions, so make it a good one!

Contents               A good resumé presents:

ü  Who you are

ü  What kind of position you want

ü  Your skills, abilities, and accomplishments

ü  Listing of education and training

ü  Listing of previous work experience

Always include a cover letter with every resumé you send.

Resumé Basics

Do:	Don't:
ü  Be concise, accurate, positive.	ü  Lie or exaggerate.
ü  List your most recent job first.	ü  Include your salary history, Social Security number, age, or gender.
ü  Stress skills and accomplishments that are most relevant to the job for which you're applying.	ü  Use pronouns, abbreviations.
ü  Use action verbs.	ü  Overdo use of bold & italics.
ü  Make resumé attractive to read.	ü  Use small type, overcrowd margins.
ü  Have someone proofread before mailing.	ü  Include references.

References - usually left off resumés unless you are instructed to include them for a job fair.

Formats - there are different resumé formats, including chronological, functional, and electronic.

Career Objectives

You should begin your resumé with your career objective. It is the first part of your resumé a prospective employer will see, and it can determine whether that person reads further or discards your resumé into the reject pile.

When seeking a specific job opening, tailor your objective to that particular job. This means you will need to create multiple resumés — one with a specific objective for each job sought.

ü  Level of position for which you are applying: Obtain an entry-level position...

ü  Type of business, industry, or career area sought:Obtain an entry-level position in the hospitality industry

ü  Statement of the major strengths you have to offer this employer.

Wording

When designing your resumé, choose your words carefully. Use words employers like to hear (read). This includes keywords and action verbs.

Action Verbs That Describe Your Functional Skills*

Acted	Communicated	Empathized	Handled	Logged
Adapted	Compared	Enforced	Headed	Made
Addressed	Completed	Established	Helped	Maintained
Administered	Computed	Estimated	Identified	Managed
Advised	Conceived	Evaluated	Illustrated	Manipulated
Allocated	Coordinated	Examined	Imagined	Mediated
Analyzed	Copied	Expanded	Implemented	Memorized
Approved	Counseled	Experimented	Improved	Monitored
Arranged	Created	Extracted	Improvised	Met
Ascertained	Dealt	Facilitated	Increased	Modeled
Assisted	Decided	Filed	Indexed	Observed
Attained	Defined	Financed	Initiated	Obtained
Audited	Delegated	Fixed	Inspected	Offered
Brought	Delivered	Followed	Interpreted	Operated
Budgeted	Designed	Formulated	Investigated	Ordered
Built	Detected	Founded	Judged	Performed
Calculated	Directed	Gathered	Kept	Received
Chartered	Documented	Gave	Learned	Taught
Checked	Drove	Generated	Lectured	Utilized
Classified	Dug	Got	Led	Volunteered
Coached	Edited	Governed	Lifted	Worked
Collected	Eliminated	Guided	Listened

Skill Verbs That Describe Your Functional Skills*

Achieve	Establish	Listen	Raise	Speak
Act	Estimate	Maintain	Read	Study
Administer	Evaluate	Make	Realize	Summarize
Analyze	Examine	Manage	Reason	Supervise
Assemble	Expand	Manipulate	Receive	Supply
Build	Experiment	Motivate	Recommend	Take instruction
Calculate	Explain	Negotiate	Reconcile	Talk
Communicate	Express	Observe	Record	Teach/train
Compose	Extract	Organize	Recruit	Tell
Consult	Figure	Originate	Reduce	Troubleshoot
Control	File	Paint	Refer	Tutor
Coordinate	Finance	Perceive	Remember	Type
Copy	Imagine	Perform	Repair	Umpire
Count	Implement	Persevere	Research	Understand
Create	Improve	Persuade	Schedule	Unity
Debate	Improvise	Photograph	Select	Upgrade
Define	Increase	Pilot	Sell	Use
Deliver	Influence	Plan	Sense	Utilize
Draw	Interview	Problem Solve	Separate	Verbalize
Edit	Invent	Produce	Serve	Weigh
Elicit	Judge	Promote	Service	Work
Eliminate	Keep	Publicize	Set	Write
Emphasize	Lead	Purchase	Sew
Enforce	Lecture	Question	Shape

Adaptive Skill Words That Describe Your Personal Traits*

Adaptive	Diplomatic	Firm	Outgoing	Self-reliant
Adaptable	Disciplined	Honest	Participate	Sense of humor
Adept	Discreet	Innovative	Personable	Sensitive
Broad-minded	Efficient	Instrumental	Pleasant	Sincere
Competent	Energetic	Logical	Positive	Successful
Conscientious	Enterprising	Loyal	Productive	Tactful
Creative	Experienced	Mature	Reliable	Versatile
Dependable	Fair	Methodical	Resourceful
Determined	Forceful	Objective

 

 

COVER LETTER

A cover letter can sometimes be even more important than the resumé. It will actually “sell” the reader on the idea of reading your resumé so they will want to contact you for an interview. A cover letter should always accompany a resumé and should always be individualized to the employer you are sending it to.

An effective cover letter:

ü  Is tailored to a specific position in a specific organization (matches your qualifications with the requirements of the job).

ü  Shows why the employer should read your resumé.

ü  Demonstrates your knowledge of the hiring organization and the job.

ü  States how you heard about the opening, whether through a person, job listing, ad, etc.

ü  Is straightforward, businesslike, and positive.

ü  Is typed neatly, error free and on good quality paper.

ü  Is usually no more than one page.

ü  Is addressed to a specific person.

Cover letters should usually consist of three paragraphs, as outlined below.

ü  The Opening - State the position you are applying for and how you learned of the job.

ü  The Body - Highlight your main qualifications, the skills and experiences that relate to the job

ü  The Closing - Request an interview and suggest a time for your follow-up call or contact.

SAMPLE 1

2100 E. Elm Street Hickory, NC 28602 April 1, 2007 Ms. Barbara Moore Human Resources Director Metropolitan Hospital Winston-Salem, NC Dear Ms. Moore: Please consider this letter of application and resumé for the position of clinical laboratory assistant you advertised in Sunday's Triad Times. I am graduating from Catawba Valley Community College on June 6, 2007, and will be available for full-time employment immediately. As my resumé indicates, I have completed my Associate Degree in Health Information Technology and have hospital experience. I feel that my education, experience and skills qualify me for the position you advertised. I would appreciate an opportunity to meet with you to discuss my qualifications and the position, and would like to call soon for an appointment. Thank you for your time and consideration. Sincerely, Jean R. Henry Jean R. Henry Enclosure

SAMPLE 2

After submitting your cover letter and resumé, be sure to follow up and schedule an appointment.

____________________________________________________________________________________________

9. Interviewing

Once you've landed an interview, your next step is interview.

Do:	Don't:
ü  Research the company and the salary range for the job you're seeking.	ü  Bring anyone with you.
ü  Arrange for transportation, if necessary; make a trial run to the company location so you are certain where to go and how long it takes to get there.	ü  Be late or more than 15 minutes early.
ü  Rehearse before the interview. The more experience you have with interviewing, the more relaxed and confident you'll be.	ü  Smoke or eat strong-flavored foods, such as garlic, prior to the interview.
ü  Be well groomed and dress appropriately for the position for which you're applying.	ü  Be rude to anyone; you don't know who may have influence over the hiring process.
ü  Bring extra resumés.	ü  Chew gum.
ü  Have a list of references on a separate sheet.	ü  Wear heavy perfume or cologne.
ü  Bring a portfolio or samples of your work.	ü  Slouch; sit up straight, but be relaxed.
ü  Bring a notepad and pen for note taking.	ü  Yawn.
ü  Arrive a few minutes early.	ü  Talk about your personal or financial problems.
ü  Be friendly and businesslike with everyone you meet; smile and offer a handshake.	ü  Give simple yes or no answers; pause and think carefully so you can give considered responses to each question.
ü  Maintain good eye contact.	ü  Start discussing salary and benefits before the interviewer brings up the topic; listen to what the interviewer has to say before asking for more information.
ü  Be prepared to ask and answer questions.	ü  Ramble when unclear about a question; ask for clarification.
ü  Emphasize your skills.	ü  Make negative comments about other employers.
ü  Send a thank you note (or email) within a day or so after the interview, then follow up with a phone call a few days later to inquire whether a decision has been made.	ü  Leave without asking for the job if you want it.

 

INTERVIEWING TIPS

Questions to Expect and What the Employer Expects

1.Tell me about yourself. The interviewer is breaking the ice, and you are setting the tone for the interview. Mention a few personal, job-related, or education-related skills or accomplishments.

2. Why do you want to work here? The interviewer(s) want to know how much you know about the company, including its products and services. This is where prior research on the company is crucial.

3. What are your career goals? Most of the time, employers are looking for someone to stay in the job for awhile. Therefore, career goals of returning to school, starting your own business, or moving to a different location will not be appropriate.

 

4.Be relaxed, professional, be yourself.

Job Interview Checklist

YES	NO
		I can list five things about myself that make me a good candidate for this job.
		I can discuss in detail each item on my resumé or job application.
		I can discuss the skills or experiences that qualify me for this job.
		I have the training or education that qualifies me for this job.
		I have hobbies or activities that might help me qualify for this job.
		I can write down my employment history with accurate names, addresses, and dates for each job (if applicable).
		If I am asked for personal references, I have the names and telephone numbers of three individuals who have agreed to be my references.
		I have documents needed for the interview, such as social security card or driver's license.
		I am dressed properly for the job I am applying for.
		I have directions and have made transportation arrangements so I can get to the interview on time.
		I have prepared some questions to ask the interviewer.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

10. KEEPING YOUR JOB

 

Manage Your Career

Manage your career by doing the following:

ü  Establish positive work relationships with co-workers. Find positive people to associate with.

ü  Know your organization’s goals and purposes so you can help to achieve them.

ü  Build a relationship with your supervisor that is genuine and based on mutual interests, abilities.

ü  Establish a reputation for being reliable by completing work and assignments on time.

ü  Work honestly. An employee that can be trusted is an asset to an organization.

ü  Turn problems into solutions. Be a problem solver.

ü  Learn new skills each year. It will be to your personal and professional advantage.

ü  Work collaboratively on a team. Recognize the contributions of all team members.

ü  Continue to build and maintain your career network.

ü  Grow by setting measurable and attainable goals.

 

Know What Employers Want

To remain successfully employed, understand what employers want from their employees.

Ø  Commitment to Life-Long Learning

Ø  Listening & Communication Skills

Ø  Adaptability

Ø  Personal Management Skills

Ø  Group Effectiveness

Ø  Influence

Ø   

Basic Elements of Job Success

The next step in keeping a job is to build a positive reputation.

ü  Dependability and Reliability — Frequent absences create problems for co-workers. Following through on tasks without constant supervision.

ü  Punctuality — Being consistently late causes problems by delaying the work of others.

ü  Quality of Work — Producing quality work is critical to business survival.

ü  Quantity of Work — Productivity is essential to success on the job.

ü  Being a Valued Team Member — Today's workplace values teamwork.

ü  Creating and Maintaining a Positive Relationship with Supervisors and Managers

 

Growing on your job.

Areas of Growth:

	I will honestly evaluate the quality and quantity of my work, follow-through, punctuality, and reliability.
	I will show a positive attitude on the job.
	I will get feedback from my supervisor on a regular basis on specific areas of strengths and areas to improve.
	I will get feedback from customers and co-workers on my performance.
	I will ask my supervisor to help me set performance goals. If this is not possible, I will set my own.
	When evaluated, I will try to identify areas and opportunities for growth.
	I will let my supervisor know what I have accomplished.
	I will take advantage of company-offered training.
	I will get training, if available, on my own time.
	I will get involved with company-paid classes or tuition reimbursement programs.
	I will volunteer for new assignments especially if they involve learning new skills.
	I will volunteer for more responsibility.

Have Career Questions? Ask!