Career Planning & Maintenance

1. Career Planning & Maintenance IEEE-USA Employment & Career Services Committee Presenter: See “Notes” Pages for additional information

2. Seminar Overview • Why plan your career? • How to plan your career • How to maintain a rewarding career

3. What Is A Career? • What is a career? • What makes a good career?

4. Why Plan Your Career? • You are responsible for your own career. • Jobs are not permanent. • Increases your chances of job satisfaction.

5. Why Is Career Planning So Uncommon? • No sense of urgency • Leads to difficult life questions • Sets goals and increases stress • Uncovers unexamined career assumptions

6. How To Plan Your Career

7. Developing Your Career Plan • Begin where you are right now • Consider assignments or projects that you would like, as well as jobs or positions • Include opportunities where you can contribute and learn

8. Gather Personal History • This personal history is your portfolio • Good for constructing resumes • Helps with self-assessment

9. Self-Assessment • Identify skills • Identify field of interest • Identify important work values

10. Self Assessment – A Look Back • Think of a time when you felt really good about your work. Make this a specific occasion. • What were you doing or what had you just finished doing? • Were others involved? If so, how? • What made this time especially satisfying?

11. Knowing What Is Important To You • What were you doing? Lets you know what type of skills you enjoy using most • How were others involved? Provides information about if and how you want to interact with others at work. • What made this particularly satisfying? • Gives information about some of your work values.

12. Work Values • Mental Stimulation • Work-Life Balance • Self Esteem • Teamwork • Helping Others • Continuous Learning • Security • Recognition • Responsibility • Location • Friendships • Pleasant Environment • Challenge • Social Contribution

13. Assessment Resources • “What Color Is Your Parachute?” • Corporate web sites • Thomas Register • Your network • Resource: “The Engineer’s Guide to Lifelong Employability”

14. Career Maintenance

15. Maintenance Activities • Keep current technically • Keep current professionally • Keep personal history up-to-date • Network

16. Networking • Get good information on the state of the industry • A network takes time to build • When to network • How to network

17. SUCCESS AND FULFILLMENT • Success is what others see – company you work for, projects you complete, job title, etc. • Fulfillment focuses on your level of satisfaction – how you feel about what you have done and are doing. • May be higher on success and lower on fulfillment or higher on fulfillment and lower on success.

18. PERSONAL SUCCESS / FULFILLMENT Success Low High Fulfillment LowHigh

19. Summary • You are responsible for your own career • Do a new self-assessment every few years • Look for opportunities to work or volunteer that include the skills and values most important to you • Be aware of your professional environment • Network