Choosing Your Career

1. Choosing Your Career Chapter 1

2. Careers of the Future • New and better products and services, along with global competition have changed the needs and expectations of employers • Technology creates newer, better, faster ways to get things done • Increases productivity • Increases efficiency • Increases profitability

3. Major Occupational Groups • Informational • Collection, use, and distribution of information • Technology is key factor • Professional • Knowledge is key job skill • Create, process, store, and retrieve data and information • Service • Fastest growing sector of market • Dominated by technology and information

4. Job Titles and Descriptions • Occupational Outlook Handbook • Published by the U.S. Department of Labor (www.bls.gov) • Provides in-depth job descriptions and includes additional information about job opportunities nationwide • Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) • Classifies jobs by nine-digit categories according to functions and duties • Listed within categories are numerous jobs available in the United States

5. Job Analysis • Shows positive and negative attributes of a given career choice • Positive Features • Salary—amount of monthly or annual pay • Benefits—sick pay, vacation pay, profit-sharing, health insurance, etc. • Promotion—ability to advance, to accept more responsibilities • Other considerations—travel, company stability, work hours, flexibility, personnel policies

6. Job Analysis • Negative Features • Employee expenses—costs paid by the employee that are not reimbursed • Uniforms/other special clothing • Laundry/dry cleaning • Auto expenses/gasoline • Work Characteristics—anything that relates to doing the job • Indoor/outdoor • Routine/changing tasks • Work alone/with other people • Other Considerations—transportation, how you feel about the company

7. Entrepreneurship • Many people would like to be their own boss and own their own business • Entrepreneur—someone who organizes, manages, and assumes the risk of a business or enterprise • Many opportunities for people to start their own business, or purchase an existing business or franchise • www.sba.gov gives advice and free classes through government programs for people looking to start their own businesses

8. Coping With Change • Change in the type of jobs available and how jobs are done is inevitable • Coping with Change: • Read widely—subscribe to trade journals, industry magazines, etc. • Be a lifelong learner—both at work and in your personal life • Take classes—gain new skills • Complete a self-assessment—identify needs and values, strengths and weaknesses, opportunities and threats

9. Changing Career Opportunities • A career choice is not a permanent and final decision • Career Planning Strategies • Long-term planning • Become part of the world economy • Network

10. Summary • Embrace new technology • Look at change as an opportunity • Complete a careful career/job analysis • Become part of the global economy • Develop strong networking skills

11. Planning Your Career • Why people work • To meet needs, wants and goals • To provide food, clothing, shelter, vacations, education, and luxuries • To gain a sense of identity • Factors affecting career choice • Values and lifestyle • Aptitudes and interests • Personal qualities and traits

12. Steps in Career Planning • Self Analysis • Determine wants and needs • Determine values and desired lifestyle • Assess aptitudes and interests • Analyze personal qualities and traits • Research • Seek information • Compare abilities, interests, and personal qualities to job descriptions • Interview people in the fields of work you find interesting • Observe occupations, spend time learning about jobs, seek part-time work to gain exposure

13. Steps in Career Planning • Plan of Action • Use good job search techniques • Develop necessary skills • Seek part-time or volunteer work to gain experience • Evaluate what you have done • Reevaluation • Prepare to meet changes in the workplace • Take advantage of new opportunities

14. The Importance of Goals • Goals give us a sense of direction and purpose in life • Short-term • Expect to reach in a few days or a few weeks • Intermediate • Expect to reach in a few months or year • Long-term • Expect to achieve in five to ten years

15. Making the Right Choices • What you do now can affect what you will do in the future • Personal choices • Career choices • Lifestyle choices • Are you uncertain about the career path you wish to travel? • Work on cross-over skills • Continue to seek out different career choices • Educate yourself • Be a life-long learner

16. Sources of Job Opportunity Information • School counseling and placement services • Periodicals, online resources • www.bls.gov • Current magazines and trade journals • Public and private employment agencies • Government job training • Government tests • Newspaper and online classified advertisements

17. Job Search Techniques • Get organized • Make a plan • Follow through • Don’t give up • Use your network!!!