Design Your Own Career

1. Design Your Own Career Chapter 12

2. Theories about Career Choices

3. Realistic • Apply scientific principles in things that they do. • Have mechanical abilities • Like doing or making things • Examples are: • Pilot • Engineer • Electrician • Construction worker

4. Investigative • Like abstract thinking, discovering new knowledge, testing hypotheses and solving problems • Examples: • Research scientist (physicist) • Chemist • Medical researcher • College or university professor

5. Conventional • Enjoy working in structured situations • Self-disciplined • Orderly • Like organizing • Work comfortably at routine repetitive tasks • Examples • Clerical worker • Accountant • Bank teller • Data entry • Billing clerk

6. Enterprising • Are persuasive • Like to influence other people • Risk-takers • Enjoy business ventures • Examples are: • Business owners • Real estate brokers • Sales managers

7. Social • Like to work with people, especially in helping relationships • Examples are: • Social worker • Counselor • Teacher • Health care worker • Clinical psychologist

8. Artistic • People who are creative, imaginative, emotional and who hold unconventional perspectives which they like to express • Examples are: • Painter • Sculptor • Musician • Writer • Dancer

9. Which are you? • Go to FACTS.org • Click on with your user ID/password: • Work/Career • Next, click on https://cp.bridges.com/choices/work/finder/InterestsAdd.do • My Characteristics • Assignment: • Do the • Interests see your matching careers • Work Values see your matching careers • Attitudes see your matching careers

10. Assignment: • What is your “interests” profile? • What are your matching careers? • Of those, which 3 would you be interested in knowing about?

11. Anne Roe (1972) • Variables that relate to vocational behaviors: • State of the Economy ….war, peace, inflations, depression, labor market, trends for businesses • Family background…culture, socio-economic circumstances, values, educational values • Chance …unexpected events • Marital situation…happy, going through divorce • Physical….capacities as well as health • Intellectual…cognitive abilities of general and special nature • Temperament and Personality…patterns of behaviors, preferences • Learning and Education…general education and experience • Acquired skills…special skills and techniques learned

12. According to Buckingham and Clifton (2001) • Most organizations are built on two flawed assumptions: • Each person can learn to be competent in almost anything • Each person’s greatest room for growth is in his or her areas of greatest weakness

13. Best managers assume that • Each person’s talents are enduring and unique • The greatest room for growth is in areas of greatest strength

14. Strength Defined • “A consistent, near perfect performance in an activity” (p. 283)

15. Living Life of Strength • Three Principles: • Being able to do consistently, over and over the same work happily and successfully • Not needing strength in every aspect of a role to excel • You will excel only by maximizing your strengths, never by fixing your weaknesses

16. Self-Assessment • Introspection – looking inward at ourselves • Process of discovering what is going on inside ourselves and noticing patterns in our: • Behaviors • Feelings • Attitudes

17. Self-assessments • Through writing about our feelings, experiences • Gathering feedback from others • Using assessment instruments

18. Portfolio Development • Defined as a collection of representative samples of what you have done (for example, academically/occupationally). • Keeping important historical documents of your successes may help you in your self-assessment • May also help you in your proposal for a raise, funds, research, etc. • Items in portfolio may include: • Values • Personality • Skills • strengths

19. Finding Information About Careers • Using Books • DOT (Dictionary of Occupational Titles) • Occupational Outlook Handbook • National Career Development Association • Using Computers • Monster Board- www.monster.com • Career Builder- www.carrerbuilder.com • Career Mosaic- www.service.com:80/cm • More on page 288 • Campus Career Centers • Interview • Interning or Volunteering

20. Making the Decision • Focus on your strengths, interests and personality patterns • What careers can help you bring out those strengths? • Commit thoughts to paper • Compare systemic factors against alternate choices

21. Once decision made • Set goals (remember, must get information in order to design goals) • Should be achievable • Measurable • Realistic • Flexible enough that you don’t set yourself up for failure • Have a career plan

22. Career Goals • Long-range, general abilities and requirements • Current skills, interests and experiences • Short-term, specific goals to make your dreams a reality

23. Getting the Job • Seek Campus for information • Job Fairs • Campus Library for organizations • Human Resources Department • Newspaper classifieds • Develop a network of contacts • Using the internet: http://jobhunterbible.com and http://ncda.org

24. Click on: • https://access.bridges.com/portal/client/topic/gettingHired.do?productGroup=2 • Navigate through the page to find out what they recommend for: • GETTING HIRED Go through all the elements

25. Preparing your resume • You can make your resume in: • Chronological order, or, • Function or task accomplishments • Customized single resume • Use action verbs http://www.quintcareers.com/action_skills.html#communication

26. Items to Include in Your Resume: • Who you are • Job Objective or Goal • Education • Experience and Achievements • References • Action words: managed, designed, implemented, wrote, organized, evaluated

27. Writing Your Cover Letter • It’s an original business letter that compliments your resume • It’s a brief introduction that tells the employer why you are applying for that position • Letter of application – if there is a posting • Letter of inquiry – no specific job posting • Three paragraphs should include: • Stimulating interest, why you are writing , how you found out about the company, and position sought • Make clear what you can offer the company, point out how your skills and knowledge and experience are commensurate with those listed in the job posting • Designed to get a response from the employer. Indicate when and how you will contact the employer for a follow up

28. Preparing for the Job Interview • Know about the company: • Nature and purpose • Key leaders in company • Organizational makeup, branches and patterns • Organization’s reputation • Major competitors • Any thing about this company in the news? • Position requirements/job description • Why is this position now available

29. Five C’s of Job Interviewing • Challenged • Communicative • Candid • Comfortable • Confident

30. During the Interview: • Introduce yourself in a friendly and courteous manner • Wait to be invited to be seated • Listen, respond, and ask your questions in the exchange of the interview • Mentally note any follow-up requirements such as supplying references/transcripts • Sense when the interview is drawing to a close • Clarify with the interviewer the next step in the process • Summarize your pleasure at the interview experience • Thank the interviewer as you prepare to leave • Follow up with a written “thank you” letter

31. Dos Your homework Rehearse Prepare questions Dress a level above the job you’re seeking Arrive on time Have a firm handshake Show interest Listen Be Nice, Be Yourself Think before responding Maintain eye contact Thank the interviewer Don’ts Appear uninformed Talk too much Pretend to be listening Interrupt the interviewer Put yourself down Be arrogant Be rude Question about salary early Be an extremist Have a telephone interview Be vague or indirect Be negative Tips to Keep in Mind:

32. FACTS.ORG Assignment • Go to FACTS.org • Use password and id as provided on WebCT • From the previous assignment, select three careers you may be interested in and then print the skills needed for each.