Career decisions are among the most important choices you will make. Do you have the information and tools you need to develop a career and/or college plan?
4 Steps of Successful Career Planning:
Step 1: Self Assessment
- Develop an understanding of self: interests, skills, values, personal traits, and desired life style.
- Be aware of the relationship between self and occupational choice.
- Determine areas in which you wish to improve or gain more knowledge or experience.
Step 2: Research Careers & Majors
- Identify college majors and occupations that fit your interests, skills, values, personal traits, and desired life style.
- Learn more about specific college majors.
- Learn more about occupations, career fields and the job market.
- Find out how college majors relate to different occupations.
- Understand that majors and occupations are not the same thing and that the real world is not organized by major.
Step 3: Decision Making
- Decide on an academic or career field that matches your interests, skills, values, personal traits, and desired life style determined during self-assessment.
- Determine coursework and skills needed for your career goals.
- Be aware of limitations you may have and make a decision that is realistic.
- Form a plan to put your decision into action.
Step 4: Get Experience
- Learn about the types of practical experience in your areas of interest.
- Test new skills and try diverse experiences.
- Learn to distinguish between what you like and dislike about a particular work environment and culture of an organization, and what you like and dislike about the work in a particular occupation or career field.
