Resources Career Planning
Look within yourself to discover your interests, skills, personality traits, and values. Also ask friends, family members, teachers, or mentors if they see the same qualities in you as you see in yourself. Simply ask:
- What do I like to do?
- What activities do I find fun, motivating, interesting and enjoyable?
- What skills and abilities do I have or want to develop?
- What personal style or characteristics do I have that are important to me in the work place?
- What purpose or goal do I want to accomplish in my career?
Investigate all the career choices, options, and opportunities available to you. Attend career fairs, visit your Career Center, talk to people in various careers, shadow or spend time with people in careers that interest you. Ask:
- How did you get started in this career?
- What is a typical day like?
- What type of training or education is required?
- What are the starting and average salaries?
Next, set some goals. Research careers that interest you to determine how to prepare for them and how much training and education are required to be successful. After gathering the information, set goals to attain the required training.
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:
- How to write a resume and cover letter
- How to network to find job openings
- How to fill out an application
- How to interview successfully for a job
Career planning is an ongoing process. It is important to assess where you are in your career path if you are going to meet your goals and turn your dreams into reality.
This is where your career path begins - learning about yourself, exploring careers, and beginning your job search. Remember, career planning can be a life-long process. Few people stay in one job or on one career path throughout their lives, so enjoy the process along the way!
