Chapter Five
Explore Careers

• Evaluate Yourself
  Choose Career Options that Match Your Values
  What do you value most?	Helping others. Prestige High income. Fewer work hours.
  For motivation align	values, career choice career goals
  Assess Your Skills
  Academic Strengths	Reading,Writing, Speaking, and Listening Math Creative Thinking Problem Solving, and Decision Making
  Personal Qualities	Self-Esteem, Personal Responsibility
  Self Management Skills	Extremely important to career success - in any field. Relate to your ability to be competent and adaptable. Some of the most important things to emphasize in a job interview. Complete Self-Assessment to help you determine your self-management skills
  People Skills	Social, Negotiation, Leadership, Teamwork
  National Association of College Employers - Important Skills.
  Oral Communication Skills Interpersonal Relations Skills Teamwork Skills Proficiency in the field. Leadership Abilities Analytical Abilities Flexibility
  Link Your Personality and Career Choice The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) is often used to provide career direction. Holland’s Personality Types The Big Five personality traits have been used to assess work and non-work environments that affect career change, work performance, and job satisfaction. Realistic Investigative Artistic Social Enterprising Conventional John Holland’s personality types are often linked with career choice.

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• Become Knowledgeable About Careers

  Explore the Occupational Outlook Handbook

  Keep up with the occupational outlook for various fields. Which fields are adding jobs Which fields are losing jobs. The Occupational Outlook Handbook is an excellent source, and is updated every two years. Over the next few years, jobs requiring college degrees will be the fastest-growing and highest paying.

  Select Several Careers, Not Just One

  60% of students change their major. Be knowledgeable about more than just one career field. Develop a wide variety of general skills, particular those related to communication.

  Network
  Check with people you know about career information. Network can lead to meeting someone who may be able to answer your questions about a specific career or company. It is an effective way to learn about the type of training necessary for a particular position, what it took to get into the field the positive and negative aspects of the work.
  See a Career Counselor
  SDSU career counselors are trained professionals.	discover your strengths and weaknesses evaluate your values and goals sort through what type of career you want
  They will not tell you what to do, they will simply help identify what factors may lead to successful and interesting careers options.
  Scope Out Internet Resources
  Most companies, professional societies, academic institutions, and government agencies maintain Internet sites that highlight their latest information and activities.
  No single source is likely to contain all the information you’re looking for.
  Guidance Information System (GIS) (contains information linking careers with)	interests, physical demands, work conditions, lifestyle, salary employment potential.

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• Set Career Goals	Information to Incorporate In Your Career Goal-Setting
  Long-term goals. Short-terms goals. Be able to articulate these goals to employers and interviewers.	Major career field target. Preferred type of work Income requirements. Geographical requirements. Special needs. Industry preferences.

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• Land a Great Job
  Know What Employers Want
  Evidence of accomplishments and experiences. Leadership positions Active in campus organizations Active in extracurricular activities	Co-op, internships, or part-time work? Grades The more you have of these experiences, the better.
  Research the Job
  Identify the skills required Identify experience needed. General requirements of the job. Day-to-day tasks and responsibilities	Research the company and employer. Determine the company’s philosophy. The more you know, the stronger you become.
  Network Some More
  Helpful in finding out about non-publicized jobs. Ask everyone for suggestions of people that you might contact.	Can enhance your chance of getting a job, compared to an anonymous application. Six degrees of separation
  Create a Resume
  Chronological Describes experiences in reverse chronological order. Functional Highlights marketable skills by organizing your accomplishments by skill or career area. Achievement Highlights prior work or academic accomplishments.
  Write a Letter
  Employment Inquiry Letter Asks for advice and information about a job. Cover Letter Introduces you to a potential employer. Thank You Letter Should always be written within 24 hours of meeting with people related to your job search.
  Knock ‘Em Dead in a Job Interview
  Examples of past experiences. Organized and clear resume. Keep your cool. If you decide you want the job, ask for it at the close of the interview.	Prepare for the interview:
  	Research the prospective employer. Anticipate what you will be asked Practice interviewing. Prepare appropriate job-related questions.
  Type a brief follow-up letter to mail within 24 hours.

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• Acquire Positive Work Experiences During College
  Explore Relevant Part-Time and Summer Jobs
  Students benefit when their jobs are on campus. Part-time jobs in the department of your major. Start looking in January for a summer job in your field. You may make less money on a career related job If you can’t find a related job, you can still demonstrate work-related skills and a work ethic that will impress prospective employers.
  Do an Internship or Co-Op
  Internships	Co-ops
  Part-time jobs that last 3-6 months. Some pay a minimal salary Others don’t pay. Can help you when looking for a job in the future.	pay a salary and tend last more than a year. Some offer academic credit.
  Research shows that students with internships in college	15% more likely to find employment after graduation. 70% said that they were better prepared for the workplace.
  Nearly 60% of employers reported that entry level college hires had co-op or internship experience
  Engage in Service Learning
  Involves engaging in activities that promote	social responsibility. service to the community.
  Researches found that when students participate in service learning:	Grades improve Become more motivated, and they set more goals. Self-esteem improves Become less self-centere