CHAPTER 9 CAREER PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT SECTION 1 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES.

CHAPTER 9 CAREER PLANNING &

DEVELOPMENT

SECTION 1 CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

OCCUPATION•An occupation is a task or series of tasks

that is performed to provide a good or service

• People are hired to fill occupations, and they are paid for the work they perform.

CAREER• A career is a goal for work that is fulfilled

through an occupation or series of occupations.

• You kind of have a career goal right now which is to complete your schooling and get ready for your future.

CAREER PLANNINGThis is the process of studying careers, assessing

yourself in terms of careers, and making decisions about a future career.

THE CAREER PLANNING PROCESS

• Step 1 Personal Assessment• Determine interests and values

• Identify talents and abilities

• Step 2 Employment Market Analysis• Geographic Influences

• Business and economic trends

• Step 3 Application Process• Application form

• Resume and cover letter

• Step 4 Interview Process• Prepare for interview

• Follow-up activities

• Step 5 Employment Acceptance• Salary and financial factors

• Organizational environment

• Step 6 Career Development & Advancement• Practice career success behaviors

• Develop strong work relationships

YOUR STUDY OF CAREERS

• Too often, a career choice is not made until full-time work begins.

• Many times this is too late, especially if certain training and education are required.

• The study of careers is a continuous process.

• Your first career decision will likely be a tentative career decision.

• A tentative career decision is a decision that is likely to change as new information is received.

• It’s better to have a tentative career decision than no decision at all!

• This will at least give you a direction.

• Making initial career decisions while you are in high school has many advantages. One being that while you are in school you have a lot of information readily on hand.

• More importantly, early career planning will help you chose the right courses you will need to take in not just in high school but also in college.

CAREER TRAINING

Many careers require education and training beyond high school. These educational alternatives include:

• Two-year schools, usually called community colleges or junior colleges, offer training in many areas.

• Four-year colleges and universities, both public and private, provide education for many careers and professions.

• Private business schools specialize in specific job training, such as radio and television or computers and other technology.

HOW CAN YOU BE SURE THAT YOU ARE MAKING THE BEST

CAREER DECISION?There is no way to guarantee a

perfect decision. However, those who follow the steps on the previous

slide, generally make good decisions.

CAREER INFORMATION SOURCES

• Print and media sources• Online sources• Informational interviews• Business contacts

PRINT AND MEDIA SOURCESSome different print and media sources that can help give you in-depth information on hundreds of occupations including job duties, working conditions, education and training requirements, advancement possibilities, employment outlook, and earnings are:

• The Occupational Quarterly

• The Occupational Outlook Handbook

• Career World Magazine

• The Encyclopedia of Careers and Vocational Guidance

• Newspapers

ONLINE SOURCESWeb sites are available to help you with career planning. A search may be performed to gather

information about “resumes”, “effective interviewing,” and “creating a career portfolio.”

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS• An informational interview is a planned discussion

with a worker who is willing to help you find out about the work that a person does, the preparation needed for that career, and the person’s feelings about the career.

• Informational interviews will help you gain insight into what actually happens in a specific career area.

• You will find that most people like to talk about their career experiences.

PLAN AHEAD• Always prepare ahead of time for an informational interview. Have

questions written down to be and ask. Some example questions could be:• How did you get to your current job?

• In what ways do you find your work most satisfying? What are your main frustrations?

• What tasks and activities are required for your job?

• What is the most important qualifications for working in this field?

• What advice would you give a young person who is thinking about this type of work?

• Always make sure and take notes in your interviews!

Another great idea could be to plan during your interview, a day to shadow the person

you are interviewing.

BUSINESS CONTACTS• The process of talking to other people about their jobs is

called networking.

• The advantage of networking is that your contacts are not limited to the people you know personally.

• Every person you meet is a potential contact for career information.

• The contacts in your network can provide support when you start work or when you are looking for a job.

GROWTH CAREER AREAS

• The life work you choose could be affected by the careers available in a field.

• Future employment opportunities are influenced by geography and business trends.

GEOGRAPHIC INFLUENCES• You may have to decide whether you want to work in the

geographic area in which you now live or whether you are willing to move to where the job you really want is located.

• People who successfully pursue the careers of their choice often have mobility. This is the willingness and ability of a person to move to where the jobs are located.

• The lack of mobility can lead to locational unemployment. This occurs when jobs are available in one place but go unfilled because those who are qualified to fill those jobs live elsewhere and are not willing to relocate.

ECONOMIC AND INDUSTRY TRENDS

• Career areas with most potential are influenced by economic trends and current business activities.

• Consumer demand, changing demographic trends, and new technology are factors that often affect career opportunities.