Formulas for Career Success: Career Testing & Investigation Career Investigation 1.

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Formulas for Career Success:

Career Testing &

Investigation

Career Investigation

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Investigating Careers

• Will likely be necessary before making career decisions

• Includes learning the following about possible career paths:– day-to-day tasks and activities– challenging experiences– rewarding experiences– misconceptions

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Resources

• For learning about careers include:– the Internet– counselors– personal interviews– volunteering– job shadowing – internships– part-time jobs

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The Internet

• Can be a great starting point for investigating careers– there is an abundance of career

information available, including:• job descriptions• job outlooks • qualifications and requirements• earnings• advancement opportunities

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Internet Resources

• Are NOT all equal– be sure websites used are sponsored

by credible, established organizations• sources most likely to be credible are

those ending in “.gov”, “.org” and “.edu”– use a variety of sources to allow for

comparison and consensus

Did You Know? The organization which approves and regulates domain names is the Internet

Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN), a privately held, nonprofit organization in

California.

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Reliable Internet Resources

• Include:– U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics

• www.bls.gov – CareerOneStop

• www.careeronestop.org – O*net Online

• www.onetonline.org – The Career Key

• www.careerkey.org

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Counselors

• Are experts on career exploration and decision-making

• Can help individuals sort through the vast amount of information and apply it to their specific career goals

• Ask questions to provide guidance concerning career goals and plans

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Counselors

• Can be found in high schools, colleges and commercial career centers

• May request participation in self-assessments

• Will ask questions and discuss various career options

• Will not provide specific instructions, but suggestions, information and guidance concerning career goals and plans

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Personal Interviews

• With those currently employed in fields of interest are a great way to gain insight into careers – find professionals in careers

being considered, arrange interviews, ask for information and advice

• Can also help when building a network of professional contacts

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Personal Interviews

• Should be held in a professional manner– develop questions and discussion

points beforehand– dress appropriately– be polite, gracious and considerate– listen and express interest – express thanks– consider asking for suggestions of

others who would be helpful to talk to

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Volunteering

• Is the act of offering services without the expectation of payment

• Allows for observation of job duties and tasks

• Provides an opportunity to experience the atmosphere and culture of a career field

• Allows for skill development specific to the career

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Volunteering• Can help when building a network of

professional contacts• Opportunities can be found through

many different organizations in many different career fields– to search opportunities use:

• volunteermatch.org

• idealist.org

• handsonnetwork.orgDid You Know? On any given day, there are more than 10,000 volunteer opportunities in the United

States.

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Job Shadowing

• Is a program in which students learn about an occupation by following a professional throughout the work day

• Offers a chance to observe the day-to-day activities of a job

• Provides the opportunity to have questions answered

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Job Shadowing

• May be available through programs at high schools and colleges

• Programs are also offered by some companies, organizations and government agencies

• May also be set up on an individual basis through students’ utilization of professional contacts

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Virtual Job Shadowing

• Allows students to experience job shadowing through the Internet– professionals participate in video

interviews and answer questions about job responsibilities, qualifications and more

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Internships

• Are a temporary form of employment with an emphasis on supervised on-the-job training

• May be paid or unpaid• May be part-time or full-time• Allow students to get exposure and

gain experience in a career field without long-term commitment

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Internships

• Typically include work directly related to the career field

• May also include some menial tasks• Require skills including:

– time management– communication– organization– initiative– ability to learn and adapt

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Internships

• Are a great way to enhance a résumé because they count as work experience

• Are a great way to build a professional network of contacts

• Can be found through:– high school and college counselors– online internship databases– utilization of professional contacts

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Part-Time Jobs

• Allow for career exploration while earning work experience and money

• Can provide valuable lessons about commitment, time management and responsibility

• Can enhance a résumé

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Investigating Careers

• Is a process requiring patience, flexibility, thought and reflection– be open-minded and willing to take on

tasks which might not be considered desirable

– be enthusiastic and do not become discouraged if things do not go as expected

– be purposeful and think about how each experience affects career goals

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Questions

• What is the main idea of this presentation?

• What are the details of the main idea?

• What is the important information about each detail?