Welcome to the Career Planning section of the Career Development Center.
We hope you take advantage of the following.
Find out about the steps in Self-Assessment, Career Exploration, Gaining Experience and Implementing the Plan.
TypeFocus
The Career Development Center has subscribed to TypeFocus, a career assessment evaluation tool. This program assesses personality type and generates three customized reports, which help people understand themselves better so they can choose more effective career strategies. Each user sets up his/her own username and password, which guarantees confidentiality. Click here to begin! For some more information, go to our Career Planning section.
CAREER PLANNING CHECKLIST - CAREER Development CENTER ( CRC )
BY END OF FRESHMAN YEAR
Developmental Goals
- Students identify interest in major areas of study
- Students assess possible career interests
Strategies
1. Students meet with Academic Advisor/Career Advisor to discuss major areas of study interests
2. Students complete TypeFocus career assessment program on line
3. Students read “What Can I Do with a Major In...” on CDC website
4. Students meet the Career Advisor to review assessment results and discuss possible majors and careers
BY END OF SOPHOMORE YEAR
Developmental Goals
Students solidify major areas of study
Students solidify career interests
Strategies
1. Students meet with academic advisor to solidify major areas of interest
2. Students access and read Career Insider (aka Vault) on-line career library on CDC website
3. Students attend CDC career panels and job fairs related to their careers of interest
4. Student research internship opportunities
BY END OF JUNIOR YEAR
Developmental Goals
Students plan for academic major completion
Students acquire job seeking skills
Students plan for graduate school (if desired)
Strategies
1. Students meet the Academic Advisor to ensure academic plan progress
2. If planning to attend graduate school, students research and discuss with Academic Advisor/Career Advisor graduate school interests
3. Students work with Career Advisor and faculty to develop internship experience
4. Students attend developmental workshops for resume writing and interviewing techniques
BY END OF SENIOR YEAR
Developmental Goals
Students apply to graduate school (if desired)
Students prepare for job market
Strategies
1. Meet with Academic Advisor and CDC advisor to discuss post-graduation plans
2. If planning to attend graduate school, students register for appropriate graduate school exams e.g. GRE, LSAT, GMAT (if desired) and submit applications
3. If planning a career, students a) create resume & review with faculty and Career Advisor, b) sign-up for on-campus recruitment opportunities, c) attend career fairs & networking events, d) utilize on-line job search engines on CDC website
THE WINNING CHARACTERISTICS EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR
Communication Skills: Ability to exchange information in an effective and concise manner, both in written and oral forms
Organizational Skills: Ability to “Juggle” many activities and responsibilities by managing time and Developments effectively
Leadership: Ability to motivate others, set goals, develop a “Vision”, in order to make a difference.
Logic: To think your way to a solution, both analytically and creatively.
Effort: Ability to rise to a challenge over a period of time. Stay focused until a job is done.
Group Skills: To work collaboratively and cooperatively in a team.
Entrepreneurship: Ability to create and take risks
Career Planning Steps
The process of planning your career involves several steps. It involves gathering information about yourself and about the job market you wish to enter. You need to evaluate your skills and abilities in relation to the demands of a particular job.
If you've been in college for more than a few years, you know that the way things happen on campus isn't the way they neccessarily happen in the the job place. Get to know people in your career field. This is the best way of learning the difference. Looking for a job can be a fulltime job itself. Spend as much time as you can looking for career fields that match your skills and interests. Interviewing for information is a good way to meet people and get the inside scoop on career expectations. Use that information to write effective, detailed resumes. Try using the Internet to get your resume to potential employers. Contact alumni who majored in the same field as you to see which steps they took to get the job they have.
Step 1: Exploration
Gathering Relevant Information
Step 2: Self Assessment
Explore your interests, values, beliefs and lifestyle preferences.
Try TypeFocus, a career assessment evaluation
Define your:
Career Options:
Meet with a career counselor Check out our website for career resources: www.umassd.edu/crc
Step 3: Synthesize Information from Above
Step 4: Make Career Decisions
Step 5: Set Goals and Act
Step 6: Job Search Preparation
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Prepare Resume and Cover Letter
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Implement job search, attend job-seeking skills workshop
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Attend job fairs and graduate school fairs
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Use Career Center's online resources
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Join professional organizations related to your major
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Learn informational and job-interviewing skills
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Learn second interview skills
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Step 7: Gain Experience
Search our website for:
Speak to:
Abilities/Skills/Interests
As you define your interests and skills, keep in mind that they need to be connected in some way to the job market. If your interest is in studying 12th century cooking receipes, you may find a difficult job of it finding a career that satisfies this interest. When seeking to define your skills, keep in mind that they do not need to be school related. Look at your hobbies and past-times. Look at what you love to do. Even something as unproductive as computer games can translate into a rewarding career in, for example, software development.
Try out PINPOINT, a software application that helps you explore your interests and relate them to career fields. You can have free access to the PINPOINT program at the Career Development Center.
Work values
This section refers to your level of commitment to work. Do you value hard work but believe family should come first? If so you may want to explore career options that allow some freedom to spend time at home. There's a trend in the workplace right now where family considerations are taken into account in the intitial hiring of employees, but you should recognize that this trend does not apply across the board. If finance, for example, is your chosen career path, plan to spend as much as 80 hours per week at the office, especially if when first starting.
Accomplishments
Leave no stone unturned. If you've done something that pertains to a career field in any way, write it down. Even if you decide it doesn't belong in a resume or cover letter, you may want to have something to talk about in interview when you are asked to talk about yourself.
Physical and psychological Needs
This topic encompasses issues of income level and the type of environment in which you need to work. If you do not respond well to high stress environments and do not have the need to earn half a million dollars per year you should not be looking into a career as an advertising executive. Try to find a balance between the kind of money you want to make and the fulfillment you want to derive from your work.
Aspirations/Motivation Level
How far do you want to go into your career field? What are you willing or unwilling to do to get there? Have answers to these questions before choosing a career path. It will save you the pain of having to backtrack after discovering that your job asks you to be someone you're not.
Personality Traits and Characteristics
When choosing a career, take into account your personal traits and characteristics. If you hate wearing business suits and always seem to arrive to appointments fifteen minutes late, you should not be considering a career in banking.
Career Options:
Trends in job market
A little research in this department goes a long way. Talking with alumni(out of this document) who are already working in your field of interest is a good start in gaining knowledge of how many jobs are actually out there and what you can expect the job market to do in the next few years. If you want to be a professor of literature, for example, you should realize that there are very few openings currently, and there won't be any for at least the next five years.
Career/job entrance requirements
You should know in advance what the job market expects of the successful candidate. There's nothing more embarassing than being told in a first interview that you lack the most basic qualifications for a job. Knowing the requirements before you graduate allows you to take the right courses or the right internship for the work you are interested in.
Education and job training requirements
One of the best ways to make yourself attractive to a potential employer is to let them know that you already have some or all of the specific skills to do the job. Companies that train their employees after hiring them do so begrudgingly. The expense and man-hours for training are huge. If you can demonstrate that you do not need training, an employer is much more likely to hire you than someone who is starting from scratch.
Tasks to be accomplished
Form a clear idea of what the company will expect from you on a day to day basis and in the long term. Is there a project they will want you to initiate or finish off? Is there room to adapt to changing needs or are your duties written in stone? Knowing this may help you to decide if you should take the job if offered.
Responsibilities
Find out what you will be responsible for. Ask who your supervisor will be and what specific responsibilities will rest on your shoulders. Knowing this will also help you establish your place in the working environment.
Rewards
Do see this job providing a sense of fulfillment in your life right now, or are you hoping this will come once the bills are paid and you have a few years under your belt? Think long and hard about the intangible rewards a job has to offer.
Alternatives
Have a list of alternative career options. Sometimes you have what it takes, but no one will offer you a job. The job market may have gone flat or you may have misjudged what companies were looking for. You need to have a backup plan. Some people stumble into careers that end up being better than their first choice. Sometimes adversity brings out hidden talents. Keep yourself open to new possibilities.
A convenient place to help you connect majors with careers. For each major that interests you, choose "Information" to find an outline of common career areas, typical employers, and strategies designed to maximize career opportunities. Choose "Links" to find a list of websites that provide information about listed majors and related careers. |
