planning a career. current unemployment!!! unemployment rate as of august, 2011 is 9.1% (14 million...

Planning a Career

Current Unemployment!!!

Unemployment rate as of August, 2011 is 9.1% (14 million people)

Labor Force: 153.6 million Part time workers 8.8 million Excludes people who have

stopped looking for work.

Unemployment rates according to training/education

College degree 4.4%High school 10%High school drop out 14.3%

What is the difference between a job and a

career?

Job vs. Career

A job is short term work that pays the bills. The sole purpose is to have a steady income for the immediate future.

A career is a long term chosen profession or occupation that provides an income and dictates your standard of living.

Careers

People switch careers @ 3 times on average during their lifetime. Why?

Slow down in the industryTechnology takes over jobOutsourcingPeople’s priorities and interests

change

Choosing a Career

When choosing a career, you should think about your:

1. Interests-do you like working with numbers, building things, etc?

2. Personality- do you like working with a group of people or by yourself?

3. Aptitudes- your natural talents

4. Abilities - developed through instruction or practice

Choosing a Career

High school is a great time to begin planning your career.

You have time to explore options and investigate different fields.

You can take courses that relate to possible career goals and fine tune the skills you need to succeed.

The path you choose when planning your career will determine your standard of living.

What kind of standard of living is important to you?

Education Vs. Earnings

Is post-secondary education worth the expense? High school dropout, no degree -

$19,226 High school diploma - $28,950 Two-year college associates degree -

$36,395 Four-year college degree (bachelor’s

degree - $51,568 Post-graduate degree (masters degree

6+ years - $67,073

SO … HOW MUCH IS GOING

TO CLASS WORTH? PAGE 102

Other options ??????

Trade or Technical School! Industrial Tsunami??

So how much does college cost? Do I need to take out a loan? What is the cost of credit if I do? Should I go to a private college or State school? How much will I make in my job after college? Can I afford to have a school loan payment as part

of my monthly budgeted expenses?

A college education is the best investment you can make!!!!!!!!

Why Invest in Education?

Government statistics show that people with less education are more likely to have trouble finding jobs.

Education ensures greater career opportunities. It’s an investment in YOU!!

In recent years, for every $100 earned by a high school dropout, a high school grad earns $130, and a college grad earns more than $200.

Imagine this difference over a year or a lifetime.

Educational Opportunities

The type of education or training depends on the occupation or career area you are interested in.

Examples are:

Internship- paid/unpaid short-term job offered to a student interested in entering that particular field. The employer gains a temporary worker and the employee gains work experience.

Educational Opportunities (cont) Apprenticeships – classroom

training with paid on-the-job experience under the guidance of a skilled worker. Usually found with trades such as carpentry, electrical, culinary arts, etc.

Career and technical schools- train students to become licensed or certified in skilled occupations such as health care occupations. Programs usually completed in 1-3 years.

Educational Opportunities (cont) City or community college- usually

offer two-year programs that can be transferred to four-year colleges.

Colleges or universities – offer bachelor’s degrees and graduate programs

Distance learning- internet, video conferencing, etc.

How much does college/post secondary training cost if you take out a loan. Determine the cost of credit for

the following schools using the loan payment calculator on the Internet.

What to look for in a career!

Job satisfaction Decent pay with opportunity for

advancement Schedule/hours (flextime) Employee Benefits

Paid vacations Sick days Personal days Health plan (company paid premiums) Dental Life Insurance Tuition Reimbursement Stock options/profit sharing Other benefits (fitness center, company

car, bonuses, incentives. Retirement and pension plans

True or False

You should do the minimum requirements in a job because it doesn’t have much to do with your chosen career.

Let’s take a look at some of the qualities an employer looks for when choosing an employee:

Characteristic 1 2 3 4 5

Dependability

Good work ethic

Motivation

Conforms to policy

Positive attitude

Self-initiation

Helpful to others/Team player

Honest

Organized

Bridges.com Assignment

1. Take the interest survey to determine possible careers.

2. Come up with top 20 or 50. Choose 2.

3. Learn about these careers and prepare your summaries in a word document that include the following.

a. Facts about the job.

b. Salary range

c. Outlook for the future

d. Education/License requirement

e. Professional organizations and related websites.

f. Be prepared to share this information with the class.

Before you get the job, be smart about the following:

Job interviews and Job search packet. Understand how payroll works –Payroll

deductions and forms. W-4 forms Paystubs Benefits

Medical insurance (employee/employer contributions)

Retirement plans (401K, 403b, 457) Income tax returns (1040EZ)