Career and Financial ManagementPlanning Your Career

Objectives Evaluate possible career choices Identify the purpose of a career plan

and set career goals Explore education and experience

requirements needed to meet career goals

How do you determine the right career for you? Evaluation

Compare and contrast sets of data Rank data to determine the best choice

Evaluating Career Choices Compare personal data to career research

findings

Evaluating Careers Many factors to consider when

evaluation careers What are the possible outcomes of the

career? How well does the career fir your values?

A good way to evaluate career choices is to create a personal career profile

Personal Career Profile

Compare many different factors at once• Values• Interests & Responsibilities• Personality• Work Type• Skills & Aptitudes• Education/Training

A tool for evaluating career choices

Sample Personal Career ProfileName: Tiffany Mason Career: Social Worker

Personal Information Career Information Match(1-10)

YOUR VALUESI believe in the importance of family and helping others.

CAREER VALUESA social worker is committed to working with people and helping them solve their problems.

9

YOUR INTERESTSI enjoy socializing and being around others. I also like being involved in athletics.

CAREER DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIESWork with individuals, families, and groups experiencing social and emotional difficulties

7

Making a Decision Determine your highest ranking career

choice from your personal career profile The highest rank should indicate the best

career decision

Important Reminders for Choosing Your Career You need a defined goal You must have confidence in your career

research, evaluation, and goals Your career plan is flexible Making a decision gives you a starting

point for planning

The Bottom Line

Career

Research

Career

Evaluation

Career Decision

Reaching Your Career Goals Individual career plan: plan of action to

make career goals a reality Establish small steps to meet your

ultimate goal Takes your from where you are to where

you want to be

Breaking it Down Break a career plan into manageable

steps Makes a plan less overwhelming Instills focus and confidence

Setting GoalsShort-term goals• Can work on immediately and accomplish quickly

Medium-term goals• Take 1-5 years to accomplish

Long-term goals• Take more than 5 years to accomplish• Will be achieved much further into the future

Be Specific Specific goals are more likely to be

achieved than vague goals

Specific Goal• Take biology,

advanced chemistry, and physiology to better prepare me for medical school

Vague Goal• Take high school

courses related to my career

Be Realistic Think about who you are and what you

know about your career choice Be honest with yourself

Skills, interests, and personality traits Do not confuse “realistic” with

“traditional”

The Bottom Line

Individual Career Plan

Medium-term Goals

Short-term Goals

Long-term Goals

Realistic

Specific

Realistic

Specific

Realistic

Specific

Education and TrainingAn important career goal is to receive appropriate education and training Most careers require certificates or degrees Explore education and training

expectations on career websitesMany options for gaining education and training Online learning, apprenticeships, schools,

military

Online Learning One of the newest ways to receive

education and training is through online learning

Computer-based learning using interactive technology Provides convenience and flexibility Miss out on interactions with teacher and

classmates

On-the-Job Training On-the-job training: learning how to

perform a job on-site Can range from a few days of orientation

to a more lengthy, formal training Ongoing employee training allows

companies to be on the cutting edge

Apprenticeship Apprentice: someone who learns how to

do a job through hands-on experience Taught under the guidance of a skilled

worker Construction, manufacturing, welding

Schools Vocational-technical centers Trade Schools Community and technical colleges Four-year colleges and universities Continuing education

Military Service The military is the largest employer in

the United States 200 different occupations available Can enlist for up to six years of active

duty Options for attending school before,

during, or after service

The Bottom LineOnline Learning

School

Apprenticeship

Military

Education and Training