career exploration explor.pdfcareer exploration the process of career exploration is one that we all...

This self guided booklet on Career Exploration includes information on:

•Self-Assessment

⇒Values

⇒Interests

⇒Skills

⇒Personality

•Occupational/Educational Research

•Decision-making

ANOKA-RAMSEY COMMUNITY COLLEGE

CAREER EXPLORATION

Date: 10/2001

A guide for surfin’ the web

A N O K A - R A M S E Y C O M M U N I T Y C O L L E G E

NOTES:


CAREER EXPLORATION The process of Career Exploration is one that we all use many times throughout our lives. Often, when we start out as young adults we want to find the “perfect” career that will be fulfilling to us personally and professionally for the rest of our lives. However, most individuals will have many careers throughout their life span so it’s extremely important to feel comfortable with the process of career exploration. Career Exploration involves a four-step process that in-cludes self-assessment, occupational/educational re-search, decision-making and job hunting strategies. This self-directed career exploration brochure will provide a foundation for your own individual journey. HAPPY EXPLORING!!!

Starting Your Career Exploration Journey: Getting to Know Yourself

There are several different options for career self assess-ment at Anoka Ramsey Community College. In our Career Center, located in the College Services Building on campus, we have a computer program called DISCOVER. DISCOVER’s World of Work Center offers a self-guided program where you can assess your career-related interests, values, abilities and other lifestyle issues. Visit the Career Center 8:00 AM– 10:00 PM Monday –


Thursday and 8:00 – 4:30 PM on Friday or call 763-422-3450 for more information. The Counseling Department sponsors a number of Career Workshops each semester. Call 763-422-3450 for a current listing. In addition, there are numerous websites on the Internet that can be helpful with exploring your ca-reer options. http://iseek.org is the site for the Internet Source for Education and Employment Knowledge (ISEEK). “This site was developed to help Minnesotans learn more about education and training pro-grams, search for new jobs, and explore different careers. And, if you find a career you’re interested in, you can use ISEEK’s wages and employment information to research the demand for people in the field or current salaries.” What follows is a list of sites you may want to explore on the Internet and corresponding areas to record your responses to the exercises.

For additional help, contact the Career Center staff at 763-422-3450, or sign up for an individual counseling appointment.


INITIAL EXERCISE

Take several moments to daydream about what you want your life ideally to be like in 5 to 10 years. Where will you live (in the country, in a city, in a different state?) What kind of home will you have (house, condo or apart-ment?) What kind of vehicle will you drive? Will you be married or single? Have children? What will your career look like? Using freeform writing (jotting down whatever comes to mind) on the space that follows on the next two pages describe what your “ideal” life will look like. Don’t over analyze or think “but that can never be . . .”. Just write.


Where will you go today?


Initial Exploration of Careers This exercise allows you to start investigating the World of Work in a very general way. Go to the link above and browse through the careers listed and jot down 5 - 10 that look interesting below. Make sure you print off your responses below before you go on to the next exercise or go off-line or you will loose all of your hard work!!!! I. Values Site #2 http://www.adm.uwaterloo.ca/infocecs/CRC/manual-home.html a. On the left side column of this home page, click on VALUES b. Print out. Mark your responses and complete this exercise c. Keep for future reference

Site #1 http://cbweb9p.collegeboard.org/career/bin/career.pl


Site #3 Http://future.sri.com/VALS/VALSindex.shtml a. Click on “TO THE SURVEY” b. Respond to all questions & submit by clicking on the appro-

priate key c. Fill in the blanks below Primary Type: Secondary Type: d. Read about your Primary Type e. Does this describe you? Why or Why not? Write your re-

sponse below. (If the description is not accurate you may want to redo the survey or ask a good friend or family member to read it and see if they agree with the descrip-tion).


f. Read about your Secondary Type by clicking on “VALS Segment Descriptions” and then click on the appropriate secondary type.

g. Does this describe you? Why or why not? Write your response below.


II. Interests

Site #4 Http://career.missouri.edu/holland/index.html

a. Play the Career Interests Game.

Follow the directions listed.

a. List your three choices below

1.

2.

3.

g. Click on your 3 selections and printout a detailed descrip-tion. Note some brief descriptors below for each choice.

1.

2.

3.


III. Skills Site #5 Http://www.careergames.com/workshops/skills.html Directions: a. Review and check the skills applicable to you. b. Complete additional exercises on this page and print out

your responses. Keep for future reference. IV. Personality Site #6 Http://www.keirsey.com a. Click on and read “About Temperament: Different Drum-

mers” b. Click BACK button c. Click on and complete the Keirsey Temperament Sorter II

(don’t over analyze this—go with your initial instinct) d. Your Temperament is:

: Example Idealist: NF E. Read your description and print out if it seems like a good “fit” (review other temperaments if it does not seem to fit). f. Save this information for later use.


The following section will help you start pulling together the in-formation that you have gathered about yourself through your Internet career exploration as well as the Myers Briggs Type Indi-cator and the Strong Interest Inventory workshops if you at-tended those at Anoka-Ramsey Community College. If you did not attend these workshops but are interested in getting more information on them, please call 763-422-3450.

1. Myers Briggs Type Indicator:

According to the Myers Briggs Type Indicator (If you took the workshop), what is your personality type (e.g. ENFJ)?

Do you agree? Why or why not?

From your results, note those occupations that you may want to research below.

Is your Keirsey Temperament similar to your Myer’s Briggs type? Why or why not?


2. Strong Interest Inventory

What is your General Occupational Themes or Holland Code?

Rearrange these letters into 5 additional configurations if possible.

In the Career Center, refer to the Dictionary of Holland Occupational Codes. Under each of the codes (6) you listed above, review the corresponding occupations and note those that you may want to research further below.


3. What are your 5 most essential values from Site #2 from your Internet Career Exploration?

4. List your top 6 skills from Site #5 from your Internet Career Exploration.

Based on your research to date, list an occupation that you would like to research in depth:


Using resources in the Anoka-Ramsey Community College Ca-reer Center, a public library and/or on the Internet, complete the following questions.

RESOURCES:

Potential Internet Sites

http://cbweb9p.collegeboard.org/career/bin/career.pl Information on careers http://iseek.org Excellent information on careers in Minnesota.

http://stats.bls.gov/ocohome.htm

http://www.careerchase.net/career/1career_interview_mainpage.htm http://cbweb9p.collegeboard.org/career/bin/career.pl To do a college search by major, location, size, etc.

http://www.mntransfer.org/Campus/indexcharts.htm

Books

O*NET Dictionary of Occupational Titles Occupational Outlook Handbook The Encyclopedia of Careers Occupational Briefs Minnesota Careers

Computer Resources DISCOVER Minnesota Career Information System (MCIS)


OCCUPATIONAL INVESTIGATION TOPICS

In order to make an intelligent and self-appropriate occupational choice, you need to identify and explore your top occupational prospects in depth. Investigate the topics outlined below for each of your top occupational prospects.

Occupation #1

1. Definition of the occupation (from the Dictionary of Occupa-tional Titles or O*NET)

2. Nature of the Work: (Duties, activities, physical requirements, typical work day)

3. Qualifications Needed: (Skills, interests, certification, licensure)


4. Preparation Needed: (Education, training, experience, ap-prenticeship)

5. Where can you prepare for this occupation? (List schools/colleges, educational level—associate, bachelor, graduate)

6. Career Ladder or Advancement Possibilities:

7. Job Outlook: (demand for workers)


8. Related Occupations:

9. Earnings/Benefits: (include starting wage and wage with experience)

10. Personal Benefits: (Include compatibility with your values, interests, personality, lifestyle, etc.)

11. Disadvantages:


12. Overall Impression of the fit between you and this occupa-tion:

For additional assistance with your career and educational planning, please contact

the Counseling Department for an individual appointment at: 763-422-3450.

Main Phone: 763-427-2600 Counseling Phone: 763-422-3450

Written by: MaryAnn Larios, Ph.D.

Layout Design: Chandra Kreyer

11200 Mississippi Boulevard NW Coon Rapids, Minnesota 55433


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