College and Career Exploration and Planning
College can not only transform your life by providing a path to a career and greater earning potential, but it can help transform entire communities as well. In Illinois and across the nation, those who obtain education beyond high school not only see a significant impact on their potential career prospects and future salary, but also change levels of poverty, life expectancy, crime and obesity rates in their communities.
Maybe you never thought college would be possible for you. Maybe you dreamed about going but it all seemed too overwhelming. Or maybe you′ve made the decision to go to college but need some assistance in getting there.
Career discussions with adults tend to be infrequent when you are a child. Then, around age 17, adults begin peppering you with questions about your plans for college, a major and a career...as if it magically comes to you. Rather than admit, "I don′t have a clue", many young people simply pick a career they have seen on TV or that a friend has suggested. After they repeat this response several times, they begin to convince themselves.
In some cases, students invest 2-3 years in college pursuing a major for this "randomly selected" careeronly to decide that they hate their choice. Some students switch majors at significant additional cost (time and $$$). Unless these students use effective career planning tools, they are likely to be just as unhappy with their second choice. Some students decide not to change majors, but instead "tough it out" only to be miserable in their job for the next 40 years.
Career Planning
Lily is starting college, and she's a little worried. Her parents want her to already be thinking about her career, but she's not sure what she wants to do. Besides, her friends are all about hanging out and just having fun in college. They're not thinking about their careers, so why should she?
A career, or occupational path, is a major part of most people's lives. It is the way that most people will be able to earn a living, and it requires significant time and dedication. When people go to college, it is usually so that they can make a good living in a career. But, when is the right time to start planning your career? Are Lily's parents right? Should she be thinking about it now?
There is no right time to begin career planning, but earlier is usually better. This doesn′t mean that people who are at the end of college (or even finished with college) should just give up, but if Lily starts her career planning now, she increases her chances of being successful in whatever career she chooses. Let's look at the four stages of career planning: exploration, identifying options, building skills, and targeted job search.
Exploration
Lily's parents want her to be thinking about her career, but Lily just isn′t sure what she wants to do for a living. And how can she know now, at 18, what she should do at age 30 or 40 or 50?
The first stage in career planning is the exploration stage, when a person tries to figure out his or her strengths and interests. High school and the first year of college are good times to do this. Like many people at this stage, Lily isn′t sure what she wants to do, and that's okay. She should look at this time as an opportunity to explore what she likes and doesn′t like to do, as well as her strengths and weaknesses.
There are some specific things that Lily can do during this stage to help her figure out what her likes, dislikes, strengths, and weaknesses are. She can volunteer, join clubs, take a variety of classes, and attend workshops. She can also talk to others about what careers are out there. Professors, other students, and alumni are all good sources. Lily may discover a career that she didn′t even know existed!
During this time, Lily should also develop transferable skills. That is, she should develop skills that transfer to a variety of careers and settings. Things like good writing and communication, study skills, and computer skills are all important things to know in almost any job that she ends up taking. This is a good time to take classes or workshops and hone those skills.
Identifying Options
As Lily moves into her sophomore year, she has one or more years of exploration under her belt. After the exploration stage, the next phase that Lily will enter is the identifying options stage of career planning. During this stage, a person evaluates their experiences and figures out a general career path. For example, Lily might discover that she's really good at math, but not really interested in it. She might find that she really loves social science classes though. She thinks that she might like to work in one of the social science fields.
Notice the interests that Lily uncovered in the exploration phase are still pretty general. There are a lot of things she could do in the social sciences. She could be a psychologist or a sociologist. She could work for the government, as a college professor, or in corporate America. Even if she narrows her interests down to just psychology, for example, she has a lot of options: she can be a psychology professor or treat patients or work in advertising and marketing or a host of other careers.
⇒Take a variety of different classes. Don′t pigeonhole yourself into one tight line of study. Branch out and take a good look around to see what interests you.
⇒Complete a few self-assessment tests. Self–assessment tests can tell you a lot about yourself and may help you match your skills and interests with possible careers.
⇒Develop a career inventory. What kind of organization do you want to work for? What type of environment do you prefer? How much travel do you want to do? What kind of work schedule do you prefer? Think it through on your own, or take a career and interest assessment to get your answers.
⇒Research different careers. Browse the Bureau of Labor Statistics home page for detailed descriptions of different careers and statistics about the fastest growing fields.
⇒Use your college′s career center. Research materials, useful lectures, alumni contacts, self-assessment tests, interview workshops and the latest resume and career development software await you.
⇒Join a professional association Joining a professional association in your field of choice is a great way to tap into a career network.
⇒Network Meeting people who work in your prospective field can give you valuable insight into what life is like in that career. Gather information by gathering contacts.
⇒Arrange some informational interviews. There′s no better way to get a feel for a certain career than talking to professionals in the field. Find them through your college′s career center, your school′s alumni association, job fairs and professional organizations.
Make a Career in Research
Strategic career planning is of increasing importance for researchers. Whether you′ve decided upon a path or are contemplating options, there are structured ways to approach career transitions. Learn to evaluate career options and find out what you should be thinking about when taking the next steps in your career journey.
In this online lecture, you′ll learn the importance of knowing your personal preferences of work environments and institutional cultures. You′ll pick up tips on how to deconstruct a job description and learn more about an organization before applying. This lecture is aimed at early- to mid-career researchers considering the academic job market as well as feasible alternatives in industry.
How to chart a successful research career
Inform yourself of the pitfalls and make a plan. Where do you want to be in 3 to 5 years? In 10 to 15 years? With as many potential pitfalls as there are opportunities, steering your academic career in the right direction can be a daunting challenge.
A healthy work-life balance Professor of Developmental Biology Christine L. Mummery reveals how she maintains a healthy work-life balance as a scientist and mother of three.
Discover Possibilities
To help answer these questions, grouppico students have access to Family Connection. This tool helps students discover their interests and learn about careers, career pathways, and career clusters. Students will be able to view specific job tasks and qualifications for careers along with an example of the high school Program of Study. To get started, these are the assessments that students can take: Career Interest Profiler and Career Cluster Finder. These resources allow students to reflect on results and explore interests. Students will learn more about themselves and their likes and dislikes, as well careers they may enjoy.
What do corporate educators actually do?
People who work in this corporate area of education tend to be teaching people about skills, methods and techniques rather than facts and figures. It is a form of teaching with very specific business-driven goals. It might involve giving people the relevant knowledge and practical skills to pass professional qualifications, or simply giving people general guidance on communication, teamwork and cooperation.
What am I good at? How do I determine my strengths? StrengthsExplorer is a research-based assessment that provides students with the opportunity to discover their natural talents. This assessment is also found in Family Connection.
Explore Opportunities
National Workforce Outlook - Bureau of Labor statistics provide the outlook on jobs and careers, along with earning potential.
Local Workforce Outlook - Northern Virginia Local Workforce Research provides research on the labor market in the local Northern Virginia area, including forecasts and trends in growing industries, top hiring employers, educational and skill requirements, and average salaries.
Within Family Connection, students can explore careers by searching Career Clusters; this is a way of grouping careers with common features and skills. Careers grouped into the same cluster typically require similar education and training. Exploring clusters can be a useful way to find a good career match, especially if you have general areas of interest but are not sure what specific careers match those interests. Career Clusters can also help you better understand how your coursework in school can prepare you for certain types of careers.
Explore RoadTrip Nation: Here students can begin a journey of self-discovery to help figure out who they are and what they love to do. It is possible to search by interest, theme, and by industry leaders. Check out RoadTrip playlists and online TV through Family Connection.
Align Possibilities with Opportunities
Now that students understand their strengths and interests, discovered possibilities, and explored career opportunities, they are ready to plan for the future, and set a path toward a fulfilling life. Ready, set, go!
