Planning a career is quite different from getting a job. Taking a job involves getting work as it comes along and performing certain tasks whether for pay, as volunteer, or for experience. Individuals take jobs, but they choose careers. It's learning about yourself and the job market - and then making choices based on what you've learned.
Career planning is not another name for job hunting, rather it is an individual activity, and a continuous process that helps you determine what you would like to do whth your working life. It involves identifying your own interests and abilities, exploring options, stetting goals, and implementing plans. It requires considerable thinking, work, motivation, flexibility, and decision making. Its main objective is to enable you to make economic and personal choices that will provide a satisfying, challenging, and fulfilling career. Career planning helps you decide, determine and discover.
self-ASSESSMENT
Know thyself. What do you want to do? Where do you want to work? What is there to be done? What are your career goals?
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Self-assess your personal attributes...that is your career-related interests, values, talents, and skills.
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Broaden your horizons about potential career paths.
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Explore and analyze occupational paths that appeal to you.
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Map out realistic goals and plans.
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Identify educational programs, skills and work experience you will need to achieve your goals.
- Self-Directed Search (SDS) - The SDS is a simple, self-administered, and self-scored instrument. It identifies occupational areas you may want to explore and provides immediate results.
- O*NET Careers Interest Inventory - This inventory is based on the O*NET Interest Profiler. The O*NET Career Interests Inventory should be used for career exploration, career planning and vocational counseling purposes only.
