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Contents:
Know
Yourself, Expand Your Options, Primary Factors
Printable
Worksheets
Career
Inventories
KNOW YOURSELF
The essence of career planning is finding a match between who you
are and an environment that suits you. The first step is to know
who you are, what you need and want, what your interests and talents
are. Career planning is not a one-time event as students graduate
and enter the world of work, but a dynamic on-going process of career
development as you learn and respond to change, within yourself
and in the organizations with which you work.
EXPAND YOUR
OPTIONS
Often the expedience of needing a job compels young people to take
whatever is easily available and most obvious. However, the opportunities
for college graduates cover a wide range of fields and job functions
in communications, healthcare/biotech, the environment, small business,
consulting, government, and nonprofit service and advocacy work.
It is a rare person who is fortunate enough to match genuine interest,
talents and values to a satisfying vocation offering appropriate
growth opportunities in their first job. Taking the time to build
a foundation of knowledge about yourself and to expand your thinking
about options appropriate for you can increase your chances of success
enormously.
PRIMARY FACTORS
IN KNOWING YOURSELF
- Interests
Seven Clues
to Help You Get Started Worksheet, Strong Interest Inventory,
Campbell Interest and Skills Survey
- Personal
and work style
Your Preferred
Work Style Worksheet, Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
- Skills
Skills and
Personal Traits Worksheet, SkillScan Card Sort, Campbell Interest
and Skill Survey
- Values
Clarifying
Your Values Worksheet, Values Card Sort
PRINTABLE
WORKSHEETS
"Seven
Clues To Help You In Getting Started" - printable
worksheet in pdf format
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Get started
thinking about what interests you and what is important to you.
Answer questions such as "If you had three lifetimes, what
dream jobs attract you?" or "If you knew you couldn't
fail, what might you most like to do?"
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"Skills
and Personal Traits" - printable worksheet
in pdf format
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Selecting
your preferred skills will help you focus on skills you feel
confident you have, and skills you most want to use in your
future work.
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"Clarifying
Your Values" - printable worksheet in pdf format
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Values
are a set of standards, which determine attitudes, choices,
and action. Mapping your work-related value priorities can help
lay important groundwork for making good decisions about your
developing career.
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"Preferred
Work Style" - printable worksheet in pdf format
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| Work environments
and styles of interaction vary widely. Even though we learn
and grow all our lives, the basic structure of our personalities
is largely inherent. Most people find work most satisfying when
it fits their own personal style or personality. |
CAREER INVENTORIES
- Are you unsure
of which career direction to go? Or are you wondering what in
the world is out there for you as a career? Or do you have a few
ideas in mind but aren't sure which to focus on? Career inventories
and assessments can help you gain a better understanding of your
options.
- The inventories
and assessments will not provide you with the "answers"
to what you should do and they do not measure aptitude or intelligence.
But they will help you understand more about your own personality,
interests, skills, and values.
- To take any
of the inventories, you will first need to speak to a career counselor
or attend an assessment workshop. Visit the Career Development
Center or call 650-725-1789 to set up an appointment or see the
CDC Calendar
for workshop dates.
The Options:
Strong
Interest Inventory (SII) and Campbell Interest and Skill Survey
(CISS)
The Strong Interest Inventory measures your level of interest
in occupational areas, activities, school subjects, and work environments,
and then compares your interests with working professionals in a
wide variety of occupations. This assessment can be taken on-line.
The Campbell
Interest and Skill Survey measures your interests and rates your
confidence in your skills in a variety of career areas. It then
compares your results with those of working professionals. This
assessment can be taken on-line.
* The two inventories
are similar and a counselor can help you further decide which one
would be most appropriate.
Myers-Briggs
Type Indicator (MBTI)
The MBTI indicates your personality preferences and then provides
feedback on work settings and various careers where your personality
type might be either a complement or a challenge. This assessment
can be taken on-line.
SkillScan
This inventory features a hands-on card sort to help pinpoint your
strengths and skill preferences. It provides you with words to help
define your skills, for resumes and cover letters, and for your
own career decision-making.
Values
Cards
This is a fun, colorful card sort to help you identify your work
related and life values. It's important for making successful career
choices in line with what matters to you.
Additional
"Do It Yourself" Inventory:
Focus II
Focus II is an occupational information computer program that offers
a brief self-assessment phase based on your interests, values, and
skills, and a phase that allows you to explore careers related to
various majors. The most popular research and exploration phase
is #7, where you can look up descriptions of more than 1000 occupations.
This phase provides information such as an overview of the career,
salary ranges, work environment, training required, and work values.
This computer program is available at a computer station located
in the CDC and we encourage you to discuss your results with a career
counselor.
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