Career Exploration and Job Profile Development NOTE: To change the image on this slide, select the picture and delete it. Then click the Pictures icon in the placeholder to insert your own image. This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Career Exploration is the Process of Learning about yourself and the world of work Identifying and exploring potentially satisfying occupations Developing an effective strategy to realize your goals This Photo by Unknown Author is licensed under CC BY-SA

Why Spend Time Exploring Careers You will spend more than 80,000 hours of your life working!. Why spend it doing something you don’t enjoy. The occupation you choose has a big impact on many aspects of your life. Narrowing your choices somewhat helps to define your lifestyle and gives you a clearer picture of who you are. Career exploration helps you learn more about yourself. Learning more about your interest and preferences enables you to form more meaningful relationships with friends and significant others. People gain decision-making skills and occupational knowledge through career planning activities. When you are faced with too many career options, you may not take the time to explore them in depth; instead you may feel overwhelmed. Good decision-makers take time exploring options and are able to make informed satisfying decisions.

Why Spend Time Exploring Careers Career planning results in having realistic career goals. Students who engage in career exploration programs report higher grades and feel better prepared for the future compared to students who do not. Career exploration helps people face and find solutions to educational and career barriers. Career exploration helps people develop a support network and learn where to go when help is needed Students who have completed career exploration have more confidence in themselves and are more motivated to achieve their goals.

Choices360 Web Enabled Program Will Assist You Plan Your Future - Put the pieces together to help you make choices about your major, career or graduate school Career Fields – Investigate career paths, industries, and opportunities for gaining experience in the field of your choosing Employer & Industry Guides – Use these web based resources to help you decide on a career direction Networking & Informational Interviewing – Learn how to build your network of people to help you explore careers and search for jobs Connecting Majors to Careers – Learn about the careers most commonly associated with hundreds of majors

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