CAREER DECISION MAKING Copyright © 2007 Robert Cullen

Career Decision Making  Self Assessment: Skills, preferences, values, interests.  Explore Options, activities, careers, jobs, dream job, industries.  Prioritize and Synthesize the Options and perhaps go back to the previous step to explore more options if necessary.  Set Goals for your career and job search. Identify industries, companies, demographics, potential jobs.  Implement a Marketing Plan.

Your Career Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 job A job B Job C Job D SkillsJob EnvironmentActivities, Tasks, Roles Interests Job E Job F job G job H Job I

Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 job B Job C Job D Skills Job Environment Interests Job E Job F job G job H Job I job A Activities Tasks, Roles Your Career

Self Assessment  What are your skills and talents?  What are your interests?  What are your values?  Money? How much? Is it the most important priority?  What is your passion? (maybe you can find this in a law job or any job...Maybe you can’t)  What area of law?  What activities do you like-dislike? Research, oral advocacy, negotiation, court room, conflict, interaction with clients. Talking to people, not talking to people, work by your self or with others? Conflict issues.  Where do you want to live?  What environment? Dress up and be in a traditional law firm, dress down in a small firm or start up? Casual? Out of the office? In the office?  What kind of company or institution? Serving others, protecting rights, corporations, underprivileged, non profits, for profits?

Myers Briggs

Myers Briggs - 4 Dichotomies of Type How you are Mentally Energized? Extraversion (E) Introversion (I) How you Perceive or Gather Information? Sensing (S) Intuition (N) How you Judge or Decide? Thinking (T) Feeling (F) How you Organize Your Environment? Judging (J) Perceiving (P)

Introvert v Extravert  The terms Introvert and Extravert shows how a person orients and receives their Energy. In the extraverted attitude the energy flow is outward, and the preferred focus is on other people and things, whereas in the introverted attitude the energy flow is inward, and the preferred focus is on one's own thoughts, ideas and impressions.  Most Lawyers are Introverts.

Sensing v Intuition  Sensing and Intuition are the Perceiving Functions. These are the nonrational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it.  Sensing people tend to focus on the present and on concrete information gained from their senses. Sensing prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses.  Intuitive people tend to focus on the future, with a view toward patterns and possibilities. These people prefer to receive data from the subconscious, or seeing relationships via insights.

Thinking v Feeling  Thinking and Feeling are the Decision Making calculus functions. They both strive to make rational choices, using the data received from their perceiving functions, above. Thinking tend to base their decisions on logic "true or false, if-then" connections and on objective analysis of cause and effect. Feeling tend to base their decisions primarily on values and on subjective evaluation of person centered concerns. Feelings use "more or less, better-worse" evaluations.  When Thinking or Feeling is Extraverted, decisions tend to rely on more objective external sources and the generally accepted rules. When Introverted, Thinking and Feeling decisions tend to be subjective, relying on internally generated ideas for logical organization and evaluation.

THINKING vs. FEELING  Thinkers: value justice, rationality, truth, & objectivity; decisions don’t reflect own personal values; can be cold & calculating; good analytical thinkers.  Feelers: value harmony, interpersonal relationships; apply their own personal values to make decisions; seek to do what’s right for self & others; sensitive to the effect of decisions on others.  What do you think most lawyers are?

Thinking-Feeling Preferences (Myers-Briggs Dimensions - Richard, 1994) Lawyers - Male Lawyers - Female Most Males Most Females

Judging v Perceiving  Judging and Perceiving reveals how you organize your environment. People who prefer Judging tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and prefer to have things settled. People who prefer Perceiving tend to like a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and prefer to keep their options open. (The terminology may be misleading for some—the term "Judging" does not imply “Judgmental", and "Perceiving" does not imply "perceptive".)  J-types tend to prefer a step-by-step (left brain: parts to whole) approach to life, relying on external rules and procedures, and preferring quick closure.  In P-types, the subjects relying on subjective judgments, and a desire to leave all options open. (right brain: whole to parts),

Job Tasks Categorized Core Functions NT Developing systems that contribute to the understanding of knowledge Strategic planning Developing systems & models Applying theoretical principles Teaching Solving theoretical problems without set guidelines Mastering knowledge Starting from scratch to make things better Doing research Understanding Focusing on theoretical systems Designing systems NF Encouraging others to grow and develop Creating programs that enrich others Motivating and inspiring others Focusing on personal meaning & self-expression Motivating others to use information to their own benefit Solving new and complex problems that will benefit the future of humanity Changing the way people do things Helping other resolve conflict Mentoring Designing projects Performing Empowering others ST Analyzing info in a detached, objective way Collecting information & scheduling Managing projects Creating budgets & overseeing them Instructing Finding more efficient ways of doing things Controlling information Applying principles consistently Doing cost-benefit analyses Improving Focusing on what needs to be done now Getting things right SF Provide practical services for others Helping people with information Planning social events Being patient with others Care-taking Getting answers for people now Finding resources for people Following written procedures Making others feel comfortable and at ease Serving Focusing on what people need Making others happy

Profiles  Keirsey adds four Temperaments: SP - Artisan SJ - Guardian NF - Idealist NT - Rational

Lawyers and the Myers Briggs  The majority of Lawyers are IN (introverts and intuitive).  The majority of Adults in the United States are ES (extroverts and sensing).  The top two among lawyers are INTJ; ISTJ Introvert Intuitive or Sensing Thinking Judging

Some other Studies  Private Practice lawyers are more Introverted, Intuitive Thinking (NT); NT is often viewed as the most rational.  Administrative lawyers are more Intuition, Thinking, Judging (NTJ); INTJ, ENTJ.  Judges are more Sensing, Thinking, Judging (STJ); ---ISTJ, ESTJ (Lesser ISFP).  Lawyers just like corporate executives (TJ).

Career Decision Making  Self Assessment: Skills, preferences, values, interests.  Explore Options, activities, careers, jobs, dream job, industries.  Prioritize and Synthesize the Options and perhaps go back to the previous step to explore more options if necessary.  Set Goals for your career and job search. Identify industries, companies, demographics, potential jobs.  Implement a Marketing Plan.

Field 1 Field 2 Field 3 job B Job C Job D Skills Job Environment Interests Job E Job F job G job H Job I job A Activities Tasks, Roles Your Career

Career Decision Making  Self Assessment: Skills, preferences, values, interests.  Explore Options, activities, careers, jobs, dream job, industries.  Prioritize and Synthesize the Options and perhaps go back to the previous step to explore more options if necessary.  Set Goals for your career and job search. Identify industries, companies, demographics, potential jobs.  Implement a Marketing Plan.

Self Assessments  What are your skills and talents?  What are your interests?  What are your values?  Money? How much? Is it the most important priority?  What is your passion? (maybe you can find this in a law job or any job...Maybe you can’t)  What area of law?  What activities do you like? dislike? Research, oral advocacy, negotiation, court room, conflict, interaction with clients… Talking to people, not talking to people, work by your self or with others? Conflict issues.  Where do you want to live?  What environment? Dress up and be in a traditional law firm, dress down in a small firm or start up? Casual? Out of the office? In the office?  What kind of company or institution? Serving others, protecting rights, corporations, underprivileged, non profits, for profits?

Explore Options  Informational interviewing  Job postings  Books on career options  Work experience  Different Industries  Career Center  Friends and Family  Internships

Prioritize  What’s most important?  What is least important?  What are you willing to compromise on?  What are you not willing to compromise on?  Be honest with yourself.

Make Decisions and Set Goals  Develop a Plan A and a Plan B and perhaps more Plans and Goals.  Make Goals Specific. Long term: Over all career and find first job. Mid term: I need to look into internships, informational interviews. Short term: I will make 5 phone calls this week.  Write down the Goal: I would like to find a job in a law firm practicing construction law in San Jose making $80,000. I will try to get interviews with these 8 law firms. I will also interview in the LA area.  You can have several: I would like to find a job in a large corporation that does patent law.  Over time, your goals may change if the market place changes, your skills, preferences, values, or interests change.  New goals require new priorities and a new plan

Marketing Plan—Implement Specific Goals  Implement the Goals  Market Research  Networking  Know your audience & what they value  Resume  Cover Letter  Elevator speech  Lead list