Taking Charge of Your Career

Introduction What do you want from this workshop? What is most difficult about career planning? What do you already know about process?

Career Development Lifelong process involving choices, changes, challenges integrating “internal” self-knowledge And “external” opportunities

Career Planning is dynamic and interactive with the work environment…. YOU Work Opportunities Integrate through Decision Making Process

Career Planning Model: 3 Interactive Elements 1) “Internal” or “Self-knowledge”: What do we need to know about ourselves? 2) “External” or “Opportunity structure”: What do we need to know about work setting/opportunity structure? 3) Decision making process: What works?

Self Assessment Question to you: To explore career options, what do you need to know about yourself? For today, we’ll focus on interests and skills

ARTISTIC REALISTIC INVESTIGATIVE SOCIAL ENTERPRISING CONVENTIONAL WORK ENVIRONMENTS (HOLLAND)

Skills and Knowledge Skills Analysis as strategy for planning: Personal skills recognition; Identification of our most important skills (most motivating as well as those contributing to burn out); Identification of our most available skills; Needs for further skill development (training opportunities, experiential learning, and/or academic coursework) Gaining the ability to articulate and market these skills to supervisors/employers.

Skill Types Transferable (key as transition to new career pathways) Special Knowledge (acquired through academic coursework as well as experiential learning) Self-Management

“External” Work Setting Question to you: To explore career options, what do you need to know about the work setting? How do you evaluate a “good” job?

“External” Work Setting What do we know about the changing workforce? What are some of the terms now in common usage? Transitioning, Global Economy, Restructuring, Reengineering, Contingency work, Outsourcing, Deskilling and Portable skills; Obsolescence UNCERTAINTY

CHANGING LABOR MARKET Old ModelNew Model Goal setting as single linear decision Multiple goals/broader focus, ongoing decisions Advancement meant vertical through career ladder Advancement variety of outcomes, lateral and “growing in place” Organizational structure as context of opportunity Individual responsibility, collaborative w/worksite Worker responds to changeWorker anticipates change Career “Stages” Linear model of career progression; change seen as negative New applications of knowledge, new opp. don’t look the same; crossover common Security through longevitySecurity through knowledge and skills & “niche” areas

Balancing Work/Family New models of family work arrangements: dual career, sequential, or synchronous Family Friendly policies: parental leave, flextime, demonstrated support of working parents, child care, job sharing

3) Decision Making Process Varies by Level of anxiety *StyleTiming Role of significant others Work/family relationships

Decision Making Style How do you make decisions? RationalIntuitiveDependent Are trade-offs with each style

Best Prepared to Manage Career Conduct ongoing self-assessment and analysis of opportunities Able to problem solve, be creative Be self-directed Understand and apply technology Demonstrate communication, interpersonal and teamwork skills Learn effective risk taking Anticipate employers’/customers’ needs Be self-marketing of professional abilities Recognize knowledge and skills and effectively present to employers Develop experience through variety of opportunities

Next Steps for Strategic Planning Self-Assessment Prepare for areas of competence, not specific jobs or job titles Know your strengths but address areas of improvement What “added value” can you offer to benefit you and employer? Work Environment Analyze opportunities by task and by association with future goals Anticipate what is needed Career satisfaction doesn’t always mean promotion/advancement Decision Making Review personal priorities Set short term goals connected to long term, but be flexible Research, network (informational interviewing) Consider multiple pathways Don’t think “Who would hire me?” but “Where would I want to be hired?”

Thank you!! Wish you all many career successes