 |
 |
|
||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
 Consultations |
Career ArticlesCareer Roads Less Traveled When Robert Frost wrote, “Two roads diverged in a yellow wood; I took the one less traveled by, and that has made all the difference”, he may have been referring to the many career paths one chooses throughout the lifespan. Some sources predict that the average worker may change jobs approximately 5-12 times, as well as make 3-4 career shifts, during the course of his or her employable years. The majority of professionals utilizing Career Services do so because of dissatisfaction with their current career status. Whether a recent grad returning from a teach-abroad position, a 50-year old looking for work after a recent lay-off, or an at-home mom searching for new challenges, they all have the same question—Where do I begin the search process? With any new course of action, it is best to assess one’s current position before moving forward. For many, taking stock of previous experiences, skills, education, personal characteristics, and values is the key to better understanding one’s self at the present time. After that, the evaluation of job or industry options not only seems less daunting, but the visibility of the potential path actually becomes clearer. A quick checklist for the career search process can guide an individual through the task of exploration and decision-making. It can usually jump-start the job search and give the person a clear vision with which to market his or her candidacy to prospective employers. The following guide can be used as a checklist, for one or all phases of the search process. Because the stages are not necessarily linear, many of the resources identified below are versatile and can be utilized for multiple purposes and different stages.
CAREER SEARCH CHECKLIST: 1. Assess Self: Identifying aspects of yourself and recording them on paper will generally provide the clarity you need to move forward with your search. Not that you don’t know yourself—of course you do! But taking an in-depth look at who you are at this point in time actually helps in clarifying what you probably already know but have not had the time to evaluate recently. The assessment process also allows you to delve deep and draw out subconscious thoughts, hidden goals, or buried interests. Personality characteristics ___Take the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) assessment at www.texasexes.org/career/more.asp ___Take the Keirsey Character Sorter & Temperament Sorter assessments at www.Keirsey.com ___Take the quick Personality Type Quiz by clicking “Discover Your Type” at www.personalitytype.com/quiz.asp ___Find books that provide follow-up information to the assessments above at the previously-mentioned sites: ___Do What You Are by Tieger & Barron-Tieger, ISBN 0-316-88065-5 ___What’s Your Type of Career? by Dunning, ISBN 0-89106-154-1 ___Type Talk at Work by Kroeger, Thuesen, & Rutledge, ISBN 0-440-50928-9 ___Please Understand Me II by Keirsey, ISBN 1-885705-02-6 Interests ___Take the Strong Interest Inventory assessment online at www.texasexes.org/career/more.asp ___Take the Self-Directed Search assessment online at www.self-directed-search.com ___Take I-Speak Your Language online assessment (free to Texas Exes at www.dbmalumniservices.com; click onto “new users” and enter the security key—obtain key from Texas Exes Career Services) Values - personal & work ___Take the MAPP Assessment at http://texas.epronet.com; free to Texas Exes; click “sign up today” ___Complete Values Assessment Packet exercises; free to Texas Exes members from Career Services ___Read What Color is Your Parachute 2005 by Bolles, ISBN 1580086152 ___Complete exercises in What Color is Your Parachute Workbook, by Bolles, ISBN 089815880X Transferable Skills & Experiences ___Create a list of your industry & occupational experiences that have come from your professional jobs, volunteer work, and other career-related activities ___Create a list of your transferable skills (broad-based skills that can be utilized in virtually any industry or occupation) so you can market yourself to a more diversified group of employers & industries ___Compile a list of your specialty skills (skills gained from specialized training, certifications, licensing programs, advanced or professional development courses, or on-the-job-training) to better market yourself
2. Identify Options: ___The Strong Interest Inventory & Self-Directed Search suggest options in their reports (see above) ___The Combined Career Report (available with MBTI & Strong Reports) also suggests possible options ___Surf the Occupational Outlook Handbook, an encyclopedia of occupations, at http://stats.bls.gov/oco
3. Research Career Options: ___Talk to alumni career contacts by utilizing the Texas Exes Career Network stats.bls.gov/oco">http://stats.bls.gov/oco ___Conduct employer & salary survey research through Wet Feet on the Texas eProNet/Experience.com website (free at http://texas.epronet.com) ___Visit or contact your UT College Career Services office; check for alumni services available and office hours, see www.utexas.edu/employment/students.html#cso
4. Test the Fit & Narrow Options: ___Talk with Texas Exes & other alumni by scheduling informational sessions to gain insight into an occupation, industry, or field and determine whether it is a fit or not for you; once it has been re-constructed & goes LIVE, use the Texas Exes Career Network www.TexasExes.org to identify alumni career contacts. ___Contact your UT College Career Services office at www.utexas.edu/employment/students.html#cso to see if they have their own alumni career network ___Volunteer, take an internship, or apply for part-time/temporary work to experience and “try on” the job or field to determine the “fit”
5. Evaluate & Determine Plan and Actions: ___Attend Texas Exes Business Network events to visit with Texas Exes from various industries and fields & to continue narrowing options; check upcoming meetings at http://www.texasexes.org/career/tebn.asp ___Visit with fellow Texas Exes & alumni through events in your area or targeted location; find Texas & out-of-state chapters, international Texas Ex contacts, and local events at http://www.texasexes.org/events/ ___Complete a simple Pro & Con list to narrow industry or occupational possibilities—choosing the options you think are the best for you at this point in time will make the process more manageable and efficient
Career Services and The Texas Exes work to provide its members with the information, tools, and resources necessary in choosing their next career path. Although Robert Frost wrote of two roads, many alumni find themselves faced with multiple roads of choice. And while the many choices seem to make the decision difficult, working through the simple 5-stage checklist may just be the answer to the journey ahead.
©2005 Duncan, Jennifer. Texas Exes Career Services, Austin Texas      |
