CAREER FOCUS

When I Grow Up . . .

WHY IS CAREER AWARENESS IMPORTANT IN HIGH SCHOOL?

Not all students will go on to college or finish college, so it is important to plan for a career now

If you do plan to go to college, you can research which schools have strong programs in your area of interest

Your career or occupation will greatly influence: How you spend 87,000+ hours of your life (based on 40

hours per week from ages 22 – 67)

How much free time you will have to enjoy friends, family, and recreation

How much money you will earn

Who you will meet

STEP 1: SELF-AWARENESS

Determine the influence your interests, abilities, personality, priorities, and culture may have on your career aspirations and goals.

YOUTUBE - CAREER SEARCH OVERVIEW

FACTORS IN SELF-AWARENESS

Interests – BRIDGES interest inventory, Hobbies, Electives

Abilities – Grades, standardized tests, extracurricular participation

Personality – Myer’s Briggs, Holland type

Values – Schedule, money, work environment, prestige

Cultural Influences – Collectivism v. individualism

PERSONALITY TYPES

The Myers-Briggs and other personality tests can be useful in helping you recognize your preferences, strengths, and weaknesses.

These results can help you determine if a particular career is right for you. Many websites and books on the subject will also give you a list of careers to begin exploring if you are undecided.

EAST LEYDEN CAREER CORNER

MBTI PREFERENCES

Extraversion Introversion

- Prefer to talk - Prefer to write

- Broad interests - In depth interests

- Sociable and expressive - Private and contained

- Outgoing - Shy

Sensing Intuition

- Oriented to present realities - Oriented to future possibilities

- Factual and concrete - Imaginative and verbally creative

- Observe and remember details - Focus on pattern and on details only as they relate to the pattern

- Understand ideas and theories - Want to clarify ideas and theories

through practical application before putting them to use

MBTI PREFERENCES

Thinking Feeling

- Analytical - Empathetic

- Solve problems with logic - Assess impacts of decisions on people

- Fair—want everyone treated equally - Fair—want everyone treated as an

individual

- Strive for an objective standard of the - Strive for harmony and positive

truth interactions

Judging Perceiving

- Scheduled - Spontaneous

- Organize their lives - Flexible

- Systematic - Casual

- Try to avoid last-minute stress - Feel energized by last-minute pressures

SAMPLE CAREERS FOR AN ENFP

Consultant Psychologist Entrepreneur Actor Teacher Counselor Politician / Diplomat Writer / Journalist Television Reporter Computer Programmer Scientist Engineer

Warmly, genuinely interested in people; great people skills

Service-oriented Future-oriented Dislike performing routine tasks Need approval and appreciation

from others Cooperative and friendly Creative and energetic Well-developed verbal and written

skills Natural leaders, but do not like to

control people. Also resist being controlled by others

Can work logically and rationally

ENFP Personality Traits

*Find information on your personality type and career at: http://www.personalitypage.com/careers.html

Career Options for Your Type

HOLLAND INTEREST TYPES

Realistic – you are a “doer,” and like to implement practical solutions.

Investigative – you are a “thinker” and like to analyze situations to find creative solutions

Artistic – you are a “creator” and enjoy music, art, writing, dance, etc.

Social – you are a “helper” and enjoy working with other people and helping them

Enterprising – you are a “persuader” and like to influence and manage other people

Conventional – you are an “organizer” and like working with details and structure

*Once you know your type(s), research related jobs at http://online.onetcenter.org/find/descriptor/browse/Interests/#cur

STEP 2: CAREER EXPLORATION

Use information gathered from Step 1: Self-Assessment to narrow down your career focus.

What would your dream job be like? Write a description or read real job postings to get an idea for what you would like to do.

Consider community involvement, informational interviewing, and job shadowing.

Utilize library and online resources to gather data.

O*NET CAREER WEBSITE

STEP 3: POST-HIGH SCHOOL PLANNING

Explore the necessary training and/or education required of targeted occupations.

Overview of alternative post-secondary options: Armed forces On-the-Job Training Job Corps Vocational and Technical schools

What can you do right now to prepare yourself for a successful future? Develop a strong work ethic with your academics Extracurricular Activities Internships Community Involvement Apprenticeships

ARMED FORCES

Prefer high school graduates Recruiters visit Leyden in cafeteria during lunch

once per month, or see Ms. Shannon to get in touch with a particular branch or recruiter

All types of jobs available, training ranges from a few weeks to a year

Financing available for college Must commit for a certain number of years, which

varies depending on the branch Can begin reserves junior year of high school with

parental approval The ASVAB (Armed Services Vocational Aptitude

Battery) will be given at East Leyden in April

*Visit websites at www.navy.com, www.airforce.com, www.goarmy.com, www.marines.com, and www.coastguard.com

ON-THE-JOB TRAINING

Many of you have probably already had training at your part-time jobs. This can vary in length from a few hours on up to several years and sometimes allows you to move up in the company.

Apprenticeships: Usually a paid combination of on-site work and

classroom learning that will lead towards a certificate or trade union membership