Step 12
Making Choices: Major and Career
- Has the nature of work changed ?
- What skills do I need to cope with a changing world of work ?
- What kinds of jobs suit people like me ?
- Who am I and how will that affect my career success?
- What are some ways to investigate career choices?
- What is a resume and how do I write one?
- How do I prepare for job interviews?
- How can SAU help me prepare for a career?
Modified: 2013-11-12
Preparing for a Career
- The world of work has changed dramatically since 1950
- Ozzie and Harriet model
(1950)
- Dads worked
- Moms stayed home
- The Sixties
- Kennedy election and assassination
- Women's rights and birth control
- The first oil crisis (1973)
- Economic incentives for couples to work
- The Nineties, The Gulf Wars, and the Economy
- The national budget has been strained by two wars and increased spending
- The Internet
- The US/World Economy Today
- Globalization
- Volatility
- The pace of innovation has accelerated
- Other Changes
- Customization and Choices
- Today we have many more choices to make than in the past
- Speed
- The world seems faster today
- "We need it now."
- Just in time delivery
- 24/7
- Stability
- The world seems less stable today
- Terrorism and Other Threats
- Global warming
- Population growth
- Bringing work home/working overtime
- Requisite Skills
- Communication and Presentation
- Leadership
- Team Skills
- Interpersonal Skills
- Positive Personal Traits
- Critical Thinking/Problem Solving
- Lifetime Learning
Getting Major and Career Information
- Who Decides?
- Parents?
- Faculty?
- Friends?
- No, YOU!
- How I became a psychology major
- Majors and Careers
- Some majors have clear and obvious career paths:
- Pre-med
- Engineering
- Criminal Justice
- Accounting
- Other majors lead to a variety of career paths, some of which are not obvious
- English
- Sociology
- Marketing
- Psychology
- Questions You Should Ask?
- Why am I in college?
- To discover myself?
- To find a career?
- To get post-graduate schooling?
- To obtain specific training?
- To improve skills for a specific job I already have?
- Things You Should Know
- Career ladders are largely a thing of the past.
- Lifetime employment in one company is a thing of the past.
- Just getting college degree will not get you a job.
- Learning is a life-long process.
- Things You Should Do
- Work to identify your goals
- Connect with others who can help you decide about a major and career path
- Learn specific skills, especially technologically-based ones
- Understand the benefits and threats associated with specific majors and companies
- Take advantage of opportunities to learn more about majors and careers
- Start early
Exploring your Interests
- Holland's Personality Characteristics
- R-Realistic
- Practical, Action over words, Science and Mechanics
- I-Investigative
- Problem solvers, Intellectuals, Not People-oriented
- A-Artistic
- Creative, Independent, Culture and Esthetics
- S-Social
- Caring, Verbal, Interpersonal skills
- E-Enterprising
- Risk takers, Power and Status, People-oriented and Goal-oriented
- C-Conventional
- Neat, Persistent, Organizers of people and data
- Holland's Career Fields
- R-Realistic
- Farmer, Forester, Fire Fighter, Police Officer, Flight Engineer, Pilot, Carpenter, Electrician, Diesel Mechanic, Locomotive Engineer, Truck Driver, Locksmith
- I-Investigative
- Chemist, Mathematician, Meteorologist, Biologist, Dentist, Physician, Veterinarian, Pharmacist, Medical Technician, Architect, Surveyor, Electrical Technician
- A-Artistic
- Dancer, Book, Editor, Art Teacher, Clothes Designer, Graphic Designer, Comedian, Actor, Disk Jockey, Composer, Musician
- S-Social
- Counselor, Parole Officer, Social Worker, Dental Hygienist, Nurse, Physical Therapist, Teacher, Librarian, Athletic Trainer
- E-Enterprising
- Auctioneer, Sales Person, Travel Agent, Recreation Leader, Judge, Lawyer, City Manager, Sales Manager, Bank President, TV Newscaster, Customs Inspector, Camp Director, Hotel Manager, Real Estate Agent, School Principal
- C-Conventional
- Court Clerk, Secretary Bookkeeper, Bank Teller, Post Office Clerk, Mail Carrier, Typist, Title Examiner, Timekeeper
- Free Holland Quiz
- My Results:
- * Investigative: 15
* Realistic: 14
* Social: 12
* Artistic: 11
* Enterprising: 11
* Conventional: 10
- My Careers
- IRS Civil Engineer
IRS Hazardous Waste Technician
IRS Meteorologist
IRS Technical Writer
- Holland Hexagon
- Other Factors
- Values
- Are you aware of your values?
- Interests
- Use college as a way to explore your interests.
- Skills
- Do you have any skills that will help in a career? Can you develop those skills in college?
- Aptitudes
- Aptitudes are largely biological and relate to skills. Be aware of your own aptitudes.
- Personality
- Match your personality to the job.
- Life Goals and Work Values
- How do you define success? What is life-satisfying to you?
Your Career Plan
- How do I get a job or go to post-graduate school?
- Building a Resume
- A resume summarizes your experience, usually in chronological order
- Writing a Cover Letter
- Who should get letter?
- Do not send letter to "To whom it may concern"
- Do your research and find out who to write.
- Use the most recent address
- Pay attention to details, the letter is your initial impression
- Getting Experience
- Service Learning Courses
- Volunteering
- Studying Abroad
- SAU has study abroad programs:
- Internships
- Work for money with an employer with the intent of learning about the job and the company
- Co-ops
- Similar to internships
- Typically, work at a company a semester at a time
- Typically, make more money to start
- "There are two kinds of students. Those that participate in the co-op program and those who wish they had."
- You can set up your own co-op program too
- On campus employment
- Research
- Some courses offer the opportunity to conduct research
- Results can be presented at undergraduate research conferences
- Money is available from SAU and Arkansas (SURF)
- The idea is to differentiate yourself from other applicants
- Interviewing
- You will interview long before you graduate
- Interviewers wish to assess your abilities and competencies
- You should present yourself honestly
- Mock interviews can help
- Behavioral interviews ask about past problems, how you solved them, and what you learned from them
- PARK
- P = problem
- A = actions taken
- R = results obtained
- K = knowledge gained
- Dress appropriately for your interview, you only get one chance to make a first impression!
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