Master Checklist...
Career Selection and Planning
Guide
Internet Career Connection
The journey to your new career has been mapped out
for you,
just follow the 5 steps below!
This page contains a list of the 5 steps necessary to complete our career
guidance program. The purpose of this Master Checklist is to guide you
step-by-step through the entire program.
Directions...
Print a copy of this checklist to
record your progress as you complete the program.
Start with Step 1 and complete the steps
in the order presented. Do not skip any step.
On your printed copy, check off each step as it is completed.
You must be viewing this checklist while connected to the
Internet in order for the hyperlinks below to function properly!
Before you begin...
Listed below are 3 forms that you will need to record your findings as you complete the
program. Each form is available either as a Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF
document. To use the Word format you must have Microsoft Word installed on
your computer. To use the Adobe PDF format you must have a copy of Adobe Reader
on your computer. If necessary, you can download a free copy of Adobe Reader by visiting
the
Adobe website. Using the Word format allows you to use your computer
to edit and print any form. If you use the Adobe PDF format, you cannot edited
the forms with your computer, but you can print them and then fill them out
manually.
Before starting Step 1 below, please download or
print a copy of each of the following forms.
Your objective in this
first step is to define your personality style
- your interests, skills, values and behavioral traits.
This is the most important step in the program as you will gather
descriptive information about yourself that will later be used to identify
possible career options to explore and later still to select a final
career goal. Please do not rush through this step!
While we recommend that you define all four areas of your
personality style (interests, skills, values and behavioral
traits), you may elect to define as many as you wish.
Whichever areas you decide to define, you must define at least
your interests. Always start with the interest section and
then complete any or all of the remaining
assessment areas.
As you progress through this
step you will record your findings on Form 1. Here's an
example of what your form might look like if you were to define all four
assessment areas.
A checklist of things to do
has been prepared to guide you in defining each area of your
personality style. Click on the link below and follow the
directions on the page that follows to complete this step.
When you have completed this step, move on to Step 2 below.
[ ]
Step 2: Identify possible career options
The focus of the program will now change from looking at you to looking at
occupations. Your objective in this second step is to produce a
list of occupations (job titles) that you believe match the
interests that you defined in Step 1.
You will create a list of occupations that you want to
evaluate as possible career options. Here's an
example.
To accomplish this
step you will enter keywords that describe your interests into an online database of
occupations to receive a list of matching job titles. You will
then record those job titles that you want to explore on Form 2. When you're ready to begin,
click on the checklist link below, print a copy of the checklist that will
appear, and then follow the directions on the page that follows to complete this step.
When you have completed this step, move on to Step 3 below.
[ ]
Step 3: Research your career options
In this third step,
your objective is to increase your understanding of the true nature of
each of the career options that you identified in Step 2 above. You
will accomplish this by visiting an Internet website where you will read
a report on each occupation. For each occupation on your list you will review
such information as:
duties and responsibilities
required or recommended training
entrance qualifications
typical advancement opportunities
projected employment need
typical salary
This step will
help you reduce your
list of possible career options down to those that are most desirable,
and prepare you for selecting a specific
career goal in Step 4.
When you're ready to begin,
click on the checklist link below, print a copy of the checklist that will
appear, and then follow the directions on the page that follows to complete this step.
When you have completed this step, move on to Step 4 below.
[ ]
Step 4: Select a career goal
If you have arrived at this step it is because you narrowed down
your career options in Step 3 above to two or more occupations.
This step will now guide you in selecting a final career
goal from your remaining career options.
If in Step 3 you reduced your career options down to only one
occupation, and if you want to select that occupation as your
career goal, then you may skip this fourth step and move on to
Step 5 below. If you did not make a final career
decision in Step 3, then please complete this step.
To guide you in selecting a
final career goal, you will now use a decision-making strategy
where you will compare each of your interests, skills, values and
behavioral traits to each occupation that you are seriously considering.
You will use a numerical rating scale to indicate
the degree of match between each factor and each
occupation, and then you will add together your ratings to produce a
total score. Each total score reflects the overall match between your personality
style and each occupation. Finally, by determining which occupation has the
highest total score you can determine which occupation best
matches your personality style.
When you're ready to begin,
click on the checklist link below, print a copy of the checklist that will
appear, and then follow the directions on the page that follows to complete this step.
When you have completed this step, move on to Step
5 below.
[ ]
Step 5: Develop a career plan
Congratulations on selecting a career goal! We think you will agree
that the work involved in getting to this point in the program was well
worth your effort as you now can feel more confident that you've made a wise
and potentially rewarding career decision - one that is based on solid
information about your personality style and occupational options.
Now, your task in this last step is to identify those steps (decisions and tasks) that you should take, and in which order to realize your new career goal.
Careful planning is now as important to your ultimate career success as
was the task of selecting a career goal!
Imagine for a moment that you are an adventurer or explorer traveling
through uncharted lands seeking a specific destination. If you had
a detailed and accurate map to guide you, the chances of reaching your
goal are good. In similar fashion, the career plan that you develop in this step will
be your "map" to your new career goal.
When you're ready to begin,
click on the checklist link below, print a copy of the checklist that will
appear, and then follow the directions on the page that follows to complete this step.
Considering the importance of a well
crafted plan for reaching your career goal, it is strongly
recommended that you review your plan with a professional career
counselor or academic advisor before putting your plan into
action. Failure to identify an important step in your
plan, or how to properly complete a step that you have
identified could prevent you from reaching your goal. See
our Support page for suggestions
regarding how to find professional advice.
Optional,
but highly recommended!