Page 339 - Keys To Community College Success

frequent job changes, it also offers the reward of a myr-
iad of opportunities to learn and reinvent yourself
throughout your career. It also increases the importance
of strong transferable skills such as thinking, teamwork,
writing, goal setting, and more, which can make choos-
ing a major a little less stressful.
Now is the time to think about careers. College
provides a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to explore
yourself and the knowledge available to you. The earlier
you take the risk to consider career goals, the greater
reward you can receive from your education and college
resources, which can prepare you for work in both job-
specific and general ways.
Ideally, your career will reflect your values and talents
and reward you with the income you need. The “right”
career means something different to everyone, and, as Ste- Taking courses in an area of interest can help you see how well
phen found, what you think is best at one point may not a job in this area might suit you. These students get hands-on
be the path you ultimately take. With your self-discovery experience in respiratory therapy, as well as advice from an
in this course, you are already on the road to discovering experienced instructor.
what makes the most sense for you. Read on about more
career preparation strategies including considering your personality and strengths,
exploring majors, investigating career paths, building knowledge and experience, know-
ing what employers want, and creating a strategic plan.

Consider Your Personality and Strengths
Because who you are as a learner relates closely to who you are as a worker, results
from learning assessments provide clues in the search for the right career. For example,
the Multiple Intelligences assessment points to information about your natural
strengths and challenges, which can lead you to careers that involve these strengths.
Look at Key 12.1 to see how those intelligences may link up with various careers.
The Personality Spectrum assessment is equally significant, because it focuses on
how you work best with others, and career success often depends on your ability to
function in a team. Key 12.2 links the four dimensions of the Personality Spectrum to
career ideas and job search strategies. Look for your strengths and decide what you
may want to keep in mind as you search. Look also at areas of challenge, and try to
identify ways to boost your abilities in those areas. Even the most ideal job involves
some tasks outside of your comfort zone. Remember to approach the information in
Keys 12.1 and 12.2 as a guide, not a label. Your self-knowledge is a starting point for
your goals about how you want to grow.
Finally, one other way to investigate how your personality and strengths may
inform career choice is to take an inventory based on the Holland Theory. Theorizing
that personality was related to career choice, psychologist John Holland came up with
six different types that identify both personality and career areas: Realistic, Investiga-
tive, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional (together known as RIASEC).
1
Holland developed two interest surveys that allow people to identify their order of
preference for the six types and help them link their stronger types to career areas. Ask
your career center about these surveys: the Vocational Preference Inventory (VPI ) or
®
Self-Directed Search (SDS ).
®
Investigate Career Paths

Career possibilities extend far beyond what you can imagine. Talk to instructors, rela-
tives, mentors, and fellow students about careers. Explore job listings, occupation lists, Careers and More
assessments, and other information at your school’s career center. Check your library for

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