Page 295 - Keys to College Success

Now is the time to start thinking about careers. College provides a once-in-a-
lifetime opportunity to explore yourself and the knowledge available to you. The ear-
lier 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. Read on
about more career preparation strategies.

Connect Major to Career
10 Many sources of career advice say that pursuing a passion is a key element of career
CHAPTER success. This doesn’t mean that you’ll love every aspect or every day of your job—no
one does. However, you improve your chances of thriving if you spend the bulk of your
job doing work that interests you and taps into your strengths.
As you begin to implement what you worked on in the Get Analytical exercise, ask
for advice. An academic advisor or career center staff member can help you define
which careers need specific majors and which are accessible from a broader range of
educational backgrounds. For example, students going into medical professions usually
need to major in a science or pre-med area, while students aiming to work in business
might major in anything from technology to liberal arts. Business owners are becoming
more aware of how liberal arts majors bring value to the workplace through skills such
as problem solving and writing. 6

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,
assessments, and other information at your school’s career center. Check your library
for books on careers or biographies of people who worked in fields that interest you.
Visit websites such as O*NET Online, which provides information about education
and skills required for particular occupations, on-the-job tasks, possible salaries,
and more. Look at Key 10.4 for the questions you might ask yourself as you conduct
your research.
Keep the following in mind as your investigate careers.

KEY 10.4 Ask questions like these to analyze how a career area or job may
fit you.

What can I do in this area that I like and do well? Do I respect the company or the industry? The product or service?

What are the educational requirements (certificates Does this company or industry accommodate special needs (child care, sick days,
or degrees, courses)? flex time)?

What skills are necessary? Do I need to belong to a union? What does union membership involve?

What wage or salary and benefits can I expect? Are there opportunities near where I live (or want to live)?
What personality types are best suited to this kind What other expectations exist (travel, overtime, and so on)?
of work?
What are the prospects for moving up to higher-level Do I prefer the service or production end of this industry?
positions?

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