Page 296 - Keys to College Success

A wide array of job possibilities exists for most career fields. For example, the
medical world consists of more than doctors and nurses. Administrators run hospitals,
researchers test drugs, pharmacists prepare prescriptions, security experts ensure
patient and visitor safety, and so on.

Within each job, there is a variety of tasks. You know that an instructor teaches, but
you may not think about the fact that instructors may also write, research, study, design
courses, give presentations, counsel, and coach. Take your career exploration beyond first
impressions to get a broader picture of what’s possible in the careers that interest you.

Some career areas are growing more than others. If you have an interest in a
growing career area, statistically you will have a better chance of finding a job. Accord-
ing to government data, careers projected to grow through the year 2014 include nurs-
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ing, teaching, general and operations managers, accountants, and more. Look up the Plan for Career Success
U.S. Bureau of Labor’s Occupational Outlook Handbook for projected growth, as well
as average salary information, in different fields.

Expand Knowledge and Build Experience

Even after investigation, it’s hard to choose the right path without knowledge or expe-
rience. Courses, volunteering, service learning, clubs, and travel are risks that promote
those rewards.

Courses. Take a course or two in your areas of interest to determine if you like the
material and excel in it. Find out what courses are required for a major in those areas.
Check out your school’s course catalogue for detailed information. Also, consider talk-
ing with the department chair, or an older student who has taken some of the courses,
to gain more insight into the field.
Volunteering. Helping others in need offers rewards including an introduction to
careers, experience, new contacts, and a positive impression on potential employers.
Many schools sponsor volunteer groups or have committees that organize volunteering
opportunities. The federal government encourages volunteerism through AmeriCorps,
a federal volunteer clearinghouse, which awards its volunteers money to pay for tuition
or student loans.
Service learning. The goal of service learning is to provide the community with ser-
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vice and give students knowledge gained from hands-on experience. Taking the risk of
service learning can reward you with a sense of civic responsibility, opportunity to apply
what you learn in the classroom, and personal growth.

Clubs and organizations. Getting involved in activi-
ties has several career benefits. You increase knowledge
in the area of the club’s focus, and may also learn about
career possibilities from people you meet through club
activities. You build experience both in the club’s focus
area as well as in transferable skills areas such as team-
work, communication, and self-management.

Travel. Whether your travel is part of a study abroad
program or independent of your coursework, the ways
in which travel broadens your perspectives can help you
generate career ideas. You may meet people who have
particular jobs, observe career possibilities in the area
where you are visiting, learn about international divi-
sions of American companies that have outposts in other
countries, or even come up with career ideas related to
the act of traveling itself.

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