Assess Yourself

What do you like to do? What are your passions and interests? Sometimes the answers to these questions are not obvious and may require some “soul-searching.”  The following questions may provide some assistance:

• As a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
• What interested you as a child (i.e. helping people, building things, etc)?
• Who were your role models and why?
• What types of jobs have you had (paid or volunteer positions)? Make a list of what you liked and didn't like about each job.
• What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing?
• Have you ever been told, “You'd make a great _________? (e.g., doctor, scientist, teacher, plumber)
• What career expectations did parents, friends, and other significant people have for you?
• In what kinds of environments do you thrive?
• In high school, what subjects did you most and least enjoy and why? (Remember, you’re assessing the courses, not the instructors).
• What social issues and concerns grab your attention?
• What recurring patterns or themes are apparent in your self-assessment?  (You may need an objective party such as a friend or a career counselor to identify them).

Once you've conducted a thorough self-assessment, you may want to explore various other avenues. Here are some tips:

• Take courses and join campus clubs or professional associations that interest you.
• Meet with an academic advisor to discuss courses, major requirements, and other academic concerns.
• Gain practical experience and exposure to occupational fields through volunteer work, internships, and part-time jobs. You can look for opportunities on our Just ASK! Job Link online recruiting system. You can access it here.
• Visit our Career Center Library in Tivoli 267

Assess the World of Work

Being clear about what you are looking for in the world of work is important in your career exploration.  The following questions can help assess what aspects are most important to you:

• In what industry / field do I want to work?
• What type of organization would I like to work for?
• How large of an organization would I like to work for?
• What occupations am I interested in and who offers positions in these fields?
• What are the current trends within my fields of interest? (Professional journals, trade magazines, and resources such as The Wall Street Journal and The Denver Business Journal, among others, may provide answers to this question.)
• What social and demographic trends can affect my field of interest (e.g., aging baby boomer generation, the global economy)?
• What resources is my occupation of interest dependent upon? For example, a teaching occupation is dependent on having students to teach. Thus, if the population growth is decreasing, there may be fewer teachers needed; a construction worker depends on having houses/buildings to build which depends on a healthy economy.
• How will my intended occupation change over time?  How will a particular industry change in 5 years? 20 years?

Again, resources in The Career Center Library and on our Online Career Library can help you explore various occupations and industries. In addition, you may want to participate in “job shadowing,” where you can follow alongside a professional in your area of interest to see what duties and responsibilities a particular career may require.  Job shadowing can range from a few hours to a few weeks and can serve as a great opportunity to gain experience and exposure to the World of Work!  Meet with a career advisor to discuss strategies for setting up this type of experience.

Develop Your Career Plan

Your answers to the questions from the previous two sections hopefully have helped you assess who you are and  what is a good fit in the career of your choice.  Fill out the following guide to determine how you will get there.

• Assess your current skills: Use our Optimal Skill Finder, or check out one of our Forums in Tivoli 267.
• Skills necessary for my ideal job
• Skills I need to learn (those I don't currently have but are necessary for my ideal job)
• My three-year plan
• My five-year plan
• My plan for obtaining the above skills (i.e., course work, internships, volunteer work, self study, on-the-job training), including a timeline:
• Additional formal education required for my ideal job and my plan for obtaining it:
• Other qualifications I currently lack and my plan for obtaining the knowledge/skills required:

Summary:

Six months from now, I will have completed the following tasks:

One year from now, I will have completed the following tasks:

Try to remember to “Just ASK!” (Assess, Search, Knock!)