WorkForce CenterDo you think

career planning is only for those

who are college bound or getting started in the job

market?

WorkForce Center

If you said no, you’re right.The Career planning

process helps students, career changers and job

seekers learn more about their career choices or

match their attributes up with a job that is a better fit. Career planning takes more time, but renders

better job prospects verses basic job searching, which

produces limited job opportunities.

“Hello, Michael, How can I help you today?”

“Well, I’m looking for a job, but I don’t

know what I want to do, who will hire me or where to look for

work.”

“Career planning? I thought that was for

people going to college or someone starting out. I just want to look for a

job”

“To give you some direction, let’s

start with career planning.”

“Questions you have can be answered through the career planning process. For example, you can explore careers based on your interests, values and skills. Then you can determine if you need to gain or expand

your skills as well as learn about wage information before you start your job search. You also use elements of career planning to look for a job, increase your job opportunities, and find a job that is a better fit.”

The Your Career Planning Guide illustrates the career planning

process. Let’s take a look at each element: • Assess Yourself• Explore Careers

• Create A Plan and Set Goals• Expand Skills• Find A Job

• Manage Your Career

The guide can help customers at any stage in the career planning

or job searching process. Customers get to know

themselves better, learn about careers and the job market,

create a plan and leverage that information to obtain a job and

manage their careers.

Knowing personal

attributes such as interests,

abilities, level of competencies,

transferable skills, and

strengths and weaknesses is a

start to exploring careers that are

a better fit.

Assess Yourself

I’m knowledgeable in basic residential

building and state codes.

I like to work in a team setting.

I have great listening and

analytical skills, but I’m not good at

writing.

I really like physical

labor and using my hands.

I have average

math and computer

skills

I’m skilled at using a tape measure,

carpenter tools and framing a house.

Explore Careers

Taking time to research careers is the groundwork to finding a career

or a job that is a better fit.

• Jobs of interest• Jobs in-demand• Green jobs

• Job growth projections• Wage information• Job qualifications

• Self-assessment tools • Educational and training

opportunities

www.iseek.orgwww.onetonline.orgwww.careeronestop.org

Each career site has a unique focus, specialty and layout, but all sites offer information on careers, education and training, wages, assessments, tutorials, and tips for all levels of job seekers, employers

Exploring Careers

Welcome to your tool for career exploration and job analysis! O*NET OnLine has detailed descriptions of the world of work for use by job seekers, workforce development and HR professionals, students, researchers, and more! • Occupational Search• Find Occupations by Cluster or Family• Career Exploration by Skills• Crosswalk Search• My Next Move• My Next Move for Veterans• Find Assessments Under O*NET Sites • Resource Center • Products• Career Exploration Tools• O*NET Ability Profiler• O*NET Interest Profiler• O*NET Computerized Interest Profiler• O*NET Interest Profiler Short Form• O*NET Work Importance Locator• O*NET Work Importance Profiler

www.onetonline.org

Your pathway to career success. Tools to help job seekers, students, businesses, and career professionals. Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor • Explore Careers• Assessment Tools• Find Assessments• Skills Profiler• ONET'S Ability Profiler• ONET'S Interest Profiler• ONET'S Work Importance Locator• Employability Checkup• Education and Training• Resumes and Interview • Salary and Benefits• Job Search - National and Local Jobs • People and Places to Get Help

www.careeronestop.org

ISEEK is Minnesota's comprehensive career, education, and job resource. • Explore Careers• Assessment Tools• ISEEK Skills Assessments • MNCareers Interest Assessments -

Holland Interest Assessment• Plan Your Education• Find a job• Resumes and Interviews• MyMnCareer - Adult Basic Education• Step Ahead - Resources for Ex-offender

Population

www.iseek.org

Create a Plan and Set Goals

Click to see an example of a career plan.

A plan is a vision written down…Even a simple outline puts structure into

the planning process and sets ideas into motion. Setting goals sees the plan through…

Setting short- and long-term goals makes accomplishing the plan more manageable and

keeps it on track.

Getting Started is Easy

Step 1• Obtain a notebook and pen• Write down ideas and goalsStep 2• Research occupations, jobs

and employers• Research schools, training

opportunities and careers• Identify challenges and

solutionsStep 3• Map out career or job path• Set short- and long-term goals

“I need a plan so I can focus

on my goals.”

Create a Plan and Set Goals

Click to see an example of a career plan.

A plan is a vision written down…Even a simple outline puts structure into

the planning process and sets ideas into motion. Setting goals sees the plan through…

Setting short- and long-term goals makes accomplishing the plan more manageable and

keeps it on track.

Getting Started is Easy

Step 1• Obtain a notebook and pen• Write down ideas and goalsStep 2• Research occupations, jobs

and employers• Research schools, training

opportunities and careers• Identify challenges and

solutionsStep 3• Map out career or job path• Set short- and long-term goals

“I need a plan so I can focus

on my goals.”

Next

Back

Expand Skills

Find a Job

Once personal attributes are

identified, careers and jobs explored, and, if necessary, skills

gained or expanded,

finding a better career or job is

obtainable.

• Certificate• Short-term or long-term training• A degree• Experience• Volunteer work• Apprenticeship or internship

It takes planning, strategic

thinking, and determination

to find the right job.

Expanding skills and knowledge

increases job opportunities

Manage Your Career

Globalization, changing technology, more efficient ways of working, and the ups and downs of the economy impacts the job market positively or

negatively. Life-long learning, being adaptable and flexible, learning new tasks and responsibilities are

all part of managing a career, maintaining employability and staying competitive.

Thinking ahead prepares you for

the future.

• Expand skills and knowledge base

• Develop and maintain a professional presence and relationships

• Develop an expertise in a field

• Stay current on the job market

The Your Career Planning Guide is a helpful tool for job seekers who don’t know where to get started, but there is another important factor to consider: labor market information (LMI). LMI helps the job seeker make informed decisions in career planning

and job searching processes. Let’s take a look at three important LMI elements and the Job Skills

Transfer Tool (JobStat) located on DEED’s Website.

“Wage information is one piece of a greater

strategy.”

~Kyle Uphoff, DEED Regional Analysis and

Outreach Manager

1. Enter occupation or browse from the list of occupations.

2. Entered Customer Service title.• Occupational search

rendered a list of occupational titles.

Illustration of the JobStat tool to find information on Customer Service Jobs.

http://www.positivelyminnesota.com/Data_Publications/Data/All_Data_Tools/Job_Skills_Transfer_Assessment_Tool.aspx

3. Selected Patient Representative title• Results: Matching jobs in MinnesotaWorks.net

• Level of demand• Wage information• Career profile - description of occupation• Skill gaps • Training

One last thing, customers who inquire about

education or training may need some information on

financial aid. So lets see what’s available.

There are several funding sources available for training and educational programs. • Depending on the program

requirements, some WFC programs provide funding for short-term training, such as the Dislocated Workers Program and the Workforce Investment Act.

• Free training may be available for short-term training at local non-profit agencies, such as Goodwill Easter and American OIC.

• Government and private student loans are available for college programs or certificates.

Government Grants• Based on need and eligibility• Do not need to be repaid

Scholarship Rewards • Based on criteria such as

academic performance, ethnicity, athletics ability or recruitment for specific areas of study

• Some training institutions provide scholarships based on hardship and situation

• Do not need to be repaidLoans

• Issued by government and private banks

• Based on income, tuition and living expenses

• Repayment is required

Links to financial aid information• Free Application For Student Aid

(FAFSA): Fafsa.gov• Studentaid.ed.gov• Scholarships.com

Financial Aid

The Career planning process helps students, career

changers and job seekers learn more about their

career choices or match their attributes with a job that is a

better fit.Career planning activities

include planning, self-assessments, research,

expanding skills and managing a career.

Individuals who skip this process may find themselves unsatisfied with their career

choice or with limited job opportunities.

This completes training for

Module 3, Unit 2