The Career Development Process

Step One: Self Assessment

The Career Assignment Center

Pick a job, any job…

Old Placement Center model

YOU have a choice and YOU direct your

career destiny!

What is the purpose of learning about your Values, Interests, Personality, and Skills?

• Values • What really matters to you?

• Interests • What ignites your passions?

• Personalities • How do you like to interact with others?

• Skills• What do you do well?

VIPS and World of Work

• How do these two overlap?– Types of jobs– Work environments– Skill requirements– Employment outlook– Nature of work– Salary– Educational requirements

Putting It Together

Values

Interests

Personality

Skills

TheWorld

of Work

Career Development Process

Life Long Journey

Degrees and Careers

Are they mutually exclusive?

Think about your favorite classes or professors. (Think broadly, not just law!)

Your journey is as unique as your fingerprint.

Career Decision Making Myths

• Something is wrong with me if I don’t know what I want yet.

• There is only ONE career for me.• If I choose a career, I’ll be stuck with it forever.• I’ve failed if I make a wrong choice.• My first career will be right for my whole life.• There is a test or an expert who can tell me what

to do with the rest of my life.

Top Fears

• Not getting a job (I want)

• Job/career won’t make me happy

• Won’t feel/be qualified; lack skills

• Won’t be able to earn enough money

• Not being good enough

• Won’t meet expectations of family/friends

Career Decision Making Facts

• People differ in Values, Interests, Skills

• Each person is qualified for a number of occupations

• Work preferences and competencies change with time and experience

Young people hold and average of 9 jobs before the age of 35.

On the average, a student leaving college today can be expected to have three to five CAREERS and ten to twelve JOBS during a work life that will last for 40/50 years.

Assessments

ValuesPay attention to yourself

What are your peak experiences?How do you spend discretionary money?Whom do you admire?What reasons have driven your past

decisions?

Values

Pay attention to yourself!

Job give away…HANDS UP!

Values - Job Give Away• You will earn a yearly salary of $50,000• Your work environment will be inside a Federal building• Your work schedule will include nights and some weekends• You work will require some Spanish language ability• You will have to pass a background check and substance abuse

tests • This position requires a commitment to indigent defense and a

desire for trial experience • You will be supervised by a boss in a large department• Your work will require Bar Admission in New Mexico• The Job?

Assistant Public Defender in New Mexico

Values

Start to think in terms of what you value.

You have a choice!

Keep a list of your values, add to it often.

Daydream…

Close your eyes…

Daydream• Your alarm clock goes off to let you know it is time to get up and go

to work, what time do you want it to be?• You go to your closet to get your clothes for work, what do you want

to wear?• You take a look around the place you are living…what does it look

like?• Are you living with anyone…your own place, spouse, roommate(s)?• You look out the window, what do you want to see?• You are ready to go to work…do you leave the house? If so, how do

you get to work?…how long does it take?• Do you work with a lot of people, a few people, or by yourself?• Do you work inside, outside, or both?• When your work is done, what time do you get home?• Wake up from your daydream!

Sample Work Values

Achievement CommunityAdventure ExcitementChange/variety FunCreativity Intellectual statusHelping others PrestigeTime freedom RecognitionIndependence RelationshipsLeadership SalarySecurity Travel

Interests

Pay Attention to yourself!

Strong Interest Inventory Assessment

R – THE DOERS - People who prefer to work in a hands-on environment with objects, machines, tools, plants, or animals or to be outdoors.

I – THE THINKERS - People who like to observe, learn, investigate, analyze, evaluate, or solve problems.

C – THE ORGANIZERS - People who like to work with information or data, organizing and carrying things out in detail to facilitate decision making.

A – THE CREATORS - People who have artistic, innovating or performing interests and like to work in unstructured situations using their imagination or creativity.

E – THE PERSUADERS - People who like to work with people influencing, persuading or performing or leading or managing for organizational goals or for economic gain.

S – THE HELPERS - People who like to work with people – to inform, enlighten, help, train, develop or cure them, or are skilled with words.

Personality

Pay attention to yourself!

– What are your preferences?

– How do you prefer to re-charge?

– How do you perceive information?

– How do you prefer to make decisions?

– How do you prefer to deal with the outside world?

Skills

Specialized knowledge

• Technical (computers, language)

• Adaptive (work ethic, professionalism)

• Transferable skills (legal analysis, writing)– Skills that can be applied to many job situations

and transferred from your academic experience to your work experience.

Skills

Pay attention to yourself!

Ask others what you do well - faculty, colleagues, peers, etc.

• What do you do well or have a natural appetite for?

• What gives you strength?• Just because you do something well does not

mean you enjoy it!

Sample Skills

Sell Speak in public Synthesize

Motivate Advocate Write

Train Coach Mediate

Operate Repair Negotiate

Construct Design Coordinate

Improvise Budget Delegate

Analyze Evaluate Listen

Assemble a Good for You File

Save and archive artifacts that showcase your

accomplishments– Top graded assignments/papers– Thank you notes, emails– Letters of recommendation– Awards, certificates, nominations– Activities and projects which reflect

transferable skills

Once again, why VIPS?

Research shows that…

Values are the biggest predictor of careerSATISFACTION

Interests are the biggest predictor of CAREER CHOICE

Skills are the biggest predictor of careerSUCCESS

Personality encompasses all!

Use the resources available to you…

Office of Career & Professional Development

• OCPD staff• Faculty• Indiana Law Alumni• Network

Career Development is a process…

• What will you do with it?

• Test drive, research, explore

• Network, network, network!

Celebrate your strengths…

“Make the most of yourself, for that is all there is of you.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson