There are certainly a number of opportunities to assess your skills, interests and values for a first career or a career change. But if you are asking yourself the combination question, "What's college and career planning?" you may want to consider one of the many systems and programs that help tie the two parts of adult life together.
Most of these programs focus on the key areas of generating ideas for a college major and the careers that would naturally follow from that area of study. So, after asking, "What's college and career planning?" and looking for answers in one of the private company or university-sponsored systems, you should find well-designed package programs that include personality assessment, suggested majors and careers that may fit, as well as some skills assessment material and help in applying to your chosen school.
Many of these programs are intended for high school juniors and seniors who have just started to think about college attendance and what they may do after completing their class work. Contrary to popular opinion, the process of planning education and career should continue through college. Once you get an answer to the question, "What's college and career planning?" it is best to keep looking at options, fine-tuning the process and re-evaluating your skills and interests.
Companies have developed programs that can help the job seeker narrow choices and find the correct path toward career success. For example, some companies provide such guides to students as well as to members of the public (usually for a fee). These guides can include questions that will help the job seeker focus on a career path, as well as descriptions of various careers, providing some clues to the question, "What's college and career planning?"
In addition to the private-company plans, a university may offer its own system, aimed at those who want to explore different fields of work or want to change occupations. However, the university plans may have extensive information and assessment material designed for those choosing specific college-to-career paths. These can be an excellent activity for recent high school graduates and community college graduates.
In addition to the formal programs and systems that help assess skills, values and interests in high school, college and beyond, the individual can do a number of things that will help answer the question. Taking classes to find areas you do well in and enjoy is one step. Talking to counselors, career specialists and friends is another. Any real-life experience, both school and work, will go a long way to the true answer to "What's college and career planning?"
What is career planning? Simply put, it is looking ahead in your life and determining what you want to do as a means of earning a living. But the question “What is career planning?” really is more complex than that, because it involves the choice not just of a job, but of a life path. The work a person does to earn a living has more than just financial results. It also affects a person emotionally, psychologically and physically. It is therefore vitally important that the question “What is career planning?” be given serious consideration. That is especially true when we consider that many of the career opportunities that exist today were undreamed of a few years ago, and new opportunities are opening up all the time.
When you ask “What is career planning?”, you must be prepared to acquaint yourself with the vocabulary of careers. The words employment, position, job, occupation and career may, at first glance, all seem to mean the same thing. In fact, there are subtle differences. A grocery store cashier and a grocery store manager both have employment, but the manager would be more likely to consider his work a position. When you ask the question, “What is career planning?”, it is also important that you become familiar with these terms: career development, career management, career counseling and career guidance. Each of these is a step in a systematic approach designed to ensure that you will find the career that is best for you. They also help you to advance through that career in a way that is fulfilling to you.
When you ask, “What is career planning?”, you must be ready to asses your own planning skills. You must identify short term goals and long term objectives. You must make decisions based on solid information, and you must measure your own resilience, adaptability and flexibility. These are going to be factors when it comes to confronting challenges. In this process you will evaluate your own personal management abilities. This will involve interpersonal skills, lifestyle decisions, role integration, job-survival skills and work-leisure integration. When you ask yourself, “What is career planning?”, you also look at your personal marketing skills. You identify your skills and strengths. You learn how to conduct an effective job search. You learn the best way to sell yourself and to make yourself more marketable. You become aware of what kinds of opportunities are available in your community, or where you have to go to find what you want. You learn to investigate market trends. You find out about training opportunities. In all likelihood you are going to have several jobs or positions during your working years. When you can satisfactorily answer “What is career planning?” you will have a much better chance of making each career change a move forward.
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