Persons and careers
- 2. TEN MYTHS ABOUT CAREER PLANNING • It tells you why it will affect you in the long run. Keep in mind that the road to career happiness is usually full of bumps, curves and tangents rather than a straight, direct path from point A to point B. While peer pressure and post-study placements could be major influences affecting your decision at 16, there are those who end up regretting their decisions even when they are 30. • So, what are the mistakes young people make while deciding their careers? Where exactly are they going wrong? What can you do to avoid getting into a situation like that?
- 3. Myth 1: Arts/humanities majors usually are unemployable after college (Fact: Skills matter in every stream) • Humanities majors usually provide training in basic areas called transferable skills such as interpersonal communication, writing, research, and critical thinking. Transferable skills indicate those skills that are learned in one area can be readily utilized in a wide range of other areas. These skills that one learns are sought after by many employers. Arts majors are employed in a wide range of careers. Although humanities graduates sometimes take more time finding a "niche" in the working world, it's usually because they don't know what they can or want to do or they are not aware of the options available to them .So, do not assume that a certain stream will open up your opportunities for the future.
- 4. Myth 2: Selecting what's 'hot' at the moment is safe (Fact: What's hot today may not necessarily be 10/20 years later) • Selecting a major or pursuing a career just because it's hot can be dangerous. There are two things you must understand before opting for this approach. First, what is 'hot' today may cool down, or disappear completely, in the near future. Secondly, such a choice fails to take into account the interests and abilities of the student, or the kind of environment in which they are most likely to succeed. But career satisfaction involves far more than simply being able to do a particular job -- it requires interest, commitment and passion. These are far better indicators for career choice than any fad of the moment. New career fields and jobs emerge every year as a result of changes in public policy, technology, and economic trends. Therefore, you are on much firmer ground when you select a career goal that genuinely interests you.
- 5. Myth 3: Career assessments / counselors will not be of any use for me (Fact: You must know what your aptitude is before choosing a career) • Psychometric Assessments (Aptitude Test) can provide additional information that may be helpful as a part of the career planning process. Assessments would provide a clear idea as to ones aptitude, strengths and weakness and their mental capabilities, which aids in selecting a career, but with thorough brainstorming with the career counselor, who can chalk out various career options based on the match between the student profile and the career. Of course, it’s up to you whether you want to pursue what the counselor advises you to, but do not skip this step.
- 6. Psychometric Assessments • are a standard and scientific method used to measure individuals' mental capabilities and behavioural style. Psychometric tests are designed to measure candidates' suitability for a role based on the required personality characteristics and aptitude (or cognitive abilities). They identify the extent to which candidates' personality and cognitive abilities match those required to perform the role.
- 7. Myth 4: If X is happy in a particular field, I will be happy too (Fact: You are not X. ) • Everyone is different and what works for one person won’t necessarily work for another, even if that other person is someone with whom you have a lot in common. If someone you know has a career that interests you try and get more details about the career in terms of the job description, the skills required and market demand of the career. Then match the description with your traits and then make a choice. Be aware that what you like may not necessarily be a good fit for you.
- 8. Myth 5: If I wait long enough, luck will eventually bring me to the right career (Fact: Procrastination is no substitute for laziness) • It is unlikely that you will just “bump into” the occupation that will perfectly match your skills and interests. The more information you gather about yourself and the occupations you are considering, the more likely it is you will make a wise career decision. It is true that some things beyond your control will influence your life, but you must take an active role to determine your own fate. Look around you – those people who are unhappy in their careers most likely just “fell into” something without careful planning. Do you want the same thing to happen to your career graph? So think wisely and plan the process.
- 9. Myth 6: Making a lot of money will make me happy (Fact: The ingredients of fulfilling career also includes passion and commitment to growth) • While salary is important, it isn’t the only factor you should look at when choosing a career. Countless surveys have shown that money doesn’t necessarily lead to job satisfaction. For many people enjoying what they do at work is much more important.
- 10. Myth 7: Once I choose a career I’ll be stuck in it forever (Fact: You are never too old to switch careers) • Not true. If you are unsatisfied in your career for any reason, you can always change. Discussing your interests with knowledgeable people who could guide you towards another career could land you in a satisfying job profile. Remember just being in a job without a lack of interests would hamper your performance. So it would be better if you make a wise choice later. Many people do change careers several times over the course of their lifetimes.
- 11. Myth 8: If I change careers my skills will be wasted (Fact: Being multi-skilled allows you to learn and adapt accordingly) • It is true that certain jobs require some specialized skill set. But note that mostly jobs require a common type of skills which most of the individuals possess. Your skills are yours to keep. You may not use them in the exactly same way, but they won’t be wasted.
- 12. Myth 9: I will decide after the results are out (Fact: Impulsive decisions lack planning and direction) • Though one can keep options, but having a sound academic background always proves beneficial while making a career. The two years of Junior college (class 11 and 12) are vey essential as they form a base for a particular career. One cannot ignore the knowledge gained whilst studying. Deciding after graduation sometimes leads to impulsive decisions as, the earlier educational qualification may not be applicable to the area of work that you plan to pursue in later life. Planning in advance prepares you better to deal with the If-and-Or situations better.
- 13. Myth 10: I love this hobby, but I don’t think I can make money out of it (Fact: If you love what you do, you will not feel like you are working) • An often repeated line, it explains why part-time hobbies like cooking, photography and design that were once pursued during weekends are now being pursued as full time careers. And most of these hobby-turned vocations pay really well if pursued professionally. If your hobby becomes a career, then there’s nothing stopping you from being satisfied in your job and life. So, go ahead and make a wise choice!
- 14. CAREER CONCEPTS (A career is defined as the combination and sequence of roles played by a person during the course of a lifetime) • Your career basically dictates a lot of things in your life – it can determine the kind of lifestyle that you will be leading, the quality of relationships that you have with people around you like your family and friends, the kind of balance you will be able to keep with your life and your responsibilities. There are two other concepts that we often associate with the concept of career
- 15. JOB • A job is a position an individual holds doing specific duties.
- 16. OCCUPATION • An occupation is defined as the similar work for which people have similar responsibilities and for which they develop a common set of skills and knowledge.
- 17. WHAT INFLUENCES YOUR CAREER CHOICE? • When we think about career choice, several things immediately come to mind - job description, training and education required, career outlook, and salary - but there are a number of other factors that may influence your decisions. • There are a lot of theories to consider in the relatively new field of career development.
- 18. Skills and Abilities • - Considering your skills and abilities and how they may fit a particular occupation comes out of one of the earliest career development fields, Trait-Factor theories, and is still used today. You can identify activities you enjoy and those in which you have a level of competency though a formal assessment.
- 19. Interest and Personality Type • This theory establishes a classification system that matches personality characteristics and personal preferences to job characteristics. The Holland Codes are six personality/career types that help describe a wide range of occupations.
- 20. HOLLAND CODES
- 21. Life Roles • Being a worker is just one of your life roles, in addition to others such as, student, parent, and child. How we think about ourselves in these roles, their requirements of them, and the external forces that affect them, may influence how we look at careers in general and how we make choices for ourselves.
- 22. Previous Experiences • Having positive experiences and role models working in specific careers may influence the set of careers we consider as options for ourselves. In this way, we focus on areas in which we have had proven success and achieved positive self-esteem.
- 23. Culture • Racial and ethnic background, as well as the culture of an individual's regional area, local community, and extended family, may impact career decisions. Our culture often shapes our values and expectations as they relate to many parts of our lives, including jobs and careers.
- 24. Gender • Both men and women have experienced career-related stereotypes. Gender is a factor included in multiple career development theories and approaches including, Social Learning and multicultural career counseling.
- 25. Social and Economic Conditions • All of our career choices take place within the context of society and the economy. Events that take place in our lives may affect the choices available to us and even dictate our choices to a certain degree. Changes in the economy and resulting job market may also affect how our careers develop.
- 26. Childhood Fantasies • What do you want to be when you grow-up? You may remember this question from your childhood, and it may have helped shape how you thought about careers then, as well as later in life.
- 27. SUPER’S CAREER DEVELOPMENT THEORY • Donald Super influenced the idea that developing a sense of self and realize that you change over time is important when planning your career. • According to Super, self-concept changes over time, and develops as a result of experience.
- 28. Super’s five life and career development stages STAGE AGE CHARACTERISTICS Growth Birth-14 Development of self-concept, attitudes, needs and general world of work Exploration 15-24 "Trying out" through classes, work hobbies.Tentative choice and skill development Establishment 25-44 Entry-level skill building and stabilization through work experience Maintenance 45-64 Continual adjustment process to improve position decline 65+ Reduced output, prepare for retirement
- 29. Developmental tasks at these different stages Life stage Adolescence 14-25 Early adulthood 25-45 Middle adulthood 45-65 Late adulthood 65+ Decline Giving less time to hobbies Reducing sports participation Focusing on essentials Reducing working hours Maintenance Verifying current occupational choice Making occupational position secure Holding one’s own against competition Keeping what one enjoys Establishment Getting started in a chosen field Settling down in a suitable position Developing new skills Doing things one has wanted to do Exploration Learning more about opportunities Finding desired opportunities Identifying new task to work on Finding a good retirement place Growth Developing a realistic self-concept Learning to relate to others Accepting one’s own limitations Developing and valuing non- occupational roles
- 30. Super states that in making a vocational choice individuals are expressing their self-concept, or understanding of self, which evolves over time. People seek career satisfaction through work roles in which they can express themselves and further implement and develop their self-concept.
- 31. Donald Super’s Life Rainbow
- 32. Donald Super • Dr. Donald E. Super was born on July 10, 1910, in Honolulu, Hawaii. His parents were Paul and Margaret Louise (Stump) from Missouri. Super received his Doctorate of Science degree from Oxford University. • At the beginning of this career, Super began working at the YMCA as an employment counselor from 1930’s-1940’s (Savickas, 1994). Super was the founding director of the Cleveland (Ohio) Guidance Services was also later the director of Clark University’s Student Personnel Bureau. • Super was well known for his work within the vocational guidance era and later transitioned into counseling psychology which consists of both career counseling and life planning (Savickas, 1994). Donald Super was also recognized for his theories that he developed within career counseling