Career Planning Essentials
The Career Center is focused on providing students an opportunity to attain three key elements of career readiness:
Career Clarity | knowing your future direction through self-assessment and career exploration.
Career Connections | engagement with local resources, employers, schools and/or training programs.
Career Competitiveness | enhancing your marketability and preparedness.
Career Clarity | knowing your future direction through self-assessment and career exploration.
Career Connections | engagement with local resources, employers, schools and/or training programs.
Career Competitiveness | enhancing your marketability and preparedness.
To clarify your post graduation direction, there are two essential activities you can undertake: first - learn more about your specific career preferences (personality & interest) through self-assessment, and then explore careers to evaluate how they meet your career preferences.
Career exploration helps your learn about various occupations and their "fit" with your unique career preferences, e.g. the skills, interests, and values you want satisfied by your career. Ideally, you engage in career exploration during or after identifying your career preferences through self-assessment.
Careers Sorted By Experience, Education, & Training Required
Little or no preparation needed
some preparation needed
medium preparation needed
High preparation needed
extensive preparation needed
Explore Career Clusters (OSPI)
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
Architecture & Construction
Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Business, Management & Administration
Education & Training
Finance
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
Architecture & Construction
Arts, A/V Technology & Communications
Business, Management & Administration
Education & Training
Finance
Government & Public Administration
Health Science
Hospitality & Tourism
Human Services
Information Technology
Law, Public Safety, Corrections & Security
Manufacturing
Marketing
Science, Technology, Engineering & Mathematics
Transportation, Distribution & Logistics
"Making a connection," or networking, is an essential step in the transition from student to professional. By speaking with professionals in an area of interest, you can find out what it's like to work in that field on a day-to-day basis. Also, once you know your career direction, you may receive job leads and tips from your contacts.
MAke a connection
- Job Shadowing - read real interviews from people (jobs they do and the careers they have).
- LinkedIn - A superb resource for finding alumni for informational interviews.
- Directory of Associations - A database of over 35,000 links to professional associations. These organizations provide structured opportunities to meet individuals in a particular industry or career, and may provide special opportunities for students.
- Career Fairs - allow you to meet a variety of employers; check the UPCOMING EVENTS page for listings.
- Volunteering - You get hands on experience in the field and can find out if you are really interested. For example, think you'd like to be a veterinarian? –> Volunteer at the animal shelter or a vet clinic.
- Community Service Opportunities - Volunteering on a community service project can also provide opportunities for career exploration, professional networking, and skill building.
Informational Interviewing
Often the most current and specific information about a career field may not be available online. The best information comes from people who are actually working in that career field.
An informational interview is an informal conversation you can have with someone working in an area of interest to you. It is an effective research tool and is best done after preliminary online research.
It is not a job interview, and the objective is not to find job openings. You may feel awkward reaching out to people you don't know. However, most people actually enjoy taking a few moments out of their day to reflect on their professional life and give advice to someone with an interest in their field.
Benefits of Informational Interviewing
Six Steps of Informational Interviewing
An informational interview is an informal conversation you can have with someone working in an area of interest to you. It is an effective research tool and is best done after preliminary online research.
It is not a job interview, and the objective is not to find job openings. You may feel awkward reaching out to people you don't know. However, most people actually enjoy taking a few moments out of their day to reflect on their professional life and give advice to someone with an interest in their field.
Benefits of Informational Interviewing
- Get firsthand, relevant information about the realities of working within a particular field, industry or position. This kind of information is not always available online.
- Find out about career paths you did not know existed.
- Get tips and insider knowledge about how to prepare for and land your first career position.
- Learn what it’s like to work at a specific organization.
- Initiate a professional relationship and expand your network of contacts in a specific career field; meet people who may forward job leads to you in the future.
Six Steps of Informational Interviewing
- Research Career Fields
- Do some initial research on the career field or employer using the internet and/or print resources.
- Identify People to Interview
- Pursue your own contacts (people you already know, even if they aren't in fields of interest to you, can lead you to people who are). This includes family, friends, teachers, or former employers.
- Identify Meadowdale alumni to contact; Utilize LinkedIn to find them.
- Prepare for the Interview
- Develop a brief introduction of yourself and your hopes for the meeting.
- Plan open-ended questions to ask.
- Initiate Contact
- Contact the person by email or phone; mention how you got his or her name.
- Ask whether it's a good time to talk for a few minutes; emphasize you are looking for information, not a job.
- Be ready to ask questions on the spot.
- Conduct the Informational Interview
- Bring your list of questions and take notes if you like.
- Restate that your objective is to get information and advice, not a job.
- Give a brief overview of yourself and your education and/or work background.
- Be prepared to direct the interview, but also let the conversation flow naturally.
- Respect the persons time.
- Ask the person if you may contact them again in the future with additional questions.
- Ask for names of other people to meet so as to gain different perspectives.
- Follow-Up
- Keep records. Write down what you learned, what you'd still like to know, and what next steps should be.
- Send a thank-you note within 1-2 business days to express your appreciation for the time/information.
- Keep in touch with the person, especially if you had a particularly nice interaction. This person could become an important part of your network.
Career Counseling
Meeting with the Career Center, you can:
- Develop your "elevator pitch" for introducing yourself in networking situations.
- Create a strategy for approaching and speaking with possible connections.
- Learn to create or improve your LinkedIn profile, an essential networking tool.
Whether you know your career goal or not, building your knowledge and skills both in and out of the classroom will make you a strong job candidate. In addition, you should know how to present your qualifications to employers on paper, online, and in person. Here are some resources to help you do so.
Career Readiness Competencies
The Career Center has identified eight professional Career Readiness Competencies to help you prepare and succeed in the workplace. Employers want to hire students and recent graduates who can demonstrate these skills, talents, and strengths. Mastering these competencies can make you a competitive candidate for future employment!
Creativity & Problem Solving: Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
Communication: Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization. An individual with public speaking skills; is able to express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.
Global Perspective: Value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions. The individual demonstrates openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences.
Leadership: Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure, and can negotiate and manage conflict.
Technical Application: Leverage existing technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. The individual demonstrates effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies.
Professionalism & Work Ethic: Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes.
Career Management: Identify and articulate one's skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth. The individual is able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
Creativity & Problem Solving: Exercise sound reasoning to analyze issues, make decisions, and overcome problems. The individual is able to obtain, interpret, and use knowledge, facts, and data in this process, and may demonstrate originality and inventiveness.
Communication: Articulate thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively in written and oral forms to persons inside and outside of the organization. An individual with public speaking skills; is able to express ideas to others; and can write/edit memos, letters, and complex technical reports clearly and effectively.
Global Perspective: Value, respect, and learn from diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, sexual orientations, and religions. The individual demonstrates openness, inclusiveness, sensitivity, and the ability to interact respectfully with all people and understand individuals’ differences.
Leadership: Leverage the strengths of others to achieve common goals, and use interpersonal skills to coach and develop others. The individual is able to assess and manage his/her emotions and those of others; use empathetic skills to guide and motivate; and organize, prioritize, and delegate work.
Teamwork & Collaboration: Build collaborative relationships with colleagues and customers representing diverse cultures, races, ages, genders, religions, lifestyles, and viewpoints. The individual is able to work within a team structure, and can negotiate and manage conflict.
Technical Application: Leverage existing technologies ethically and efficiently to solve problems, complete tasks, and accomplish goals. The individual demonstrates effective adaptability to new and emerging technologies.
Professionalism & Work Ethic: Demonstrate personal accountability and effective work habits, e.g., punctuality, working productively with others, and time management, and understand the impact of non-verbal communication on professional image. The individual demonstrates integrity and ethical behavior, acts responsibly with the interests of the larger community in mind, and is able to learn from his/her mistakes.
Career Management: Identify and articulate one's skills, strengths, knowledge, and experiences relevant to the position desired and career goals, and identify areas necessary for professional growth. The individual is able to navigate and explore job options, understands and can take the steps necessary to pursue opportunities, and understands how to self-advocate for opportunities in the workplace.
Are You Career Ready?
The Career Center has identified eight professional competencies to help you prepare and succeed in the workplace. Possessing these skills can make you more competitive in the marketplace and help you make the transition to a career after high school.
Here are some suggestions for how to gain exposure in each area:
Creativity & Problem Solving:
Communication:
Global Perspective:
Leadership:
Teamwork & Collaboration:
Technical Application:
Professionalism & Work Ethic:
Career Management:
Here are some suggestions for how to gain exposure in each area:
Creativity & Problem Solving:
- Get inspired with TED Talks
- Take an art class
- Select volunteer opportunities that promote arts in the community
Communication:
- Become a brand ambassador for a product or service you use everyday
- Become a peer advisor
- Write a letter to your local newspaper on an issue that concerns you
- Publish substantial thought pieces on social media (such as LinkedIn)
- Practice your interview skills through mock interviews
Global Perspective:
- Study abroad (if attending college); sign-up for distance learning opportunities
- Learn a foreign language
- Volunteer to teach/tutor English as a second language at local schools
- Attend free cultural programs and/or events on campus
Leadership:
- Take a on a leaderships role in a student organization/club
- Participate in leaderships programs through ASB
- Take part in Public Service opportunities (such as volunteering in the community)
Teamwork & Collaboration:
- Join an intramural sports team or club
- Be an engaged & contributing team member in all class and student group projects
- Join (or start!) a student club you are interested in
Technical Application:
- Go beyond the basics of using Excel
- Take a LinkedIn Learning tutorial and other online courses to develop technical skills
- Seek out social media responsibilities in a student organization
- Create a LinkedIn profile and use it regularly
- Create a GitHub account and develop an app
Professionalism & Work Ethic:
- Get a part-time job on or off campus
- Excel in academics and take your studies seriously
- Volunteer with a local non-profit organization
- Start an entrepreneurial venture or your own club
Career Management:
- Seek internships to clarify your career interests
- Conduct informational interviews with professionals in your fields of interest
- Utilize Career Center resources to find opportunities & learn to articulate your skills
- Join LinkedIn groups related to your career interests
Career Counseling
Meeting with the Career Center, you can:
- Identify your existing work and transferrable skills, as well as, new skills to develop.
- Learn about, and learn to use, effective job and internship/apprenticeship search strategies.
- Review your resume and cover letter; build your interviewing and networking skills.
- Develop a plan of action for the job/internship/apprenticeship search or college applications.
"Choose a job you love, and you will never work a day in your life." -Confucious