Your Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career

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There are hundreds of career options out there. How do you make a career choice when you don't really know what you want to do? Does it seem like an insurmountable (непреодолимой) task? it's not. Yes, you will have to put some time .and energy into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. Follow these steps to making a good career choice.

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HOW TO MAKE A CAREER CHOICE WHEN YOU HAVE NO IDEA

WHAT YOU WANT TO DO

Your Step-by-Step Guide to Choosing a Career

There are hundreds of career options out there. How do you make a career choice when you don't really know what you want to do? Does it seem like an insurmountable (непреодолимой) task? it's not. Yes, you will have to put some time .and energy into making your decision, but your effort will be well worth it in the end. Follow these steps to making a good career choice.

/   Assess Yourself

Before you can make a сareer choice you have to team about yourself, Your Values, interests, and slffls; m combiation with certafi^ers^ will .make some careers especially suitable for you and some particularly inap-propnaxerYou can use self assessment (самооценка) tools, often called career tests, to gather this information and, subsequently, to generate a list of occupa­tions that are deemed (считаются) appropriate. Some people choose to have career counselors or other career development professionals administer these tests (проводить тестирование) but many opt (предпочитают) to use free ca­reer tests that are available on the Web.

2              Make a List of Occupations to Explore

Look over the lists of occupations generated through your use of the self assessment tools. They are probably rather lengthy. You want to come up with a much shorter list, consisting of between five and ten occupations. Circle occupa­tions that appear on multiple lists. Circle occupations you may have considered previously and that you find appealing. Write these occupations down on a sepa­rate list titled "Occupations to Explore."

3              Explore the Occupations on Your List

For each occupation on your list, you will want to look at the job descrip­tion, educational and other requirements, job outlook (профессиональные пер­спективы), advancement opportunities (возможность карьерного роста) and earnings.

4              Conduct Informational Interviews

At this point you should only have a few occupations left on your list. You now need to gather more in-depth (исчерпывающую) information. Your best source of this information are people who have firsthand knowledge

 



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(знают по собственному опыту) of the occupation*? in wh>ch you are inter; ested. Identify who they are and conduct informational interviews 'with them.

5              Continue Narrowing Down your List

Pare down (сократите) your list of possible occupations based on what you learned from your research. For example, you may not be willing to put the time and energy into preparing for an occupation for which an advanced degree (ученая степень, выше степени бакалавра) is required, or you may consider the earnings for a particular occupation inadequate.

6              Set Your Goals

By now you should have decided on one occupation you want to pursue.
It's time to put a plan in place so you can eventually find a job in that field, but
first you will need to set some goals.              ВН

7              Write a Career Action Plan

Now that you have set your goals, you will need to decide how to reach them. A career action plan will help guide you as you pursue (добиваться) your long and short term goals (долгосрочные и краткосрочные цели).

8              Train for Your New Career

It is likely you will have to train for your new career. That could take the form of earning a degree, doing an internship (интернатура, практика, ста­жировка) or taking courses to learn some new skills.

THE CAREER PLANNING PROCESS

Taking It Step-By-Step
What is Career Planning?              |p|

Career planning is a lifelong process, which includes choosing an occupa­tion, getting a job, growing in our job, possibly changing careers, and eventually retiring. The Career Planning Site (профориентационный сайт) offers cover­age of all these areas. This article will focus on career choice and the process one goes through in selecting an occupation. This may happen once in our life­times, but it is more likely to happen several times as we first define and then redefine ourselves and our goals.

 



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Career Planning: A Four Step Process

The career planning process is comprised of four steps One might seek

the sele Tf ™ development professional to hep faahtate his or her journey through this process. Whether or not you choose to work with a profes­sional, or work through the process on your own is less important than the amount of thought and energy you put into choosing a career.

Self%

Gather information about yourself (self assessment):

-                                  Interests.

-                                  Values.

-                                  Roles.

-                                  Skills (Навыки) /Aptitudes (Способности).

-                                  Preferred Environments.

-                                  Developmental Needs.

-                                  Your realities.

Options

-                                  Explore the occupations in which you are interested.

-                                  Research the industries in which you would like to work.

-                                  Research the Labor Market (рынок труда).       §а|

Get more specific information after you narrow down your options by:

-                                  Job Shadowing (наблюдение за рабочим процессом).

-                                  Part-time work, internships, or volunteer opportunities.

-                                  Written materials.

-                                  Informational interviews.

Match

During this phase of the process, you will:

-                                      Identify possible occupations.              t

-                                      Evaluate these occupations.

-                                      Explore alternatives.

-                                      Choose both a short term and a long term option.

Action

You will develop the steps you need to take in order to reach your goal,
for example:              y       ь

.   Investigating sources of additional training and education, if needed.

 



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-                                        Developing a job search strategy.

-                                        Writing your resume.

-                                        Gathering company information.

-                                        Composing cover letters.

-                                        Preparing for job interviews.

Important Steps to Take for Your Career Development

Career development and the career planning process include a number of specific steps that help to identify personal skills and attributes (качества). Finding out how those skills can be utilized in the job market is accomplished by researching a number of career fields that are of interest to you and then by gain­ing experience in those fields and /or speaking to people currently working in the field. Participating in some form of experiential education will help you to identify if the field is the right choice for you.

Step№ I: Self-Assessment

Evaluating who you are as a person. This involves taking a personal in­ventory (список) of who you are and identifying your individual values, inter­ests, skills, and personal qualities. What makes you tick as a person (является вашей неотъемлемой чертой). You will look at those personal attributes under a microscope and come up with key qualities you can identify and use in your search for the perfect career. Career assessments may be required to promote a better understanding of personal attributes and skills. Contact your Career Ser­vices Office (Центр карьеры) at your college to discuss if a career assessment may be right for you.

Step № 2: Research (Career Exploration)

Obtain an insider's perspective (мнение специалиста) about the career field you are considering. Conduct Informational Interviews in person, phone, or by email. Professionals enjoy sharing their expertise (делиться опытом) with people interested in the field. Perform informational interviews with alumni (выпускники) from your college to gain their perspective of the field and to lis­ten to what they have to say. This strategy provides first hand knowledge from someone currently working in the field and gives you an opportunity to ask about their experiences as well as potential jobs and what one might expect if just entering the field.

Gain experience through internships or by job shadowing for one to sev­eral days to see what a typical work day entails and to gain perspective of what the environment is like and the typical job responsibilities of someone working

 



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in the field. Research what types of jobs are available in your area of interest by checking out The Occupational Outlook Handbook and The Career Guide to In­dustries. The Occupational Outlook Handbook offers a wealth of information for those currently just entering the job market and for those anticipating making a career change.

Step № 3: Decision-Making

Once you've made a thorough self-assessment and have done some re­search of career options, it's time to make a decision. This can be difficult since there may still be many unknowns and a fear of making the wrong choice. One thing for sure is that although we can do all the necessary steps to making an in­formed decision, there is no absolute certainty that we are unquestioningly mak­ing the right decision. This uncertainty is easier for some people than others but a key point to remember is that you can always learn from any job you have and take those skills and apply them at your next job.

Step № 4: Search (Taking Action)

It's now time to look for prospective (будущий) jobs and / or employers, send out cover letters and resumes, and begin networking with people in the field. Keep in mind that cover letters and resumes are designed to make a favor­able impression on employers (if done properly) and the interview process is what will ultimately land you the job. In other words, make sure your cover let­ter and resume highlight (преподносят в выгодном свете) your skills and strengths (преимущества) based on the employer's needs and that you are fully prepared to knock their socks off at the interview. Take time to research the em­ployer's website prior to the interview, and be prepared to ask thoughtful ques­tions based on your research.

Step № 5: Acceptance

Wow! You've completed all of the steps above and you've been accepted into a new and exciting or different job. Congratulations! According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (Бюро трудовой статистики ), 64.1% of people change jobs between 5 and 14 times in their lifetime. Consequently, learning the skills above will increase your chances of gaining meaningful and satisfactory work as well as help you to avoid many of the stresses that occur with changing jobs. By recognizing that change is good (even advantageous), changing jobs can be viewed as a positive experience and need not be as anxiety provoking as it may initially seem. You will continue the process of self-assessment, research, decision-making, and job searching in order to make effective and fulfilling ca­reer changes throughout your lifetime.

 



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INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEWS

Using an Informational Interview to Get the Inside Scoop

on an Occupation

I realized how many people don't know about using informational inter­views to learn about occupations when I sat in front of the computer with a friend searching for information on a career she was considering. After about half an hour of weeding out sites (поиска по сайтам) that advertised training programs from those that actually gave information on the job, her husband asked her this simple question: "Why don't you call Joe's mother?" I looked scornfully at my friend, who hadn't mentioned knowing someone in the field, and began to lecture her on the importance of informational interviews.

First Things First..'.

My friend wasn't so far off base (грамотно подошла к делу), actually. Gathering information from books, printed articles, and web sites, is the first step one should take when learning about different careers. This comes after a period of self assessment, of course, when one looks at his or her work related values, interests, and skills to determine what occupation he or she would enjoy and in which he or she would excel (иметь успех). Reading up on careers is a way of narrowing down the list of careers you are considering and eliminating those in which you have no interest. It is also a way to prepare for the next step -the informational interview.

What is an Informational Interview Anyway?

The purpose of an informational interview is to get information about a field of work from someone who has some firsthand knowledge. When you are on an informational interview you should not ask for a job. This is not to say that an informational interview cannot lead to a job. In addition to helping you learn about a particular career, the informational interview is a way to start building a network. The person who is the subject of your informational tnteiv view today, may be the first person in your network many tomorrows from now. Here's another way an informational interview can benefit you. For those of us who are a little skittish (опасается) about going on a job interview, the informa­tional interview provides a non-threatening forum in which to get some practice. Think of it as a dress rehearsal (репетиция).

Here's how I see it You need information. Someone has that information. Anyone is fair game (зд. подойдет) as long as that person is knowledgeable about the field in which you are interested. Ask friends, relatives, rellow stu-

 



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dents, your teachers, and neighbors if they know someone who works in your targeted field. People love to talk about themselves and what they do. Call someone you read about who has your "dream job." Call your alumni associa­tion. When I first thought about becoming a librarian, I contacted an employ­ment agency (бюро по трудоустройству) that specialized in that area. I was able to get an interview with one of the agency's founders, herself a librarian. She was able to tell me about the job itself, and because of her unique position as a placement counselor (консультант по трудоустройству), she was able to tell me about the outlook (перспективы) for the field.

What You Need to Know Before the Informational Interview

Just as you need to prepare for a job interview, preparation for an infor­mational interview is very important. As my friend did, searching for informa­tion on the occupation is step one. She felt she needed to know as much about her targeted career in order to ask intelligent questions.

When you go on a job interview it is wise to learn as much about the po­tential employer and the interviewer as you can. When you go on an informa­tional interview you should do the same type of research. As mentioned above, people love to talk about themselves. People also love to hear about themselves (the good things of course!). If your interviewee (интервьюируемый) was re­ferred to you by someone, ask that person about him or her. Also, see what you can find out by looking in local business journals and industry publications. For example, was the interviewee recently promoted or did he or she receive some special recognition? Research that person's employer as well. You will be pre­pared for the interview and therefore make a good impression.

Questions to Ask At an Informational Interview

As previously mentioned, you should research your career of interest in order to ask intelligent questions. Was there something mentioned in the occupa­tional information you didn't fully understand? The informational interview is a good forum to get that clarified. Here is a small sampling of questions you should ask*.

-                                           Describe a typical day at work.

-                                           How many hours do you normally work in a week?

-                                           What do you see as the potential for growth in this field?

-                                           What can I do now to help me find employment in this field?

-                                            



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The Big Day: Time for Your Informational Interview

You've done your homework and can walk into the informational inter­view confident that you will make a good impression and get the information that will help you make a wise decision. Don't forget to dress appropriately. Ar­rive on time, keep the interview to the scheduled length, and remember proper etiquette.

Speaking of proper etiquette, please remember to send a thank you note to show your appreciation. The interviewee has taken time out of what is probably a very busy schedule to help you.

UNIT3

Study different students9 views about their future career and get ready to take part in a group discussion.

1              Choosing a career is not a simple matter, because you chose one of the
most important things in your life. It is important to suit your career. It is impor­
tant when your career is your vocation in life. Skill, persistence and many other
qualities are required in any job. There are 4 types of jobs. The 1-st category is a
man and machines. It is for those who want to be an engineer and worker. They
have to be patient, accurate men. The 2-nd category is a man and people. Here
belong the professions of a doctor, teacher, especially if you love children. You
must be friendly, kind and attentive to others. The 3-d category is a man and na­
ture. You must love nature and take care of it. They become agronomists, biolo­
gists and work in agriculture. The 4-th category is a man and arts. To this cate­
gory belong fashion designers, window-dressers, writers, poets, musicians*
painters and artists. These people are enthusiastic, imaginative and creative. We
don't know if it would be a right or wrong choice. My ideas may change as I
grow up.

2              Everyone needs at least one profession in his life. So when you begin
spending sleepless nights thinking about a job and money, when you think long­
ingly of the plans for the future it's no doubt about it you're ready to choose most
suitable career for you. So in the world there are very many different profes­
sions: you can work with people as a doctor, a lawyer, a receptionist, a teacher,
etc.; at the enterprise, bank, school and state institution. And what kind of a pro­
fession you choose mainly depends on yourself. And I think it's a very difficult
task for everybody. And now there is such a situation in life that it is very diffi­
cult to find some worthy job especially suitable for you. So if you want to get a
gob you can make plans for the future when you still study at school. It's a good
idea to take different factors into account: job satisfaction - your future job must

 



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satisfy you; money - it's important that your future profession must be well-paid or you must have a high salary to support the family, etc; good conditions; train­ing; traveling and so on; the place of work - in the office, not far from home, in the open, abroad, etc. In the past, when I was at the age of 10, f dreamt of be­coming a lawyer because I wanted to be like Mason from "Santa-Barbara" movie. He was very energetic, talkative, inventive, creative, adventurous and en­thusiastic. I wanted to work with people and help them. But now I can say that I've made up my mind what to do in the future. I think I have an aptitude for working with figures and solving financial problems and I am interested in knowing how money is made. So I think I can work as an economist in the fi­nancial field. I think that it is more in demand now especially in banks where a really good specialist can have a lot of money. The success of this profession mainly depends on my education. So I want to study at Vyatka State Technical University, the social economics faculty in spite of a very high competition. I think I'll be able to study there because I have a good knowledge of English and mathematics to pass the exams. So when I graduate from the University I'm go­ing to work in my father's office as a financial consultant and specialist in this field. I think I will not disappoint my father because I'm energetic, communica­tive and quick by nature.

3 Many students finishing secondary school do not have a clear idea of what they want to do in future. Part of the problem is the size of the job market. With so many kinds of work (2000) how can you tell what will interest you? Some of the occupations are already overcrowded. In old industries there may be a little need of new workers, while new and growing industries will offer good jobs now and in the future. Finally how can you make the best use of your personal talents? Those who know themselves often find the best jobs. Choosing a career is not easy for most people, yet it is one of the most important decisions you make in your life. It is of most importance to explore your choice of occupa­tion from every angle, collect as much information as you can. Above all -evaluate yourself. Be sure you know your own interests and talents. Unfortu­nately not everyone takes this trouble. Those who don't can make costly mis­takes. For example, many young people simply follow in the footsteps of their parents or relatives. But it is not always an appropriate step. Postponing a deci­sion is another error people make. A lot of young men think that way: "I'll get started tomorrow or next week or next year". These people refuse to face the problem, hoping it will go away. But if you don't make the first step now, how can you plan for the future? Everyone has skills and talents but yours may not be so obvious. Make a list of your interests, your talents and abilities. Most people have a lot of these but they are undeveloped.and may not seem outstanding. By concentrating on a few or on one you may surprise yourself and everyone with how good you can get. When choosing a future career it is important to keep in

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