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Before you can start looking for a job, applying to graduate school, or even seeking an internship, you need to know what you’re looking for and why.
Why Career Planning Is So Important
A recent study indicated that 54% of male executives were unsatisfied with their jobs. Why? They didn’t properly plan their career, or chose it for the wrong reasons.
A career path is not just a series of jobs; it is a planned succession of educational experiences and employment positions that lead to your ultimate career goal. Choosing a career path is one of the most important things you do in life. Your career shapes how you live, where you live, and if chosen carefully, will help ensure you lead a satisfying and fulfilling life. Despite this importance, most people do not give their career choice the thought and planning it deserves. When you purchase a car, you research the vehicle carefully, test drive it, and compare it to other cars. Inarguably, you should be doing the same, on a larger scale, for your career. Your car will last you a few years – your career path will affect you for a lifetime.
You can navigate your career path successfully by making a few key decisions, based on simple ideas and concepts:
Ø What do you enjoy doing?
o If you truly enjoy your job, your life will be much more fulfilling and satisfying. Your work will seem less like a job and more like fun. Your goal should be to choose a career that gets you excited to go to work every day.
Ø What energizes you?
o People get their energy from different types of activities, situations and tasks. For example, if you get your energy from being around people, but your job involves working 100% independently, you’re not going to be very happy in your work.
Ø What are other people always telling you that you should do?
o Listen to others. If everyone around you is telling you that you’re great with kids, you may want to explore careers that involve working with children. Others can see talents in you that you may not have considered.
Ø What do you value?
o If your work does not reflect your personal values, it will not be a good fit. If you value status and money, you may want to re-think your interest in social services, for example.
The Steps To Planning Your Career Path
Step 1: Identify Your Values
These could be both personal and professional values. If you are doing something you truly enjoy, your life will be more fulfilling. A few examples, based on what you might desire (or not desire) in your career:
Dealing with the Public Using Cutting-Edge Technology
Prestige Making a Contribution to Society
Working Independently Money
Opportunity for Advancement Helping Others
Time with Family TravelCasual Workplace
Stability and Security Predictability
Decision-Making Authority
Creating Things Leisure Time Variety/Change Physically Demanding
Working In Teams Intellectually Challenging
Order/Structure Professional Growth/Ongoing Learning
Step 2: Research Career Possibilities
Once you have determined what’s important to you in a career, you can then begin to identify options that are a good fit. It’s all about passion. If you’re passionate about a career field and it fits your values, you’re good to go. This is where your specific interests come into play. For example, do you enjoy scientific research? Do you find that when you are performing research that time just flies by? Do you read research journals for pleasure and enjoy talking with other researchers? If so, that may be your passion. Employers and graduate schools can tell if you’re passionate about a career and they love to see that. Participating in our networking event, experiential trips, workshops and seminars help you identify possibilities and make valuable connections. If you participate regularly in a variety of these events, we can guarantee that your eventual decision-making and search process will be easier.
Step 3: Get Some Experience To See If You Like It
You will never know for sure that a career is for you until you try it out. The actual realities of the field will not be apparent until you have lived it. Potential employers and graduate schools are increasingly more insistent that you have experienced a career before they hire/accept you. Our internship and externship programs, which provide you with this experience, are available for you throughout your Wabash College experience. Go to (link) to check out the possibilities.
Step 4: Prepare For Success in your Eventual Search
Once you have identified a career field, identify job titles and descriptions that fit your interests and then research job postings. Learn the norms of the job search in the field, including application timing, methods of recruiting, etc. Determine the level of educational preparation required and decide if you will need graduate school before you enter. Determine your geographic area(s) of interest and identify key organizations you would like to work for or graduate schools of interest. Research them thoroughly. Begin preparing your resume to reflect the norms of the industry, your passion and preparation, and your fit.
The Career Planning Process Isn’t Necessarily Linear
When going about this process of exploration, it’s important to keep an open mind and research more than one field or option. It’s common for people to change their minds as they discover new possibilities. External forces may also force you to go in another career direction. You may want to be a physician, but your 2.3 GPA is not realistic for admission to medical school. Always have a Plan B, C, D, etc. in mind. Career planning is a lifelong process, so keep your eye on the ball and your mind open to the possibilities.
Our Career Choice Resources
Interest, Skills and Personality Testing
Ø FOCUS – includes interests and skills, plus significant research tools on thousands of career options. Our most comprehensive career testing and research tool. No pre-test appointment needed, but follow-up appointment is encouraged. Access FOCUS via WabashWorks, on the Resources Page link.
Ø Strong Interest Inventory – shows how your interests match those of people who work in specific professions. Excellent for expanding or narrowing your career interests. You’ll need to see Betsy or Scott to take this.
Ø Myers Briggs – personality inventory. We often use this tool only in combination with the Strong Interest Inventory. You’ll need to see Betsy or Scott to take this.
Career Resource Center
Our Career Library contains books and periodicals which provide a wealth of research information on different career and graduate school options. Most resources are available for check-out.
Online Resources
Ø Vault –Detailed ‘insider’ information on a variety of career fields and organizations and features 85 downloadable career guides. Access it via WabashWorks.
Ø CareerSearch –Research tool that allows you to identify and locate organizations (domestic and international) in specific industry areas, by geographic locations. Also provides detailed salary and career research tools. Access it via WabashWorks.
Ø WabashWorks – Career decision-making resources include our Wally NetWorks alumni-student networking system, and a wealth of career research information and exploration possibilities through the Experience platform.
Ø Spotlight on Careers – Specifically for liberal arts students. Provides detailed information on a wide variety of career options. Accessed via WabashWorks, on the Resources Page link.
Ø CareerLinks web page – specific resources include “One Day One Job” and many other excellent sites
Individual Career Counseling
- Our staff is available by walk-in or appointment (not required) to discuss your career interests and help you navigate this process.
What Can I Do Career-wise With My Wabash Major?
Check out the links below, prepared by a Career Services intern, to start generating some ideas. In general, with a liberal arts degree, you can do most anything you like. We encourage students to start the career planning process very early in their college experience to start considering career possibilities. Since your liberal arts major/degree is not necessarily career-focused, it is really more a matter of what you want to do, as opposed to what you can do. Again, gaining actual experience while you’re in college will be the key to your success in this process.
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