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“First Look”
CAREER PLANNING
GUIDE
Name
Date
A Simple Six Step Process
for Smarter
Career Decision-Making
Academic Counseling Center
Utah Valley University
LC 402
800 W. University Parkway
Orem, UT 84058
www.uvu.edu/acc
801 863-8425
Academic Advising Center
UVU
Your Personal Profile
(requires assessment information from any of these sources: MBTI, Strong Interest
Inventory, and/or Utahfutures.org as listed below)
Step 1 – Self-Assessment and Personal Discovery
List Your Ambitions / Passions – Where do you lose track of time?
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List Your Top Interests - What delights you ?
Use results from Utahfutures>Career Assessments>Interest Profiler
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List Your Top Workplace Values – What’s important to you?
Use results from Utahfutures>Career Assessments> Work Importance Locator
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List Your Top Skills
- What do you enjoy doing?
Use results from Utahfutures>Career Assessments>Skills Assessment
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Money $ $ $ $ $ - How much income do you need to live the lifestyle you desire?
Use results from Utahfutures>Career Assessments>Reality Check
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Academic Advising Center
UVU
Step 2 – Explore Majors Leading to Your Career Goals
(use information from Step 1 to help identify possible occupations)
List at least 6 different major or career areas that would “fit” you
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Step 3 – Resources for Researching Your Step 2 Choices
*Online
http://online.onetcenter.org http://www.bls.gov/oco/cg www.utahfutures.org
http://www.bls.gov/oco http://uncw.edu/career/WhatCanIDoWithaMajorIn.html
*Books -- “Do What You Are …” Tieger & Tieger; “Major in Success” by Patrick
Combs; “StrengthsFinder 2.0” by Tom Rath; “RoadTripNation” by Marriner and
Gebhard; “Now What: A Young Person’s Guide … a Perfect Career” by Nicholas Lore
*Face-to-Face Meetings/Activities
Job Shadowing
CDC Internships LC 409
Faculty Meetings
Networking (100xdegree)
Service Learning
Major Advisors
Informational Interviewing
Campus Clubs
CLSS 281R-Internships
Step 4 – Answer these Five Critical Questions
1 – How much education does your top choice require?
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2 – What are the specific and typical work skills required?
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3 – What is the national average salary and starting salary?
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4 – What’s the employment outlook?
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5 – Summarize how your major / career choice fits your desired lifestyle ?
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Academic Advising Center
UVU
Step 5 – Focus on the Best Available Option for You
Given answers above, what’s the career choice that’s the “best fit” for you ?
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WHY is this choice the best decision for you ? Cite clear and compelling evidence
proving that this is the “best fit” for you. (for example: work at my passion, meets income
need, job security, challenge, work/life balance, promotion, learn new skills, helping others,
prestige, travel, low stress, uses my strengths, etc)
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Step 6 – Develop an “Action Plan” to Achieve Your Goal
(be realistic, include any perceived challenges to your plan’s success i.e., finances,
learning issues, relationships, family, relocation, etc. and a way to deal with each issue)
HOW ?
will I get to my goal?
Specific actions are:
WHEN ?
will each step occur ?
(commit to a date)
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WHO ?
else is or should be
involved in my plan?
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Academic Advising Center
UVU
SAMPLE Civil Engineering CAREER PLAN
A career plan is developed after you have completed the Student Career Planning Guide.
This sample career plan is created from your Step 6 “Action Plan” in the career planning guide.
Sample Career Goal:
To become a civil engineer --- design, plan and supervise the construction of buildings, highways
and rapid transit systems.
Occupational Requirements:
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Bachelors in Engineering
Ability to work as part of team
Creativity
Naturally analytical mind
Capacity for detail
Presentation skills
Writing skills
Knowledge of physical science and mathematics
Accreditation by Licensing Board
My Current Experiences, Skills and Interests:
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Summer worker for Smith Construction Co.
High school math and science courses (A student)
Experience working with teams
Leadership experience as President of Student Body
Attended high school writing courses
Gave presentations in high school
3.9 GPA in High School
First semester of college had 3.0 GPA
My Plan to Reach Career Goal:
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Join campus organizations related to skills needed
Summer job experience in building construction / maintenance
Maintain 3.8 GPA in all academic classes
Networking with engineering professionals
Seek internships through Career Development Center at UVU and departmental contacts
Graduate Pre-engineering AS from UVU 2015
Apply to BYU School of Engineering 2015
Earn Bachelor’s Degree at BYU by 2018
Consider graduate degree programs
NOTE:
Make sure to include your major advisor or Academic Counselor in your Career Planning efforts.
To find your advisor go to: http://www.uvu.edu/
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