“Networking & Employment Campaign” Networking “Using the personal relationships people have with one another to increase your exposure to information and opportunity” Building your network Current network – you already have one! Friends, family, lecturers Contacts from voluntary work, societies/clubs Part-time work, internships voluntary work Expand your network by: Attending careers fairs, employer presentations, conferences Alumni services (Expert scheme) Ask people you know for other contacts Join professional associations (student membership) Study abroad Online networking Networking...Building Social Capital Strengthen existing relationships and expands your circle of friends Utilize ethical methodologies and your own sense of comfort Establish and invests in human connections that create value for one another Build community through mutual benefit and support. Networking Tools Preparation and Research Read! Be Prepared to Network Resumes Rileyguide.com Listening and Interviewing Skills Tracking/Follow-up System Notes E.g. Linkedin.com • Verbal Scripting-Brief Introductory Talk BIT---“Elevator speech” Overcoming Networking Barriers Starting the conversation What’s your BIT? Lead with your passions Let the conversation happen Be curious about others--Ask questions What are you looking for? For yourself? On behalf of others in your network? • • • Listen and care Continue the conversation May I talk to you/contact you later? Why Networking is important Because we is always stronger than me To help others and ourselves 70% of promotions/jobs Developing real relationships To pursue our passions Define our lives by what we do To live longer Active/diverse networks are a source of well-being CIP Approach to Job Hunting The Cognitive Information Processing (CIP) approach aims to help individuals with current career choices, as well as develop the skills necessary for future career decisions. This theoretical perspective asserts that career problem solving and decision-making involve the key aspects of self-knowledge, occupational knowledge, decision-making skills, and meta-cognitions. Self-knowledge includes identifying values, interests, skills, and employment preferences with a client. Options knowledge includes knowledge of occupational choices. Decision making skills involves understanding the CASVE cycle, a multi-phase decision-making process which includes communication, analysis, synthesis, valuing, and execution. Executive processing (metacognitions) involves assessing any negative thoughts the client may be experiencing, as this can interfere with an individual’s job search process. Other Personal factors important in Job Hunting Employment Preferences Hours of work Travel requirements Physical demands Family Situation Desire to live close to family members Employment opportunities for significant others Existence of family business Job Target(s) Based on my self-knowledge, what do I want to do? What job families, work settings, occupational titles interest me? Where do I want to work? Who employs people doing what I want to do? CASVE Cycle & Job Campaign COMMUNICATION “Identifying the problem or the gap” This could be anything from “I need to find a new job” or “I have to choose a major”. It is important to be as specific as possible when identifying the presenting issue. According to the model, communication often boils down to external cues (events, significant others) and internal cues (emotions, physiological responses, and avoidance behavior). ANALYSIS “Understanding myself and my options” This section focuses on self-knowledge like utilizing reflection, structured exercises, or even assessment instruments to gain more insights into your skills, values, and interests in order to gain more self-awareness. Knowledge about options can be gained by looking into more specifics about the options you have at hand. It might also be necessary to explore occupations, programs of study, and employers based on your skills, values, and interests which will help you understand the wide array of options available to you through your own personal filters/preferences. SYNTHESIS “Expanding and then narrowing my list of options” In this stage, you are trying to elaborate on your options in order to then crystallize them into a manageable set of options. You are essentially checking for alternatives to see if there are other areas to explore. You can generate occupational, educational, and employment options by doing interest inventories like the Strong Interest Inventory, or other informal assessments online, as well as by doing informational interviews. In the narrowing phase of this stage, you are tasked with identifying no more than three alternatives, occupational or otherwise. VALUING “Prioritizing alternatives” Your prioritization of your educational, occupational, and employment alternatives conclude with an identification of your tentative primary and secondary choices. This is accomplished by valuing the costs and benefits to: yourself, you’re significant others, your cultural group, your community and/or society at large. EXECUTION “Implementing my choice” This stage is about making a plan for implementing your tentative primary choice. Three key factors in beginning the execution of your choice include: 1. Reality testing 2. Preparation program and 3. Employment/Education Seeking. Decision Making Style o Rational or Planning Styles (weighing the facts) This style is characterized by a systematic seeking out of information about self and the anticipated situation and one’s taking responsibility for making the decision. Rational decision-makers have a past, present and future time perspective, knowing that early decisions affect later ones. They weigh alternatives in terms of both positive and negative consequences. In a careful and deliberate way, they pull all the information together and realistically decide. o Intuitive Style (it feels right) This style is characterized by one’s accepting responsibility for making the decision, and by decisions being made by paying attention to emotional self-awareness, feelings and fantasy outcomes. Intuitive decision-makers spend little time gathering information or responding to information in a systematic way. The basic rightness of a course of action is felt internally. Intuitive people know their choice but find it hard to tell you how it came about. o Dependent Style This style is characterized by one’s not accepting responsibility for making the decision. Dependent decision makers let others decide or defer making a choice completely. o Impulsive Little thought or examination is given to the decision and often the first alternative is taken. Making the decision is often avoided until it must be made and then it is made quickly. “Don’t look before you leap.” o Delaying Thoughts and actions about the decisions are delayed repeatedly. “I’ll cross that bridge later.” o Agonizing This type collects tons of information and advice and is forever generating alternatives. They get lost in all the data and overwhelmed by analyzing alternatives. “I have too many choices; I don’t know what to do.” o Paralyzed This type is unable to move forward or make a commitment to one particular alternative. They experience fear in choosing, similar to the agonizer. “I’m afraid I might make the wrong decision.” o Compliant This type looks for an authority or significant-other to make their decisions and plans. “What do you think I should do?” o Fatalist This type believes people don’t have much control over what happens to them. They believe that “fate” determines what happens to them. “It’s all in the cards. I can’t control it, let it happen. What will be, will be.” Fear toward decision making Fears are based on “Internal Factors” related to your attitudes and self esteem When you feel stuck or unable to make a decision, ask these questions from yourself: • • • • What are my Assumptions (Attitudes) affecting my decisions? What are my Feelings regarding these decisions? Why am I clinging to behavior that prevents me from making this decision? What further information do I need in order to generate alternative? Decision Making Process Decision making is the process of making choices by identifying a decision, gathering information, and assessing alternative resolutions Step 1: Identify the decision You realize that you need to make a decision. Try to clearly define the nature of the decision you must make. This first step is very important. Step 2: Gather relevant information Collect some pertinent information before you make your decision: what information is needed, the best sources of information, and how to get it. This step involves both internal and external “work.” Some information is internal: you’ll seek it through a process of self-assessment. Other information is external: you’ll find it online, in books, from other people, and from other sources. Step 3: Identify the alternatives As you collect information, you will probably identify several possible paths of action, or alternatives. You can also use your imagination and additional information to construct new alternatives. In this step, you will list all possible and desirable alternatives. Step 4: Weigh the evidence Draw on your information and emotions to imagine what it would be like if you carried out each of the alternatives to the end. Evaluate whether the need identified in Step 1 would be met or resolved through the use of each alternative. As you go through this difficult internal process, you’ll begin to favor certain alternatives: those that seem to have a higher potential for reaching your goal. Finally, place the alternatives in a priority order, based upon your own value system. Step 5: Choose among alternatives Once you have weighed all the evidence, you are ready to select the alternative that seems to be best one for you. You may even choose a combination of alternatives. Your choice in Step 5 may very likely be the same or similar to the alternative you placed at the top of your list at the end of Step 4. Step 6: Take action You’re now ready to take some positive action by beginning to implement the alternative you chose in Step 5. Step 7: Review your decision & its consequences In this final step, consider the results of your decision and evaluate whether or not it has resolved the need you identified in Step 1. If the decision has not met the identified need, you may want to repeat certain steps of the process to make a new decision. For example, you might want to gather more detailed or somewhat different information or explore additional alternatives. Stress Management Stress management offers a range of strategies to help you better deal with stress and difficulty (adversity) in your life. Managing stress can help you lead a more balanced, healthier life. Stress is an automatic physical, mental and emotional response to a challenging event. It's a normal part of everyone's life. When used positively, stress can lead to growth, action and change. But negative, longterm stress can lessen your quality of life. Stress management approaches include: • Learning skills such as problem-solving, prioritizing tasks and time management. • Enhancing your ability to cope with adversity. For example, you may learn how to improve your emotional awareness and reactions, increase your sense of control, find greater meaning and purpose in life, and cultivate gratitude and optimism. • Practicing relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, yoga, meditation, tai chi, exercise and prayer. • Improving your personal relationships.