Visual Thinking and
Career Development:
Using Graphic Organizers
to Enhance Your Impact
Session 3: Cluster Diagrams and Circles
Dr. Katharine S. Brooks
You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Goals of this webinar series
1. Introduce visual techniques for different
career issues to enhance your career advising
activities.
2. Encourage you to develop even more
creative ways to explain and illustrate
choices, options, or ways to think about a
situation.
3. Promote an action-oriented approach which
helps client take a more active role.
Dr. Katharine Brooks : You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Advantages of Visual Thinking
“It’s easier to organize your thoughts if you can see them.”
Visual thinking:
• Helps us organize and clarify our thoughts, while reducing
complexity.
• See relationships more easily.
• Encourages specific types of thinking or problem-solving.
• Enhances understanding and retention of information
• Is easy to do and inexpensive
• Provides a tangible “take-away” product for students.
Dr. Katharine Brooks : You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Pie Wedges
C
R
E
I
S
A
Venn Diagram
Skills
Values
Jobs
Target
4-year
college
2nd Year
at CC
1st Year
at CC
Covey’s Circle of Influence
Circle of
Concern
Circle of
Influence
Cycle
Discover
Destiny
Dream
Design
Expanding Circles
Professional
Organizations
Teachers &
Supervisors
Friends
Family
Cluster Diagrams
http://www.flickr.com/photos/deanhp/
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Cluster Diagram
When to Use Cluster Diagrams
• Considering several options
• To demonstrate how one central idea can
expand to other ideas
• To demonstrate how divergent ideas or items
can be consolidated into a whole.
• Examples:
– Skills analysis
– Career choices
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Clusters: Possible Lives
Cosmetologist
Nurse
Nutritionist
Humane
Society
Coach
Me
CSI
Dietician
Analyst
Elementary
Teacher
Fitness
Trainer
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Analyzing the Possible Lives Exercise
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Review the career ideas with the student
Look for themes in the choices
Select 2-3 to start analyzing
Draw a line from the center to the job
Write the steps to get to the job
Watch the energy level
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Clusters: Possible Lives
Ask: Can you
do that
career
tomorrow?
Nurse
Nutritionist
Steps
If not,
ask
student
to insert
the steps
to get to
the
career.
Notice where
the student
starts to gain
or lose energy
in the process.
Cosmetologist
Humane
Society
Coach
Me
CSI
Dietician
Analyst
Elementary
Teacher
Write
down the
main
themes.
Fitness
Trainer
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Strengths
Organized
Multi-tasker
Patient
Jobs?
________
________
________
Problem
Solver
Creative
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Strengths
Organized
Story__________
______________
______________
Story__________
______________
______________
Multi-tasker
Patient
Story__________
______________
______________
Jobs?
________
________
________
Story__________
______________
______________
Problem
Solver
Creative
Story__________
______________
______________
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Cover Letter Design
How I heard
about job
Strength #2
What I like
about Job
Strength #1
What do I
most want
them to know
about me?
Cover
Letter
for Job
Why I think I
would do this
well
What is the
next action
step?
What I know
about
company or
job
How can they
contact me?
Dr. Katharine Brooks: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path From Chaos to Career
Questions?
Thank you for attending.
Look at your schedule for next
week and see if there’s a place
you could try applying one of
these visual exercises.
“See” you next Friday!
Kate Brooks