The Impact of Your Career
Defining Job, Occupation, Career
Changes to Career Development
School to Work Transition
Career Development Quiz
Impact on our Life
Defining Job,
Occupation,
Job
Career
A specific set of tasks which take place in
a particular environment
– Taxi driver at My Cab Company
– Stabber at Northern Oil Inc.
– Prime Minister of Canada
– Weight Loss Counsellor at Herbal Magic
– Career Counsellor for Chinook School
Division
Occupation
A group of similar jobs found in different
industries or organizations
– Neurosurgeon, Ambulance Attendant
– Teacher, Educational Assistant
– Plumber, Pipefitter
– Automotive Technician, Heavy Duty Mechanic
– Bank Teller, Mortgage Specialist
Career
A summation of one’s life experiences
including work, leisure, and education
Leisure
Work
Learning
The 3 Spheres of Life
are influenced by many
things such as
circumstances,
relationships, and
culture. As depicted by
the diagram, they are
not distinct from each
other.
Changing Face of Career
Development
Moving from a simple vocational
development model to a more complex
self-management paradigm
Vocational Development Model
Expects young people to make informed,
long-term career choice before graduating
from high school.
Old Vocational Guidance Model
A linear, destination-oriented model answering the question:
“What do I want to be when….”
1
2
3
4
5
6
Explore
interests,
aptitudes,
values, etc.
Explore the
world of work
(occupations)
Determine a
“Best Fit”
occupation by
matching
personal traits
to occupational
responsibilities
Develop a plan
to obtain the
prerequisite
education and
training
Graduate,
obtain
employment,
work hard,
climb the
corporate ladder
Retire as young
as possible on
full pension to
enjoy rewards
for years of hard
work
Today’s Lifelong Career
Self-Management Paradigm
Learning how to self-manage our ever changing lives and jobs
“a journey …….not a destination”
Working
Life
Change Job
Education/
Retirement
Training
Education/
Working
Training
Education/
Life
Training
Change Job
Working
Life
What is causing the change in the
use of this model?
Existing Problems
– Many people are ending up in their work roles through
less than fully informed and too-often unintentional
decision-making
Labor Market Changes
– The labor market is constantly evolving. Throughout
their work lives, today’s young workers can expect to
experience
12 – 25 jobs
5+ occupations
3 + sectors
Change in the model (cont’d)
The Concept of Career and Career
Development has changed
– Almost exclusive emphasis on Trait - Factor
approach.
– Move to a holistic view of work as one facet of an
individual’s life
– The need for individuals to be proactive life/career
managers to respond to multi-career transitions.
– The need for individuals to develop better career
management skills to navigate through the changes.
Shift from Simple to Complex
Simple
Career = Occupation or
job
One size fits all;
Everyone needs the
same
Career Planning is a
linear “step-by-step”
process
– Start Point
– End Point
Complex
Career = Roles over a
lifespan
Career paths vary; Different
strokes for different folks
Career planning is a multidimensional process
– No predictable sequence
– Includes such things as
education, volunteer
experience, extracurricular
Career Management Paradigm Shift
From Static to Dynamic Systems
Static
Dynamic
Work stays the same
Work changes in content,
place and form
Decide on outcome “I
want to be a …”
Decide on process
“What skills will I need for
the future?”
Predict, Plan and Control
Manage, need to be
proactive life/career
managers
Questions that should be asked?
Rather than asking the question of “What do you want to be
when….”
Career development questions should be…
What are you now and what do you love to do?
What are your special talents and skills?
What types of situations, environments and work roles
have special appeal to you?
What types of organizations need what you can offer?
What innovative work arrangements will suit you and
potential employers?
School to Work Transition
Secondary
70% of students expect post-secondary
80% of parents expect post-secondary
32% of students go to post-secondary
26% of students drop out of high school
64% of students go to work from high school
University attendance has
increased by 7% since the
posting of these numbers
(2005)
HRDC, Statistics Canada, Ontario Education
95/96 National Stats
Transitions (cont’d)
Post Secondary
47% change programs or drop out – first year
50% are not in work closely related to their programs two years after
graduation
Over 75% of all young people go to work before completing postsecondary studies
57% of students who go to post secondary actually graduate – 18%
of all secondary students
50% of 1995 graduates report that they are NOT in work closely
related to their program of study
Thus, 9% of all secondary students are where they planned to be
62% of adults (all ages) would not choose the type of work they are
in if they could start over
(1997 Gallup Pull)
Career Development Quiz
How many high school students think that they
are ready for the work place?
15%
80%
65%
55%
80%
Career Development Quiz
How many employers think that high school
students are ready for the workplace?
15%
70%
45%
35%
15%
Career Development Quiz
What percentage of individuals are actually
doing what they had planned to do when they
finished high school?
23%
49%
65%
9%
9%
Career Development Quiz
The average job lasts _______ years?
6 yrs
3.6 yrs
10.5 yrs
2.4 yrs
2.4 years
Career Development Quiz
How many post-secondary students change
programs or drop out by the end of their 1st year?
17%
84%
77%
47%
47%
Career Development Quiz
How much money could be saved annually if 5 out of
every 100 people availing themselves of health care for
stress related illness were happier and healthier in their
work?
300 million
1.5 billion
4 billion
580 million
4 billion
Career Development Quiz
According to 1997 HRDC estimates, what percentage of
Canadians lack the literacy skills necessary to meet the
complex demands of everyday life and work?
12%
27%
65%
40%
40%
Career Development Quiz
According to Green and Riddell, each additional year of
education boosts an individual’s annual wage by an
average of ________.
8.3%
2.7%
6.2%
4.1%
8.3%
Career Development Quiz
How many students go on to post-secondary
studies immediately after they graduate from
high school?
78%
51%
32%
67%
32%
What is healthy lifestyle?
Lifestyle is based on the idea that people
generally exhibit a recognizable pattern of
behavior in their everyday lives
– Regular routines of work, leisure, social life,
eating habits, sleeping patterns, etc.
A healthy lifestyle is generally
characterized as a “balanced life” in which
one makes “wise choices”.
Time Spent at Work
Let’s break down a normal day
(hypothetical on average)
– 2 hours eating and cooking (8%)
– 8 hours working (33%)
– 8 hours sleeping (33%)
– 6 hours leisure (25 %)
Career Dominates Time
About 1/3 of our day is spent working.
That takes up a large portion of our life.
Sleeping takes up another 1/3, leaving you
with only 1/3 of time left to eat and do what
ever else you want.
Why not be happy in your work, it’s a huge
part of your time on this planet?
Life/Work
The concept of life/work is intended to
directly capture the ideas that:
– Life and work, though sometimes distinct, are
not separate;
– Life and work are best “designed” in harmony
coexisting together;
– Life/work can be “designed” (fully recognizing
that not all designs come to full fruition) and
continuously redesigned.
Making Career Development
Intentional
When unintentional, career development
occurs anyway – none of us can avoid
learning, experiencing, living, working, and
changing!
When intentional, career development is
about actively creating the life one wants
to live and the work one wants to do.
Intentional – research careers, ask questions, never stop learning, go after what you
want, be happy in what you are doing, never settle, make educated decisions, don’t
sacrifice family and life for you career…purposefully seek out jobs or occupation in a field
that you feel will satisfy you and don’t be afraid of change if things don’t work out
Your Future, Your Choices
It’s never too early to start thinking about
your future.
The things you do today will affect the
opportunities and options you have in your
later life. (Yes, even your marks and relationships with teachers!)
Furthermore, plan to be happy in life,
enjoy your job, occupation, career….
You’ll naturally enjoy so much more about
life!