Career Plans with Purpose:
Love What You Do
Julie Ouellette, M.Ed., CCC
Disabilities Counsellor
Paul Menton Centre, Carleton University
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Nov 11, 2006
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SelfExploration
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Knowing About Oneself
It’s all about
you:
Values
Interests
Personality
Skills
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Prompt Questions
What am I good at?
What am I curious about?
What can I see myself doing?
What have people always told me I should
do when I grow up?
What do you struggle with? What kind of
jobs have you had?
What is the family context? How does that
inform your career choices?
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Using Tools
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Psychometric Tests
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The Nightmare-Fantasy Continuum
FANTASY
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NIGHTMARE
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VALUES INVENTORY
Help Society. Do something to contribute to the
betterment of the world I live in.
Values
Inventory
Help Others. Be involved in helping other people in a
direct way, either individually or in a small group.
Competition. Engage in activities that pit my abilities
against others where there are clear win-lose outcomes.
Advancement. Have a job that provides opportunities to
move up the ladder.
Public Contact. Have a lot of day-to-day contact with
people.
Work with Others. Have close working relationships
with a group, work as a team towards common goals.
Friendships. Develop close personal relationships with
people as a result of my work activities.
Affiliation. Be recognized as a member of a particular
organization.
Adapted from: The RMOC book
on Career Planning. Regional
Municipality of Ottawa-Carleton
Human Resources, 1992.
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Work Alone. Do projects by myself, without any
significant amount of contact with others.
Entrepreneurship. Be self-employed, start a new
business, produce a new product, provide a new service.
Artistic Creativity. Engage in creative work in any of
several art forms.
Aesthetics. Be involved in studying or appreciating the
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beauty of things, ideas, etc.
Somewhat
Important
Not Important
at all
Work Values
1. The following are some values related to careers. Feel
free to add to the list.
2. For each value listed check how important it is to you
in your choice of career
3. Highlight your top 3-5 values.
Very Important
Explore the values that shape your life and influence your choices.
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www.google.com
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www.personalitypathways.com
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www.youthpath.ca
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Google: “NOC” and “2001”
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Some Considerations for
Students with Disabilities
Can you articulate in 3-4 sentences your
disability?
Do you understand the assessment of your
disability?
Learning style: Hands on? Visual? Auditory?
Accommodations: What are they now? What will
transfer to post secondary? To the workplace?
Disclosure beyond school: When to disclose? To
whom?
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Challenges
• Being motivated, seeing the connection
and understanding the importance of the
links in their process.
• See career decisions as events that
occur at particular points in one’s life
rather than an ongoing process
• Connection between academic subjects
and career goals may not be clear
• Changes in labour market: having the
information or knowing where to find it.
• Indifference which may be linked to lack of
preparation OR feeling overwhelmed
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Use what talents you possess. The woods
would be very silent if no birds sang
there except those that sang best.
~William Blake
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Top Qualities Employers Seek
1. Communication
skills
2. Motivation/initiative
3. Teamwork skills
4. Leadership skills
5. GPA / academic
achievement
6. Interpersonal skills
7. Flexibility /
adaptability
8. Technical skills
9. Honesty / integrity
10. Work Ethic
11. Analytical / problemsolving skills
Source: Job Outlook 2000, National Association of Colleges and
Employers (http://www.cas.okstate.edu/career/Student/topqualities.htm)
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Resources
WORKink www.workink.com
MonsterTRAK www.monstertrak.ca
Paths to Equal Opportunity www.equalopportunity.on.ca
Canadian Careers www.canadiancareers.com/disability.html
Ontario Disability Support Program (ODSP)
http://www.cfcs.gov.on.ca/CFCS/en/programs/IES/OntarioDisabilit
ySupportProgram/default.htm
Human Resources and Social Development (HRSD)
http://www.sdc.gc.ca/en/gateways/individuals/audiences/pd.shtml
Job Seeking Skills for People with Disabilities: A Guide to Success
http://www.csun.edu/%7Esp20558/dis/
Persons With Disabilities Online (PWD-Online) www.pwdonline.ca/pwdhome.jsp?lang=en
Office of Disability Issues (ODI)
http://www.hrsdc.gc.ca/en/gateways/nav/top_nav/program/odi.sht
ml
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Questions?
Julie Ouellette
Julie_ouellette@carleton.ca
Paul Menton Centre:
www.carleton.ca/pmc
www.pmcportal.ca
A pile of stones can become a garden with the right amount of care.
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