 PREPARATION FOR A CAREER
 SMART Goal Setting
 Specific — establish a definite goal that
is important and write it down
 Measurable — identify specific criteria that
will verify progress in achieving the goal
 Attainable — establish a challenging, yet realistic, path to achieving the goal
 Rewarding — identify the reasons why this goal is important and visualize how it will feel when
this goal is accomplished
 Timely — set a specific time limit so you will know that the price to be paid will be worth it
when the goal is accomplished
 Personal Goal Setting
1. What is your personal long-term goal or dream?
2. Is it possible to achieve this goal if you work hard and motivate yourself the next few years?
3. What intermediate goals must you fulfill in the next few months to make progress toward
achieving your dream?
4. What are immediate or short-term goals you can accomplish that will help you advance toward
your long-term career goal?
 Performance Goal Setting
5. What is the one academic goal you can achieve within six months?
6. How can you improve your academic performance during this academic year?
7. If you fail to meet this academic performance goal, how will you feel about yourself?
8. What is the one athletic or fitness goal you can achieve within six months?
 Performance Goal Setting
9. How can you improve your athletic or fitness performance during this academic year?
10. If you fail to meet this athletic or fitness performance goal, how will you feel about yourself?
11. What is one leadership goal you can achieve within six months?
12. How can you improve your leadership performance during this academic year?
 Gaining Experience
 Internships
 Volunteer activities, such as with community projects or as a research or laboratory assistant
 Working in intramurals, with sport clubs, or as a sportswriter with your college newspaper
 Officiating
 Youth sport coach
 Obtain a certification
 Importance of Internships
 Get more extensive learning experiences
 Benefit from extensive hands-on experiences
 Obtain better preparation for employment
 Gain a competitive edge when seeking employment
 Develop networks with potential employers
 Learn from fellow employees and build good relationships with them
 Impress internship employers, making them more likely to hire you as a full-time employee
 Position yourself for more job offers
 Qualify for a higher starting salary
 Advance through more frequent promotions
 Timeline for Pursuing an Internship or Job
First Year in College
 Learn about available resources on campus, such as exploring possible majors and careers with
your academic counselor and advisor
 Talk with professors about possible majors and careers
 Make an appointment at the career development center to assess your interests through
available inventories as well as your areas of strength
 Participate in at least one extracurricular club or activity related to your potential career
 Begin a file of activities and experiences for your resume
 Apply for a part-time or summer job related to your possible career choice
 Timeline for Pursuing an Internship or Job
Second Year in College
 Take an introductory course for a major in which you are interested
 Join a professional organization as a student member
 Attend a job or internship seminar
 Prepare a draft of a resume
 Learn more about various careers by surfing the Web for more information
 Select a major and meet with an academic advisor to plan the sequence of your coursework
 Interview people in careers in which you may be interested
 Participate in at least two extracurricular clubs or activities related to your potential career
 Timeline for Pursuing an Internship or Job
Third Year in College
 Add entries about your academic achievements and collegiate experiences to your resume
 Meet with the internship advisor and explore options
 Participate actively in a majors club in your area of interest
 Attend job fairs or career events and seek out possible internships
 Attend a meeting of a state, regional, or national professional organization to begin networking
for possible internships
 Explore internship opportunities online, via the print media, and through campus resources
 Investigate your college’s program for connecting students with alumni for internships
 Attend seminars offered by the career development center
 Timeline for Pursuing an Internship or Job
Fourth Year in College
 Complete advanced courses in your major
 Attend a meeting of a state, regional, or national professional organization to begin networking
with other professionals
 Participate actively in a majors club in your area of interest
 Prepare letters of application for internships and make contacts with potential internship sites
 Complete the internship application process and attend the internship orientation meeting
 Add entries about your academic achievements and collegiate experiences and complete your
resume
 Complete a mock job interview through the career development center
 Continue to network at career events and job fairs
 Identify and ask individuals who will be willing to write letters of recommendation for you
 Importance of Certifications
 Confirms attainment of a high level of competence and achievement of professional standards
 Demonstrates that fundamental knowledge and skills associated with job responsibilities have
been learned
 Shows a willingness and commitment to enhance career preparation
 Provides potential clients and the general public with a quality control measure that reassures
them of a proven level of competence
 Enables potential employers to differentiate among applicants based on a known standard of
knowledge and skills
 ACSM Certificates
 Certified Personal Trainer
 Health/Fitness Instructor
 Clinical Exercise Specialist
 Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist
 Cancer Exercise Trainer
 Certified Inclusive Fitness Trainer
 Physical Activity in Public Health Specialist
 National Strength and Conditioning Association
 Certified Personal Trainer
 Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist
 Questions Relative to Career Choice
1. What would I like to do immediately following graduation? After five years? Ten years later?
Twenty years later?
2. What experiences and learning opportunities can I take advantage of while in college to help me
prepare for immediate, short-term, and long-term careers?
3. What resources and people on my campus can help me prepare for immediate, short-term, and
long-term careers?
 Questions Relative to Career Choice
4. What objectives and action plans have I established in college to help me explore various
aspects of my career development?
5. How will the development of a portfolio help demonstrate what I have learned in my career
preparation?
6. How will my course work help me make better decisions in my career?
7. How are my strengths personally, academically, and socially matched to the potential career for
which I am preparing?
 Questions Relative to Career Choice
8. How can others help me evaluate and understand my abilities and develop strategies to work on
areas in need of strengthening?
9. How will I use feedback from experiences and from others to better prepare me to make
decisions relative to my career choice?
10. How motivated am I to devote the time and effort needed to be successful in and satisfied with
my career choice?
 Components of a Resume
 Address (school and permanent)
 Education
 Experiences
 Honors and awards
 College activities
 Professional affiliations
 Availability date
 References

Outline for a Portfolio to Help in Getting a Job
 Professional Philosophy
 Provide a brief profile about yourself
 Describe your personal values
 Share your short-term professional goals specifically as they relate to this career
 Outline for a Portfolio to Help in Getting a Job
 Educational Background
 List colleges attended, degrees earned, and majors
 Describe academic honors earned, including honorary societies and recognitions
received
 Explain how your collegiate studies prepared you for a career in this field
 Identify memberships held in professional organizations and describe how your past
participation has helped enhance your professional development
 List any professional certifications and explain their significance relative to the position
sought
 Outline for a Portfolio to Help in Getting a Job
 Work Experiences
 List all work experiences that have helped prepare you for the position sought
 Describe the scope of your work responsibilities in each job
 Include commendations and illustrations of the quality of your work
 Outline for a Portfolio to Help in Getting a Job
 Extracurricular Activities
 Describe your participation in athletics, service activities, and organizations and how
what you learned and experienced helped increase your abilities and knowledge
 Explain the importance of each aspect of your volunteer work
 Outline for a Portfolio to Help in Getting a Job
 Examples of your Professional Abilities
 Include copies of awards, dean’s list citations, and thank-you letters for service
 Illustrate your competence, such as through publication of a research paper, a videotape of a professional presentation, samples of lesson plans, or internship evaluations
 Provide examples of your commitment to lifelong learning
 Outline for a Portfolio to Help in Getting a Job
 Professional Goals
 Share your long-term career aspirations and your current plans for achieving them
 Possible Questions to Ask about your Prospective Career
1. What is the educational background required?
2. How much prior experience is needed?
3. What are the typical work hours?
4. What is the daily routine and the average time spent on each part of these activities?
5. What is the starting salary and salary range?
6. How much vacation time is provided?
7. What are the fringe benefits?
 Possible Questions to Ask about your Prospective Career
8. To what extent will this job affect my personal life?
9. What are the requisite skills and knowledge for this job?
10. What personal characteristics, such as creativity, problem-solving ability, or enthusiasm, are
necessary for this job?
11. What is the potential for employment in this career?
12. In what regions or states is this job available?
 Possible Questions to Ask about your Prospective Career
13. What is the potential for advancement in this career?
14. Is on-the-job training or advanced education required to maintain employment or to advance in
this career?
15. What are the specific work responsibilities of this job? How much time is spent doing each?
16. What criteria are used to evaluate job performance?
 Possible Questions to Ask about your Prospective Career
17. What are the most satisfying or advantageous aspects of this job?
18. What are the most frustrating or disadvantageous aspects of this job?
19. What has been your biggest disillusionment?
20. What has been your most rewarding or enjoyable experience?