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Career Exploration
Do you want a career that…
Be strategic! This means lots of exploration…of yourself, resources, and occupations; making a plan; and staying motivated to keep with the plan.
1. Be Organized!
Trust us - it’s easier to START by being organized than to try to get organized later down the road.
Bonus: Using tools to stay organized is a transferrable skill!
This whole process will potentially involve a lot of information, which you will want to keep track of and refer back to, potentially years from now.
We recommend...
Recommended Step 1 Tools
There are plenty of free digital tools that can help you to keep organized in different ways. BONUS: Staying organized is a transferrable skill - and learning new software is, too!
Probably the #1 most important thing about any of these tools is to remember your login information so you can access it from anywhere, even if you lose your device!
2. Clarify Goals
Defining your life goals can help shape your career goals. This is the first step because it will help you to make better career decisions that are more likely to lead to long-term fulfillment and happiness.
Recommended Step 2 Tools
Clarifying goals requires reflection and recording your dreams, needs, and plans. You can do this by physically writing, or digitally on your phone or computer.
These apps are either 100% free or the free version is good enough:
3. Identify Resources & Assess Needs
Exploring resources that can help you to achieve your career goals is important in identifying realistic career options.
Resources can include:
Assess Your Career Needs
What do you need to meet your basic budget and be successful long-term in a career?
Clarify Your Target Job Zone
A job zone is the combination of education, training, and related experience that is needed to get a job in an occupation. Job zones are used during career exploration with many of the resources that are referred to and can help you to narrow down realistic occupations.
Recommended Step 3 Tools
4. Explore Career Interests & Occupations
How do you know which careers would be a good fit for your interests and skills? You take an assessment! We highly recommend the RIASEC Career Interest Assessment. This tool has been used across the U.S. for decades to help match career explorers to potential occupations that they would enjoy.
Step 1: Career Interest Assessment
Step 2: Explore careers that match your preferred job zone(s)
Step 3:
The #1 resource that I recommend for this is the Career Explorer. It’s 100% free and includes assessments, career matching, state specific salary and job growth projections. It evens has free tools for resume and cover letter writing!
5. Narrow Down Options
This is when being organized with a spreadsheet really comes in handy! It’s easier to objectively narrow down options when you can easily compare occupation information.
Pick your top 3 options and…
6. Make & Stick to a Plan
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