Career Awareness: Steps to Planning Your Career

• Develop a career plan.  Think about what you want to do and find out more about the kind of training, education, and skills you will need to achieve your career goals.
• Assess your skills and interests with the help of your Employment Specialist.  Think hard about what you enjoy, what you are good at, what kind of personality you are, & the values you hold.
• Research occupations.  Go to Career Fairs, College Field Trips, Job Shadowing and online Career Explorations like www.careercruising.org.  (See your Career Counselor for login information).  Talk to people in the field you are about to enter. Narrow down your choices.
• Compare your skills and interests with the occupation you’ve selected.  Do they match?  How many years after high school are you willing to commit to training?
• Choose your career goal and develop a plan to get there.  Ask the Employment Specialist to help you make those steps.  Have a family meeting.  Make sure this is what you want not only what your family wants you to do.
• Select a school that offers the degree or training program of your interest.
• Find out about financial aid and scholarships.  Remember, everything is due for these in your Senior year.  Scholarships are due, usually, in Nov. & financial aid by March 1^st.
• Learn about job-hunting tips, resume writing & cover letters, interviewing techniques and the job market in your area.  Make sure you have a social security card and California I.D. or driver’s license.  You must have an original birth certificate to get an I.D. or driver’s license.  Most employers cannot hire till 16 or 18 years of age depending on the type of job.
• Prepare your resume and have it on disk so you know how to update it.  Practice interviewing before the interview, not the day before.  Dress and groom yourself well.  Complete your Career Portfolio by 3^rd quarter of your Senior year.
• Research the company and know what questions you want answered.
  
• Go to the Career Center or Employment Specialist at your school for help in all these areas.