Career Exploration and Self-Assessment Notes

Ideal Work Environment

• Consider your ideal work environment for long-term job satisfaction.

Research and Career Options

• Don't limit yourself to your major; explore various fields.
• Talk to people in different fields to gain insights. Try out different roles via:
  • Volunteer work
  • Internships
• Build relevant skills, which can be achieved through volunteer work.
• Create a flexible plan that you can reassess regularly.

Holland's Codes Test (Self-Assessment)

• Identifies career paths aligning with personality traits and interests.
• Instructions:
  • Answer questions quickly, focusing on whether you would enjoy the task.
  • Don't overthink your skill level; consider your interest.

Interpreting Test Results

• Take notes on:
  • Aspects that reaffirm what you know about yourself.
  • Surprising results.
• Keep in mind:
  • Everyone has different strengths and intelligences.
  • Thinking differently doesn't mean you can't think, could pertain to how fast you are at thinking which is ok.
  • Everyone has different cognitive strengths.

Teamwork and Strengths

• Knowing teammates' strengths is valuable.
  • Helps identify areas for personal improvement.
  • Accept that you can't excel at everything.

Sharing Test Results (Examples)

• Example 1
  • Reaffirming: Creating (100%), helping (94%), and organizing (89%).
  • Surprising: Persuading (89%).
• Example 2
  • Building (100%) aligns with physical activities.
  • Dislikes many tasks.
  • Important to know what you dislike as well as what you like. This is a normal discovery while going through multiple jobs in your life.
• Example 3
  • Likes everything; open to trying new things.
  • Highest score: Persuading (teaching, leading).
  • Surprising: Building (fixing, technology).
  • Lowest: Helping (9%).
• Example 4
  • Creating (100%).
  • Second Highest: Building (97%) - enjoys building furniture.
  • Persuading (97%).
  • Least: Helping people with thinking/problem-solving.
• Example 5
  • Very creative (100%).
  • Low in other areas.
  • Just because you don't enjoy something doesn't mean you aren't good at it.
  • Seek a career you enjoy waking up to every day.

Using Results for Placement

• Email results to managers.
• Helps in matching employees with projects aligned with their strengths and interests.
• Useful for building resumes.

Adapting to Less Desirable Tasks

• Incorporate enjoyable elements into less desirable tasks.
• Example: Teaching physics with hula hooping to engage children.
• Anybody can be a teacher if you're teaching someone something you really enjoy. Focus on what the student enjoys as well.

Skills

• Lesson Planning.

Centripetal Force

• Hula Hooping.

Career Exploration Activity

• Independent study using a handout with labeled circles.
• Instructions:
  1. Write your major (or intended major if undeclared) in the center.
  2. Fill the circles with:
     • Closely related careers.
     • New or interesting careers to explore.
     • Careers using transferable skills.
     • Peer-suggested ideas.
     • Far-out ideas.

Example

• Major: Sociology and Early Childhood Education.
  • Closely related: Elementary school teacher, summer camp counselor.
  • New/Interesting: Workshop facilitator, curriculum designer.
  • Far Out: Project manager, nature-based educator, international humanitarian, children's media consultant.
  • Say 'Yes' to opportunities.