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Strategy #3 in Finding a New Career

posted by Penny Loretto
Aug 5

PennyThis week we are talking about the strategies for finding a  new career.  On Monday we discussed self-assessment and yesterday career exploration.  Today is about Strategy # 3 – decision making.

#3 Strategy – Decision Making

Decision-making can be one of the most difficult steps in the career planning process.  Finding out more about yourself by doing a thorough self-assessment and then engaging in some career exploration is definitely different than taking this information and coming up with a career decision. Since there are often some conflicts in this part of the process, it’s important to have an objective party to bounce your ideas off of.

Many people freeze at this stage of the process since there are often still many unknowns and very often there’s a fear of making the wrong decision.  The key to making a career decision is to take the first two steps into consideration and make a decision based on these results. Also, it’s important to realize that decisions can be changed so making a bad decision is better than making no decision at all.

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Strategy #2 for Finding a New Career

posted by Penny Loretto
Aug 4

PennyYesterday I discussed the first strategy for finding a new career – self assessment. Today’s focus and the #2 strategy is on career exploration.

#2 Strategy: Career Exploration

Career exploration is a fundamental step in the career planning process. This step can be the most time consuming of all four steps but can also be considered to be the most rewarding since we will be working on identifying new opportunities and career options that meet your personal career goals. In addition to researching career options, getting an insider’s perspective about different careers can be extremely helpful. Informational interviewing, job shadowing, and internships are all excellent ways to learn more about the jobs you are considering.

At Career Choice a good deal of time is spent on helping clients explore their career options. After completing the self-assessment phase in the career planning process, we will then branch out and learn more about the various careers available that match your individual interests, values, and personality.  This is a very exciting part of career planning. I usually recommend that we begin with brainstorming – the sky’s the limit – and then we will begin to work on identifying our dreams versus our current reality.

Tomorrow I will discuss the #3 strategy – decision making.

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Strategy #1 for Finding a New Career

posted by Penny Loretto
Aug 3

PennyThere’s a great deal of fear and pessimism going on in relation to people and their jobs today.  I know many people who have either lost their jobs due to company lay-offs or perhaps just live in fear of losing them; as well as those people who desperately wish to leave their jobs but are too afraid to quit in such an uncertain job market.  This week I’m going to be talking about “The Top Four Strategies for Finding a New Career.”

#1 Strategy: Self-Assessment

The first step in the career planning process is doing a complete self-assessment.  In order to get a job that meets your personal goals and expectations, you really need to know yourself well and understand what motivates you and makes you tick.  Learning about your interests, values, and personality will help you make a better career decision and find a job that more closely matches your unique individual qualities. It has long been understood that working in a job that closely meets your individual interests, values, and personality will ultimately make you a much happier and more successful person.

At Career Choice we work directly with you on completing reliable and valid assessments that are used by many career professionals in the field.  It’s important to use these types of assessments to get a true picture of who you are and discover what you need to make your life fulfilling and rewarding. Although a large number of career quizzes, tests, and assessments have popped up online over the course of the past several years, most career professionals do not recommend or endorse the majority of these online offerings and believe that many of them can be harmful or detrimental to individuals who are truly looking to better understand themselves.

Career Choice offers these assessments as part of a regular career counseling session or they can be administered via the internet after speaking with a career counselor.  Once the assessment is completed, a career counselor will interpret the results and go over them with you.  Have you ever wondered what career options are available that would make you happy and successful?   Do you wonder what people with similar interests are doing in their jobs?  By completing several career assessments, you will have a much better understanding of yourself and how to best use that knowledge to make a positive difference in your job and your life.

Tomorrow we will talk about Strategy #2 – Exploring Career Options.

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WELCOME TO OUR CAREER BLOG

posted by Penny Loretto
Jul 17

Penny-1I’d like to welcome you to Career Choice’s entry into the blogosphere. Although I’m not new to blogging, I wanted to make sure that this blog focused primarily on issues relating to career planning and decision-making,  the  job search process, and concerns and strategies for  making a career transition.

Career Choice was established in 2006 and after three years working with people in the throes of making a career transition plus ten years doing career counseling with college students and alumni, and twelve years working in Human Resources, this blog has been developed to assist individuals who are seeking assistance with the career development process and in answering the questions people often ask when deciding to make a career change.

Each week I will bring you information that is most asked about:

  1. Career Counseling & Career Assessments
  2. Career Planning & Decision-Making
  3. Career Transition & Return to Work Issues
  4. Effective Job Search & Interviewing Strategies
  5. Developing An Effective Resume & Cover Letter
  6. Creating A Healthy Life Balance

Please feel free to post your comments on your experiences with job searching and making a career transition. This blog has been developed for us to be able share information and assist each other in making positive career changes and maintaining a healthy life balance.

If you have recently been laid off or in fear of losing your job, please take a look at an excerpt from a article I recently wrote for the Employment Quarterly of the magazine Saratoga Today on “Strategies for Finding Jobs in a Tough Job Market”.

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