Career Planning & Goal SettingBy Carina N. Lindsey

Career Counseling Helps students develop attitudes for planning

their careers and for exploring careers. Helps students with self reflection Helps with restructuring their beliefs, Helps deepening their personalities to

answer the big question of “Who am I?”

Who Am I? Activity Form groups of 2 Ask these questions:

Who Am I? Who do I pretend to

be? Who I think you are?

Career Planning Most high school and college programs

for gifted students focus mainly on their academic needs.

Stages of Career Awareness and Maturity Decision making Development of identity Exploration

Career Awareness Additional Psychosocial issues

Asynchrony Early cognitive maturation Moral sensitivity Emotional giftedness Multipotentiality Perfectionalism Stress from high expectations of significant

others

Career Indecision Multipotentiality Lack of decision-making skills Pressure to make the perfect career

choice Delaying decision making about career

choices Frequent changes in majors

May result in being the professional student or disappointed college dropout.

Career Maturity

Gifted students are more certain of career choices earlier than other students

This may limit the further exploration of career possibilities.

Suggested Activities Job site visits Classroom speakers Job Shadowing Dress-up Day Career Portfolios Job/Career Fairs College Prep/

Recruiters Internships

Goal Setting Few gifted

students are good goal setters

Most do what they are told or what is expected of them

Goal Setting Guidelines Make your goals specific Keep goals realistic Include enjoyment among your goals Don’t set too many goals at once Be prepared to achieve some of your

goals but not all of them Revise goals as circumstances

change

Goal Setting Guidelines Be honest with yourself Trust your intuition Practice, Practice, Practice Share your goals with a friend Be prepared to hold fast to our

convictions Don’t compare yourself to anyone but

yourself.

Remember Guidance Counselors are not the only

adults responsible for career education for gifted students

Career Planning should start before high school

Students need time to explore and sort through their interests and abilities.

Holland Code Used in a variety of career assessments Occupational Codes:

Realistic :Things Investigative: Things and Ideals Artistic : Ideals and People Social: People Enterprising: Data and People Conventional: Data and Things

Group Activity Choose three careers that relate to

your Holland Code and your interests Research these Careers Present to the group your top

interests

References

• Neihart, M., Reis, S. M., Robinson, N. M., & Moon, S. M. (2002).The social and emotional development of gifted children. p.223- 235.

• Galbraith, J., Delise, J. (1996). The Gifted Kids’ Survival Guide. A Teen Handbook. p.84-89

• A Year of School Counseling. Youth Light, Inc. November: Career Development

• www.hollandcodes.com