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Your Internal Career Design6

• Explain why you need tomake a career decisionnow.

• Describe the decision-making process.

• Identify the benefits ofmaking a good careerdecision.

• Examine possible careerdecisions.

• Choose your InternalCareer Design.

• Create a plan to fulfillyour career decision.

•Monitor the progress andsuccess of the decision.

self-understanding

monitor

career maturity

career satisfaction

M atthew Nodro’s ideal careermust involve music. His

passions are playing the bassguitar and composing electronicmusic. However, Matthew isaware that in his future, he mostlikely will not be able to supporthimself with his music alone. Hewants work that will use hisability to compose music andwork with audio systems, and hewants some free time to work onhis own music. Matthew knowshe needs to make a career deci-sion now. He must plan foradditional education and train-ing after graduation. Matthewknows that his counselor,Ms. Beckner, can help him.

When Matthew and his coun-selor discuss his career options,Ms. Beckner introduces him toa step-by-step decision-makingprocess. The process can helphim find a career path—one thatwill allow him to use his creati-vity and follow hispassion formusic. Shegives

Matthew an ability assessment.The results indicate that Matthewwould likely excel at working intechnology. Audio production fitsas a career path. It also offers theflexible hours that would allowMatthew to pursue his music.After job shadowing, Matthewrealizes that he has the perfectwork values for audio produc-tion. He needs to concentrate andwork alone, personality traitsexcellent for that career path.

Matthew plans to investigateaudio engineering as a career andfurther develop his technologyskills. He will continue workingwith Ms. Beckner to find an idealcareer based on his passion formusic.

What do you know?How can you discover a career that isbased on your passions?

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Copyright 2008 Thomson Learning, Inc. All Rights Reserved. May not be copied, scanned, or duplicated, in whole or in part.

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Understand That You Needto Decide NowBy now, you realize that career planning ismore than thinking about what you want todo when you grow up. You thought aboutthe influences on you as you made careerchoice and explored assessments. Youconsidered workplace and workforce trendsand looked at how workforce diversity andthe global marketplace have expanded yourcareer options. You realize that careerplanning involves more than taking aninterest inventory.

In your classes and activities, you aremastering skill sets that give you flexibilityin pursuing various careers. Now you canbegin developing the specialized skillsneeded for a specific career. The time isright for you to choose your career and todecide the direction your career will take.

The secret to choosing a satisfying careeris to make your choice based on your talents,your passions, and your personal goals. Thenyoumust develop and followa plan. Planningallows you to be in charge of your career.

Rather than going through life waitingfor the right career to find you, you canplan a career that will give you satisfaction.The time is right for deciding your careerdirection and for designing your plan.

Activity 6-1, ‘‘Nine Boxes of Life,’’ re-

views the important aspects of your life.

The Decision-Making ProcessThrowing a dart at a list is not the way tochoose a career. You need an organized,logical method to make an informed careerdecision. The following decision-makingprocess can help you discover your InternalCareer Design, the ideal career for you.

1. Understand that you must make adecision. Choosing a career nowallows you to focus on your educationand skill training. It is much better todecide something now than do nothing.You can select activities and classesthat will help you prepare for yourfuture career success. Your decisionwill give you a head start in preparingfor the eight to ten careers you likelywill have during your lifetime.

2. Identify the benefits of making agood decision. By following yourP*A*T*H to Success, you can choose acareer created by your passions, atti-tude, talents, and heart. Choosing acareer based on your P*A*T*H andyour ideal lifestyle, as well as yourclimate and community preferences, islikely to provide you with satisfactionin both your work and personal life.

3. Consider all possible decisions. Lookat each career cluster. The clustersshow some of the possible careers in afield. Look carefully at the passions,attitude, talents, and heart associatedwith each cluster. You then can selectthe cluster that matches your P*A*T*H.Do not rush into a decision. Answerquestions such as these: Am I passion-ate about the career? Can I succeed inthe courses needed for the careerslisted in the cluster? What are thepositives and negatives of the cluster?of the careers?

4. Make a decision. Select the careercluster that best matches your P*A*T*Hto Success. Then identify one or twocareers within the cluster that areclosest to your passions, attitude, tal-ents, and heart and that match yourlifestyle preferences. Consider the

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Making your career plan now helps guide your future.

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education and training needed.Although you will change throughoutyour life, your passions and talents—and your Internal Career Design—arenot likely to change.

5. Create a plan to carry out your deci-sion. Your plan will outline your goals.The plan will include the steps neces-sary to achieve your goals. Your planwill help keep you on track. It will showhow each step takes you closer to yourcareer goal.

6. Monitor the success of your decision.Check your plan and your progressregularly to make sure you are ontrack. That way if you need to makeany changes in your decision or in thesteps necessary to carry out your deci-sion, you can modify your plan beforeyou go too far in the wrong direction.

Activity 6-2, ‘‘Decision-aking Process,’’

checks your understanding of the steps

for making a decision.

Identify the Benefits of a GoodCareer DecisionIf you enjoy your career, you will have asense of accomplishment and live a moresatisfied life. You will see a career not onlyas a way to earn money, but also as animportant, positive part of your life.

To have a fulfilling career, base yourchoice on your P*A*T*H to Success. Eachpart of the P*A*T*H to Success is importantin discovering your ideal career.

• Passion is what you feel when some-thing fascinates you. Your passion iswhat made you happy as a child. It iswhat you love to do now. You neverobject to spending time on your passion.

• Attitude is an emotion. A positive atti-tude will make you feel as though youcan accomplish anything.

• Talents are those abilities that allow youto do something well. The satisfaction ofworking in a career field that matchesyour talents will encourage you. It willadvance your career and help youexplore new challenges.

• Heart refers to what you feel is impor-tant about a career. Being happy isencouraging. Your life feels more worth-while than if you work in a career that isnot a good fit for you.

What important decisions have you made inyour life? What steps did you use to makethose decisions?

Chart your P*A*T*H to Success to discoveryour Internal Career Design. Your passions,attitude, talents, and heart will guide you asyou begin your career journey.

Uncertainty makes Matthew Nodro feeldiscouraged. Many of his friends havechosen a career direction already. Aftertalking to his counselor again, Matthewrealizes that he will focus more on acareer path if he links his choice with hisP*A*T*H to Success. His course schedulewill relate directly to his career. Matthewbelieves his future will be clearer after hemakes a career decision.

Matthew charts his P*A*T*H to Suc-cess, including his passions, attitude,talents, and heart. He also lists his ideallifestyle and climate and communitypreferences for a more satisfying life.After he completes his chart, shown inIllustration 6-1 on page 90, Matthewrealizes he is feeling better. He knows heis on his way to finding a career that willallow him to enjoy his passions.

Use Activity 6-3, ‘‘Charting the Course,’’

to list your P*A*T*H to Success results

from earlier chapters.

Chapter 6 Your Internal Career Design 89


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Consider All Possible CareerDecisionsHow do you choose a career? Should youtake the advice of other people? Sometimeslistening to others is confusing. Some peo-ple may tell you that the future is uncertainso you should be cautious. Others will tellyou to take risks. Some people may adviseyou to go to college. Others may recom-mend finding a job as soon as possibleafter high school. This time of your life issupposed to be exciting because you haveso many options. However, sometimeshaving so many options is the problem.

So how do you choose a career? Beginby exploring many career possibilities.Consider everything. You may surprise

yourself on how well you match careerareas you had not even considered.

The Starting Point for Your DecisionYou can make an informed career decision.But first, you need to understand yourself.You must accept your qualities, both pos-itive and negative. You want to base yourdecision on your passions, talents, andvalues.

Career Success TipThe career path you choose will affect

all aspects of your life—your life outside

your work as well as the work you do. You

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Illustration 6-1: Matthew Nodro’s Chart

Passion (Interests) Doing creative work

Composing and playing music

Working with technology

Reading

Attitude (Personality) Artistic

Sensory

Precise

Talents (Skills/Strengths) Verbal communication skills

Ability to compose music

Writing ability

Ability to play music

Heart (Values) Likes to work alone

Is thoughtful and modest

Considers family important

Ideal Lifestyle and Climateand Community Preferences

Prefers solitary workplace

Must live in or have mountains nearby

Prefers location that is close to city orvery isolated



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Self-UnderstandingYou need to achieve self-understanding , atrue knowledge about yourself. Achievingself-understanding is not easy. You mayhave more knowledge about a friend or afamily member than you do about yourself.You cannot select the right career if you donot know yourself. Self-understandingsounds easy. After all, who spends moretime with you than you? However, self-understanding means more than identify-ing your positives and negatives. True self-understanding means working to build onyour strengths and to improve your weak-nesses. You need to know both to haveinsight into the best career area for you.

What are your strengths? What weaknessesdo you need to change?

Assessment ResultsIn previous chapters, you considered manyfactors that influence your career decision.The advice you received and the results ofthe assessments are guides that can helpyou discover your career area match.Explore various career options throughinformal assessments such as informa-tional interviews, job shadowing activities,internships, and service learning projects.You should gain additional insights.

When you believe you have a goodunderstanding of your P*A*T*H to Success,you can match your assessment results andyour experiences to career cluster descrip-tions. After you choose a career cluster,additional informal assessment experienceswill help you make sure that the cluster andcareers you have chosen are right for you.Your Internal Career Design depends oneverything that makes you unique.

Career ClustersA career cluster is a group of careers in onebroad area. Under the umbrella of eachcareer cluster are many different typesof careers. For example, the Arts, A/V

Technology, and Communications clusterincludes web designers, graphic artists,television producers, sculptors, architects,entertainers, and broadcasters. Althoughthose careers seem very different at first,they have some common interest and skillrequirements. Also, many of the peoplewhose careers are in the same cluster sharecertain personality traits. However, careersin a career cluster vary in the amount ofeducation and training needed, the worksetting, and other factors.

Career FactPhil Knight, cofounder of a new athletic

shoe company, was teaching an account-

ing class in 1971 at Portland State Univer-

sity in Oregon. There he met Carolyn

Davidson, a graphic design student,

who was drawing in the hallway. Phil

asked her to do some design work for him.

Fresh out of school, Carolyn created the

‘‘swoosh’’ and submitted her bill for $35.

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Now that you have begun to discoveryour Internal Career Design, you need toanalyze the career clusters to find thecareer path that most suits you. Illustra-tion 6-2 on pages 92–95 describes thecharacteristics of the 16 career clusters. Thecharts list a few career options for eachcluster. As you study each cluster, look firstfor your passions. Your passions will leadyou along the path to your ideal career.Next, think about your attitude, talents, andheart. Explore some of the careers listed, aswell as others, by using the tools in the NETBookmark on page 99.

Before accepting or rejecting a cluster,review all of its characteristics. Think abouthow its traits compare to your traits. Lookat all of the career clusters before youchoose one. You may find that your bestmatch is with a cluster you did not expect.

The Case Challenges give you practice

matching career clusters to people

described in each case study.



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Passions• Planning and organizing

• Working with hands or using technology

• Working outdoors and/or with animals

Attitude• High energy

• Common sense

Talents• Technology skills

• Problem-solving ability

• Math and science ability

Heart• Likes to work independently

• Likes to learn how systems work

Some Career Areas to Consider• Park ranger

• Meteorologist

• Veterinarian

Passions• Working with hands

• Designing or building

• Working with tools

Attitude• Self-motivated

• Detail-oriented

Talents• Mechanical ability

• Math and science ability

• Thinking skills

Heart• Likes to work with people

• Needs standards and rules

Some Career Areas to Consider• Electrician

• Contractor

• Architect

Passions• Being creative and original

• Using music, art, drama, or writing

• Applying technology

Attitude• Persistent

• Creative and unique

Talents• Innovative style

• Technical and mechanical ability

• Art, music, drama, or writing ability

Heart• Likes to create original ideas or objects

• Needs variety in activities

Some Career Areas to Consider• Graphic designer

• Journalist

Passions• Creating order

• Knowing the proper procedures

and standards

• Valuing consistency

Attitude• Organized

• Honest, dependable, and responsible

Talents• High energy level

• Good with words

• Organizing and leading ability

Heart• Likes to work with people

• Likes to coordinate projects

Some Career Areas to Consider• Administrative assistant

• Human resources manager

Illustration 6-2: Career Clusters



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Passions• Interacting with others

• Leading or teaching

• Understanding others’ needs

Attitude• Caring

• Outgoing

Talents• Ability to work with all types of people

• Planning and organizing ability

• Good verbal skills

Heart• Likes to help people

• Likes to work closely with others

Some Career Areas to Consider• Childcare worker

• Media specialist

• Teacher

Passions• Finding solutions to problems

• Working with math

• Respecting ethics

Attitude• Detail-oriented

• Logical thinker

Talents• Record keeping skills

• Ability to handle money with accuracy

• Calm under pressure

Heart• Prefers working inside

• Is admired by others

Some Career Areas to Consider• Bank teller

• Stockbroker

• Financial planner

Passions• Working with people

• Solving problems

• Helping others

Attitude• People-oriented

• Caring

Talents• Ability to speak in public

• Communication skills

• Ability to lead and facilitate

Heart• Likes to improve how things work

• Likes to communicatewith all types of people

Some Career Areas to Consider• Postal worker

• City planner


• Using math, science, and technology

• Researching and investigating

Attitude• Caring

• Sensitive

Talents• Excellent memory

• Ability to adapt to all kinds of people

• Detail-oriented

Heart• Likes to solve problems

• Values wellness activities

Some Career Areas to Consider• Physical therapist’s assistant

• Paramedic

Illustration 6-2: Career Clusters (continued)



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Passions• Planning and organizing

• Meeting new people

• Influencing others’ decisions

Attitude• Sociable

• Dependable

Talents• Ability to work with people

• Outgoing personality

• Communication skills

Heart• Likes detailed projects

• Likes to travel

Some Career Areas to Consider• Restaurant server

• Chef

• Hotel manager


• Fascinated with human nature

• Helping others

Attitude• Dependable

• Respected by others

Talents• Communication skills

• Ability to work with all types of people

• Understanding of human nature

Heart• Wants to understand others’ situations

• Wants to make things better for others

Some Career Areas to Consider• Cosmetologist

• Social worker

• Psychologist

Passions• Solving problems

• Trying new technology

• Improving how things work

Attitude• Analytical

• Curious

Talents• Ability to work with technology

• Scientific-minded

• Detail-oriented

Heart• Likes to work alone

• Likes challenge of solving problems

Some Career Areas to Consider• Multimedia producer

• Technical writer

Passions• Solving problems

• Working with details

• Helping people

Attitude• Confident

• Analytical

Talents• Ability to relate to many types of people

• Ability to communicate by writing and

speaking

• Ability to make quick decisions

Heart• Is trustworthy

• Is caring

Some Career Areas to Consider• Firefighter

• Lawyer




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Passions• Putting things together

• Repairing equipment

• Making decisions

Attitude• Precise

• Logical

Talents• Problem-solving ability

• Math, science, and technology ability

• Ability to imagine a final product

Heart• Likes to work with hands

• Likes to be accurate

Some Career Areas to Consider• Machinist

• Welder

• Production engineer

Passions• Organizing projects

• Seeing the big picture

• Working with details

Attitude• Outgoing

• Organized

Talents• Communication skills

• Sociable

• Leadership abilities

Heart• Likes to interact with people

• Likes to study people and trends

Some Career Areas to Consider• Retail associate

• Buyer

• Advertising manager

Passions• Building and repairing things

• Working with tools

• Working with hands

Attitude• Curious

• Quiet

Talents• Math, science, and technology ability

• Problem-solving ability

• Mechanical ability

Heart• Likes to work alone

• Likes to investigate the ‘‘why’’ of things

Some Career Areas to Consider• Biotechnology lab assistant

• Crime scene analyst

Passions• Driving or working on vehicles

and equipment

• Analyzing problems

• Working with hands

Attitude• Individualistic

• Practical

Talents• Belief in oneself

• Detail-oriented

• Mechanical ability

Heart• Takes pride in accomplishments

• Is calm under pressure

Some Career Areas to Consider• Pilot

• Logistics analyst




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Make a Decision to Create YourInternal Career DesignAfter you consider each career cluster,decide which one is the best match for you.Next, explore various careers within thecluster you chose. You can select the careerthat suits your unique qualities.

When he analyzes the career clusters,Matthew Nodro knows that he shoulddisregard clusters that require strongmath and science skills. Matthew doeswell in those subjects. However, he doesnot want to use them every day. Hismusic requires creative mathematicalknowledge.

Matthew’s passion for music andtechnology point to a career in the Arts,

A/V Technology, and Communicationscareer cluster. Matthew uses a checklist,shown in Illustration 6-3, and hisP*A*T*H to Success to make sure hischoice is right for him.

Matthew likes to work alone, exceptwhen he performs. His work valuesassessment shows the same results.Many careers in the Arts, A/V Technol-ogy, and Communications cluster fitMatthew’s ideal workplace.

Create questions using the P*A*T*H toSuccess traits for each career cluster. If youanswer yes to most of the questions, likeMatthew, the cluster is a good match foryou. Check the P*A*T*H traits. The morecheck marks you have, the more likely thecluster is a good match for you.

GIS and Forestry Services Management

Wade Cachagee has several passions.One is his love of his tribe. He is a memberof the Chapleau Cree First Nation. A FirstNation tribe is an original native of Can-ada. Since he was 11 years old, Wade hasenjoyed new technologies and business.So Wade followed his interests by workingas an electrical apprentice while complet-ing a diploma program in GeographicInformation Systems (GIS). Wade returnedto his home, Fox Lake Indian reserve, andstarted his company, CREE-TECH. It offersGIS services to assist in managing naturalresources.CREE-TECH uses GIS to study native

land use and to offer forestry services.Using GIS, Wade maps sacred areas and

employs peoplefrom his commu-nity. But Wadeknew his agewas a limitation.

To help with forestry skills, he teamed upwith Kevin Lindquist, a Registered Profes-sional Forester who serves as CREE-TECH’s general manager.

What is in the future forGIS? It is a fast-growingnew technology.Few people haveGIS experience.Wade’s sugges-tion? ‘‘Mostgeography teach-ers should knowabout GIS andwhat fields theymesh well with.’’ Ask them!

For more information about:

• CREE-TECH

• GIS

access www.thomsonedu.com/school/iycand click the appropriate links.

Source: http://careerpronews.bridges.com/explorer/browse/se/gisforestry/main.htm; www.creetech.com

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Illustration 6-3: Matthew Nodro’s Checklist

ARTS, A/V TECHNOLOGY, & COMMUNICATIONS CLUSTER CHECKLIST

• Do you use audio and video technology?

• Is sharing information one of your passions?

• Do your talents include creativity, imagination,and originality?

• Do you prefer expressing yourself in art, music,photography, graphic media, audio, or writing?

• Is performing your preference?

• Do you like to communicate ideas?

Answer yes or no.YesNoYes

Yes

YesYes

Passions (Interests)

• Playing or performing a musical instrument

• Being creative and original

• Using imagination

• Using music in artistic activities

• Sharing information and ideas

Check P*A*T*H matches.

HHHH

Attitude (Personality)

• Self-motivated

• Sensitive

• Persistent

• Creative and unique

HHHH

Talents (Skills/Strengths)

• Innovative style

• Knowledgeable about latest technology

• Art, music, drama, or writing ability

• Gift for recognizing details in surroundings,including colors and shapes

HHHH

Heart (Values)

• Likes to create original ideas or objects

• Likes to make beautiful things

• Likes to work alone

• Needs variety in activities

HHHH



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Career Success TipWhen someone gives you career advice,

a good response is ‘‘I appreciate your

feedback, and I’ll consider your sugges-

tions.’’ That polite reply is especially

useful when you know that the career

mentioned is not a good fit for you.7

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You may find part of one career cluster thatclosely matches you and another clusterthat fits a different part of you. If so, yourbest option may be to choose a careerdirectly related to one career cluster withsome characteristics of another cluster.

Jo Ann’s passions are working outdoorswith plants and working directly withpeople. Her interest inventory and workvalues assessment supported her pas-sions. Her personality assessmentshowed that she is very thorough. Herability assessment showed that she hasknowledge in science and psychology, aswell as writing skills. She also loves tosolve problems. Jo Ann analyzed all ofthe career clusters. She believes theAgriculture, Food, and Natural Resour-ces career cluster may be the best fit forher P*A*T*H to Success.

Jo Ann knows she will not consider acareer in farming or forestry, but shewants to explore landscape design. Sheplans to job shadow a landscape archi-tect. She knows she would enjoy a careerin landscaping, but she is concerned shewould not be interacting with otherpeople enough. So Jo Ann also is think-ing about teaching landscaping. TheAgriculture, Food, and Natural Re-sources cluster would be her primarycareer cluster. She wants to share herpassion for plants through the Educationand Training cluster. Together the twoclusters match her P*A*T*H to Success.

Careers often have characteristics frommore than one cluster and may cross twoor more clusters. For example, teaching is

in the Education and Training cluster.However, the teacher’s subject matter maybe included in another cluster. An engi-neering career also can cross into manyclusters, such as an environmental engineeror a civil (construction) engineer. If yourcareer choice crosses clusters, your primarycareer cluster will be the one that bestmatches your P*A*T*H to Success.

In Activity 6-4, ‘‘Choosing Your Career

Cluster,’’ you use checklists similar to

the one in Illustration 6-3. The checklist

helps you find your best match for your

P*A*T*H to Success.

Create a PlanDeciding on the career cluster for yourInternal Career Design is the beginning ofyour career journey. Next, you will researchthe different aspects of the cluster. Thenyou will explore one or two careers further.After your research, you will need to eval-uate the careers. When you are confidentyou have made the right decision, you willcreate a plan and goals to guide you on yourcareer journey.

The Next StepThe career cluster you chose is the bestmatch to your P*A*T*H to Success—yourpassions, attitude, talents, and heart. Nowyou should research some careers thatinterest you. Your research will give youinformation to narrow your career choiceswithin your career cluster. You also canfocus your education and training. You willneed to do the following:

• Research the workforce and workplacetrends that influence your career. Aninvestigation into trends gives a view ofthe future. That view helps you predicthowyour chosen careermay change in thenext 10 to 15 years. The NET Bookmarkson page 61 and on the next page providemany web sites for your exploration.



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• Investigate earnings and possibilities foradvancement in your career area. Theamount of money you earn will influenceyour lifestyle research. Whether youdevelop your talents affects your careersatisfaction. Explore several careerswithin your career cluster.

• Look into the education and trainingneeded for entry-level and higher-levelpositions. You need to know what edu-cation and training will qualify you foryour career match.

Researching your career cluster willgive you the information you need toset your career planning goals in

Chapter 7.Access www.thomsonedu.com/school/

iyc and click the link for Chapter 6. The NETBookmark links are web sites to help you startyour research. Find the following informationabout each career:

• Description of the work

• Similar skill sets among the careersresearched

• Working conditions

• Education and training requirements

• Expected earnings, including starting salary

• Future trends for the career

• Workplace and/or workforce trends thatmay affect the career. For example,could this career be offshored?

In addition, you need to make an inventoryof your skills. Many of your skills will be anasset for several careers and will transferacross career clusters. Identify the skill setsyou have now. Add to your inventory asyou acquire new skills. Include records ofsituations in which you have used your skillsets effectively. For example, keep copies oftest scores, photos of work, and outstand-ing papers in your Career Portfolio Builder.

You will want to begin making a list ofyour specialized skills. This list will includethe different equipment, technology, andtalents you have that will help you work andadvance in specific careers. Your researchinto various careers should identify spe-cialized skills you will need in the future foryour chosen career. Starting early will giveyou a head start on your career journey.

Matthew Nodro researched the Arts, A/VTechnology, and Communication careercluster. In particular, he looked at musicand audio production careers. Matthewalready knows performing music is not away that many people earn a living.However, he has music skills other thanperforming. He can write music andlyrics. Matthew also knows that today’smusic composers use technology to cre-ate music. Learning audio productionwill enhance Matthew’s ability to createand produce quality music. His research

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confirms that those trends will continuein the future. Matthew keeps records ofthe technology he knows how to use. Healso has audio and written samples of hiscompositions and lyrics.

In addition to researching a musiccareer composing music, Matthewresearched a career in audio production.His career assessment showed that hecould excel in technology, and he hasdecided to investigate that career area.He researched the need for music com-posers and audio engineers in the NewOrleans area, where he eventually wantsto live. Because Matthew needs to planhis education and training, he researchedschools in his hometown and in NewOrleans. Matthew hopes to be able toconcentrate solely on his own musicsome day. For now, he is happy to havefound a career path that will allow him todevelop his passions.

‘‘‘‘People may try to talk you out of your

dream career, but you have to shut out

those voices and go with your gut.’’

—Maria Shriver, Author,,Evaluate Your Career DecisionYour research will help you evaluate yourcareer decision. You need to make sure thatyour career meets your expectations. Askyourself the following questions about thecareer cluster and the careers you havechosen:

• Will you find pure enjoyment in thecareer?

• Is the product or service needed andrespected?

• Will you respect the kinds of peopleworking in the career area?

• Will you value the work your careerinvolves?

• Will you have opportunities for personalgrowth? Have you planned your careerpath beyond an entry-level position?

• Does the career have the work environ-ment that is best for you?

• Will you have the contact with peoplethat matches your work values, such asworking alone, interacting with people,or helping others?

• Will you make enough money to supportyour desired lifestyle?

• Will you have enough leisure time tospend with family and on activities?

• Will you be able to live in the area youwant while working in this career?

• Are you aware of the challenges you maycome across in your career? Do youknow solutions to some of thosebarriers?

By answering yes to most of those ques-tions, you know you have chosen the careercluster and career well matched for you. Ifyou have two or more negative answers,you may need to investigate another careeror another career cluster.

Set GoalsAfter you research and evaluate your clus-ter and your chosen career, you can beginto set goals and create a plan to achieveyour goals. You may have some goals inplace already. If so, you are moving rightalong. If not, you can focus on the goalsnecessary to achieve your Internal CareerDesign.

By setting goals, you make sure yourclasses support your future career and meetyour graduation requirements. Your goalsmay include taking some electives in yourcareer area to find out whether the career isa good fit for you. Part-time jobs, jobshadowing, and the other informal careerassessments discussed in Chapter 3 helpyou sample a career too. Those activitiesalso help you develop skills that supportyour career goal.

Setting goals and creating a plan are thenext steps for your career journey, the stepsthat will guide you toward making yourdreams realities. In Chapter 7, you use the



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information from this chapter and fromyour Career Portfolio Builder to set goals.You also will create timelines to help youcomplete your goals.

In Activity 6-5, ‘‘Inventorying Your

Skills,’’ you list your current skills for

future career decisions.

Monitor the Successof Your DecisionThe career you choose now is probably thefirst of eight to ten careers you will haveduring your lifetime. Basing your firstchoice on your P*A*T*H builds a firm basefor all of your later career choices. Youmust evaluate your career plan periodicallyto know if you are on the right track.

‘‘‘‘When I was growing up, I always wanted

to be somebody. Now I wish I had been

more specific.’’

—Lily Tomlin, Writer, Comedian,,Your Career Portfolio BuilderYour Career Portfolio Builder containspapers and other items important to yourcareer choice and career path. Besidesincluding the results from specific activitiesin this book (those marked with the Port-folio icon), you should include:

• Records of accomplishments, such ascertificates, badges, and letters.

• Newspaper articles, programs, and bro-chures about your activities. If yourname does not appear in the document,keep it anyway. Use a sticky note to writea brief description of your participation.

• Photos of projects and achievements.

• Letters about your activities andachievements.

• Copies of anything showing your specialqualities, such as drawings, test scores,and assignments.

• Samples of your work saved electroni-cally on a CD or DVD; for example, amusic CD, scanned drawings, computerfiles, and a project demonstration.

Your school may offer each student accessto a web-based career-planning systemsimilar to the Career Portfolio Builder.Take the opportunity to use it by collectingthe items listed above and storing themelectronically.

Why should you save those items inyour Career Portfolio Builder? They areevidence of your achievements. They helpyou remember what you have done. Keepyour folder up to date. Use it whenever youneed to explain your talents to others.Later you can use it for school admissionsand job searches. Your Career PortfolioBuilder also helps you plan your career.

�GettyIm

ages/PhotoDisc

Building a portfolio will help your P*A*T*H to Success.



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Check Your ProgressAfter you have made your career decisionand created your plan, you need to monitor,or keep track of, the success of your deci-sion. Checking your progress along yourcareer journey keeps you moving in theright direction. Review your progress fromtime to time.

1. Ask yourself the following questions:

• Does my career choice match mypassions?

• Do I feel positive about my careerchoice?

• Are my goals part of my plan?• Am I motivated to meet the time-

lines of my goals? Am I meeting thetimelines?

• Does my career decision still matchmy P*A*T*H to Success?

Chapter 7 provides you with the toolsto set goals, create Action Plans, anddevelop timelines for each Action Plan.

2. Analyze your answers to the questionsin Item 1. If you answer no to any ofthe questions, decide what you needto do to change your answer to yes.Perhaps you should change yourcareer choice.

If you discover that your career plan is nottaking you in the right direction, make a

change. You need to be flexible to adjust tonew experiences and situations. You mayneed courage to pursue the career of yourdreams. You may meet resistance fromsome of the people who influence you.However, you need to make your ownchoice.

Career FactA myth about career decision making is

that once you make a career choice, you

are stuck with that choice. Not at all.

Changing your decision does not limit

your options. Use this chapter’s activities

to look at other career clusters.7

7

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Career maturity is using the path youcreated to make an informed career deci-sion. With career maturity, you use self-knowledge and self-motivation to createyour Internal Career Design. When youcontinue on your P*A*T*H, you gain careersatisfaction from your career journey.Career satisfaction is the pleasure thatcomes from working in a career that allowsyou to use your passions.

Use Activity 6-6, ‘‘Learning from

Others,’’ to observe a career that inter-

ests you.



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Assessment Chapter 6

* Summary• I can explain why I need to make a

career decision now.Making a career decision now allows meto choose my courses, add to my skillsets, and increase my specialized skills.

• I can describe the decision-makingprocess.The decision-making process has sixsteps: (1) Understand that I must makea decision. (2) Identify the benefits ofmaking a good decision. (3) Consider allpossible decisions. (4) Make a decision.(5) Create a plan to carry outmy decision.(6) Monitor the success of my decision.

• I can identify the benefits of making agood career decision.My P*A*T*H to Success—my passions,attitude, talents, and heart—should bethe basis for my career. If I make acareer decision based on my P*A*T*H,I will benefit from having a satisfyingcareer.

• I can examine possible careerdecisions.The 16 career clusters are groups ofcareers that have common interestand skill requirements. I will study the16 career clusters for career possibili-ties. I will start with an understanding

of myself. I also will use my formal andinformal assessment results.

• I can choose my Internal CareerDesign.After looking at the questions andcharacteristics of each career cluster, Ican choose the cluster that best matchesmy P*A*T*H to Success. Although somecareers seem to span two clusters, onecluster will be my primary careercluster.

• I can create a plan to carry out mycareer decision.I will research and evaluate possiblecareers in my chosen career cluster tonarrow my choices. The choice will giveme focus for my education and training.I will be able to set goals and create aplan for my career journey.

• I will monitor the success of mydecision.To help with my planning, I will orga-nize the contents of my Career PortfolioBuilder. The folder contains evidence ofmy achievements. I will be able to reviewmy career path. I know how to check mycareer progress periodically to makesure I am headed in the right directionfor career satisfaction.



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* Vocabulary BuilderChoose the term that best fits thedefinition.

a. career maturity

b. career satisfaction

c. monitor

d. self-understanding

1. True knowledge about yourself

2. The pleasure you get when working ina career that allows you to use yourpassions

3. Knowledge for your specific occupa-tion that you gain by using the stepsto career decision making

4. To keep track of the success of yourdecisions

* Review What You Have Learned1. Why is it so important to start your

career decision making now?

2. Describe the six steps of the decision-making process.

3. What important decisions have youmade in your life? How could youhave used or how did you use the sixdecision-making steps to make yourdecisions?

4. How is your P*A*T*H important inmaking your career decision?

5. Why is self-understanding importantwhen choosing a career? Describesomeone who made a career decisionbased on self-understanding.

6. How do you use your assessmentresults to choose a career?

7. Explain the process of matching yourself-understanding to choosing a careercluster.

8. How can one career cross two or morecareer clusters?

9. What do you need to know about yourfuture career before you can set goalsand plan your career journey?

10. Describe two ways you can researchcareers to narrow your choices.

11. How can you make sure you are onyour P*A*T*H to Success?

12. Describe someone who has achievedcareer maturity. How did he or sheachieve career maturity?

13. What is career satisfaction? Why is itimportant? Describe someone who issatisfied with his or her career.



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* ActivitiesActivity 6-1 Nine Boxes of Life

Writing down what is mostimportant in your life helps youunderstand why it is important to

plan your career now. This activity willhelp you discover your priorities.

1. Print the form from the Activity CD.

2. Inside each of the nine boxes, write oneof the nine most important things inyour life.

3. Number the boxes from 1 to 9 to showwhat is most important in your life.(Number 1 is the most important, andnumber 9 is the least important.)

4. Number the boxes from 1 to 9 again,using a different color pen. This timenumber the boxes to show how youspend most of your time right now.(Number 1 is the most time, andnumber 9 is the least time.)

5. Compare the results from each set ofboxes. What did you learn from thisactivity? You should be spending moretime on what is most important to you.

Activity 6-2 Decision-MakingProcess

Working in small groups,choose one of the followingtopics. Use the decision-

making process on pages 88–89 to makea decision as a group. Write an explana-tion of the steps your group used to makeits decision.

1. Class song

2. Theme of the end-of-the-yearcelebration

3. Best way to save money for vacation

4. A fund-raiser to cut the costs of theclass trip during spring break

5. Outstanding service learning projects

Activity 6-3 Charting the CoursePrint the chart for this activityfrom the Activity CD. Record onthe chart the following results

from your Career Portfolio Builder:

• Passions (Interests): List the Interestresults from Activity 3-2.

• Attitude (Personality): List the Person-ality results from the first part of theNET Bookmark, Chapter 3, page 37.

• Talents (Skills/Strengths): List theStrengths results from Activity 1-3 andthe Ability results from Activity 3-2,Item 2.

• Heart (Values): List the Values resultsfrom the second NET Bookmark inChapter 2, page 25, and the Motivationresults from Activity 2-4.

• Ideal Lifestyle and Climate and Com-munity Preferences: List the resultsfrom the first NET Bookmark inChapter 2, page 24.

The results of the chart will help you find thecareer cluster that fits you best inActivity 6-4.

Activity 6-4 Choosing Your CareerCluster

Print the 16 career cluster chartsfor this activity from the ActivityCD. Answer each of the questions

yes or no. Put check marks by theP*A*T*H traits that match the resultsyou charted in Activity 6-3. Use theresults from the charts to evaluate thecareer cluster that is the best fit for you.

1. Which cluster is your best match? Why?

2. What other clusters also are goodmatches? Why?

3. List two or three careers you want toexplore in your primary career cluster.



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Activity 6-5 Inventorying YourSkills

On the chart from the Activity CD,list your current skills andcareers that may use those skills.

1. In the top left column, list your currenttransferable skills. Those skills cantransfer from one career to another.

2. In the top right column, list careersthat use the skill sets.

3. In the bottom left column, list anyspecialized skills that will help you ina specific career area.

4. In the bottom right column, list careersthat may use the specialized skills.

5. Update this list regularly to help you setgoals and plan your career journey.

Activity 6-6 Learning from OthersVisit someone who is working inyour career cluster choice. Jobshadow the person during the

working day. Your teachers or familymembers can help you find someone.

1. Before you go, write a list of questionsto ask the person about daily careerlife. Include questions that address thecareer goals of the person. Also usequestions similar to those on page 100.

2. Share your information with the classwhen you return.

* Case ChallengesIn small groups, discuss eachcase study. Decide whichcareer cluster best fits each

person. Each case study describes aperson’s P*A*T*H to Success. List at leastthree careers the person might choose.Include the reasons for your decisions.There are no right or wrong answers.

1. Jason is a sensitive person. He observescarefully so he can re-create his sur-roundings using his imagination. Jasonneeds to be alone to absorb the impactof everything he experiences. He feelsthe need to express the meaning of hisobservations in creative ways.

2. As a child, Maya would follow her fatheraround the garden. When she was older,Maya learned that soils need certainminerals to produce healthy plants.Maya’s passion led her to experimentwith creating different types of plants.

3. When a group at school needs a hardworker, someone usually calls Will. Healways is able to help. In the midst ofchaos, Will is calm. He can findsolutions to problems. No one was

surprised to learn that Will is a mem-ber of the Explorers and helps the firedepartment’s emergency team.

4. Lauren picked the members of theGraduation Dance Committee to makesure that everyone would work on theevent. Lauren’s time line of activitiescovered every detail. She knew that thisyear’s dance would be the best one inmany years.

5. As a child, Sameer’s favorite birthdaygift was a box of interconnecting build-ing pieces. Sameer began drawing hiscreations before building them. Analyz-ing the curve of a bridge or the height ofa tower tested Sameer’s problem-solvingabilities. He just learned how to drawhis plans on the computer.

6. Nieca gets along with everyone. Shenever is accused of playing favorites.Groups choose her as their leaderbecause she is able to get the membersto work together. Nieca has the patienceto listen to everyone’s opinion. Sheinspires everyone to think through allideas before making a decision.



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