Researching Your Career Field & Setting Goals

Rosemarie Sena Center Career Development Services

Seminar Agenda

Understand the EconomyHow to Begin Your ResearchResources (Where to look)

What is a Goal?SMART GoalsSetting GoalsHow Goals Fit into the Overall Job Search

Three Sectors of the Economy

Tax-Supported Sector

Non-Profit Sector

Profit-Making Sector

Tax-Supported Sector

Funded by federal, state, or local taxesHigh job security (usually)Discretion is limitedPay & benefits are goodLarge organizationsWork hours are predictable

Non-Profit Sector

Supported by private fundsLess job securityGreater discretion, varietyPay & benefits lowRelatively small organizationsWork hours may vary

Profit-Making Sector

Results-orientedHigher pay, better benefitsCompetitiveAll sizes of business & industryIncludes professions in private practice & entrepreneurs

More Information on the Labor Market and Jobs

Job Outlook and Salary Statistics: www.acinet.org (America’s Career InfoNet) www.bls.gov/oco/

(Occupational Outlook Handbook) www.vec.state.va.us/index.cfm

(Virginia Employment Commission)

Entry Level Jobs and Employers: www.collegegrad.com

Researching Industries and Companies: www.hoovers.com www.vault.com www.wetfeet.com

The Top 10 Job Web Sites (according to Quintcareers.com)

HotJobs.com

DirectEmployers.com

CollegeRecruiter.com

CareerBuilder.com

Monster.com

Job.com

Career.com

TrueCareers.com

CareerShop.com

Net-Temps.com

Getting Started – Beginning the Research

Process

Academic Focus Identifying careers related to my major

Field/Job Focus Identifying careers in a specific field or

industry (PR careers)

Geographic Focus Identifying careers in a certain place

Conducting Informational Interviews

Academic Focus

Job Opportunities for Business MajorsThe College Majors HandbookGreat Jobs for ___ MajorsMBC Guide to MajorsCareer NETWORK Directory

Field/Job Focus

Public Relations Career DirectoryJob Opportunities in Health and ScienceJob Opportunities in Engineering & Computer ScienceVacancy ListingsInternet Resources

Geographic Focus

How to Get a Job in Atlanta, New York City, Dallas/Ft. Worth, etc.?World Chamber of Commerce DirectoryCareer NETWORK – geographical indexInternet Resources – yellow pagesClassifieds (paper/on-line)City/State Vacancy Listings

Informational Interviews

Gather information regarding specific career fields and/or geographic areas by conducting an informal interview with friends, family, MBC alums, professors, Sena staff, supervisors, co-workers, etc.

What is a Goal?

A goal is an end toward which effort is directed.

SMART Goals

SMART goals ensure that all the necessary elements are included for creating effective goals.S-pecific (detailed, focused)M-easurable (quantifiable)A-ction-oriented (produce results)R-ealistic (achievable, possible, practical)T-ime & Resource-constrained (deadline)

Short Course in Goal Setting

Keep It Simple & Specific

Break It Into Small Steps

Choose a Starting Point

Monitor Progress and Redefine the Goal if Necessary

Set a Deadline

Keep It Simple and Specific

Define the goal as clearly as possible. “I want to save up for a new car” is too general.Example: I will open a separate savings account and save $100 each month toward a new car.

Break It Into Small Steps

How will you accomplish the goal you’ve chosen?Example: I will bring lunch from home instead of buying lunch at work and I will quit smoking. Result - $100 savings per month

Choose a Starting Point

Often goals are thought of as something to be tackled sometime in the vague future. Even if you can’t start right away, choose a starting date and stick to it.Example: I will begin in January, when I’ve paid off the holiday bills.

Monitor Progress & Redefine Goal if Necessary

As time goes by, you may decide that the original goal was too ambitious or not ambitious enough.Example: I will call my bank & credit union for loan estimates. I will read the financial news to find out when interest rates are expected to be favorable.

Set a Deadline

Set a date for completion of your goal, and stick with your plan until then. If it looks like you won’t reach your goal by your deadline, don’t give up. Review, redefine & set a new deadline.

How Goals Fit into Overall Job Search

ShortIntermediate

Long-term