2. Positioning Yourself for a Career Change:
Thinking About Your Professional Identity
Lorina Karreci, BA
CEW Masters Level Social Work Intern
Doreen Murasky, LMSW, ACSW
Senior Manager for Student Programs

3. Agenda
❖ Introductions
❖ Self Assessment
❖ World of Work
❖ Resources

4. Introductions
Who is in the room?
Please break into pairs, and take turns introducing yourself to
the person next to you using the following information:
1. Name
2. What city/state you are from
3. One interesting fact about yourself
You may be asked to introduce your partner to the rest of the
group!

5. Overview
Two major components:
Self-Assessment
+
World of Work
________________

6. Self-Assessment: What to consider
Values
Skills
Interests
Identity
Lifestyle/Personal needs
Field/Settings

7. Self-Assessment: Values
There are two main types of values:
❖ Core
❖ Situational

8. Core Values
❖ Most important to you
❖ Influence your life choices
❖ Remain constant throughout your life

9. Situational Values
❖ Reflect priorities
❖ Preferences
❖ Fluctuate over time with the family life cycle,
changing interests, etc.

10. Values Assessment Activity

11. Self-Assessment: Skills
There are two main types of skills:
❖ Hard Skills
❖ Soft Skills

12. Hard Skills
❖ Teachable, easy to quantify
❖ Easy to recognize
❖ Often seen as “qualifications”
Examples: A degree, computer programming,
proficiency in foreign language, etc.

13. Soft Skills
❖ How you relate to others
❖ Acquired through experience rather than formal
training
❖ Highly transferrable
Examples: Teamwork, communication, patience,
etc.

14. Achievements Activity

15. Self - Assessment: Interests

16. Interests Questionnaire

17. Self-Assessment: Other Considerations
Identity
Lifestyle/Personal Needs
Field/Settings
These are all important factors to take into consideration
during the self-assessment process.

18. The World of Work: Moving Toward Specificity
❖ Explore the targets
▪ What do you want to know?
▪ How can you find out?
❖ Explore the fit
▪ Their requirements
▪ Your requirements
❖ Identify the path forward
▪ Timing
▪ Preparation
▪ Incremental steps

19. The World of Work: Attaining Information
❖ Learn about current employment and career opportunities
❖ Read: local newspapers, business journals, newsletters,
trade/professional journals, books/publications related to your
area of interest
❖ Conduct online research about areas of interest, specific
companies/organizations, and/or people who inspire you

20. The World of Work: Networking
❖ Connect with people to learn helpful information and
expand contacts
❖ Utilize the web to gather information and make contacts
❖ Conduct Informational Interviews
❖ Attend membership meetings/conferences
❖ Develop immersion opportunities – volunteer, observe,
job shadow, intern/apprentice

21. Next Step
Think of one thing you can do in the next week
toward positioning yourself for a career change.
Examples:
Complete the Skill Assessment Worksheet to clarify
transferrable skills.
Find one job description that is of interest and bring
it with you to Part 2.

22. The Center for the Education of Women would like to thank TIAA
CREF for their support in our programming.