Make informed choices by knowing what options are there

1. Career Decisions
A presentation to assist prospective students in making
informed career choices
Anand Kumar Padmanaban
ELADO CONSULTING

2. Career Planning False Statements
• Being undecided is bad
• The course you choose determines the work
you do
• Only one Right way to choose a career
• My number 1 choice is who pays me MORE
money

3. Why Necessary To Plan Career
• A survival skill
• Changes in Economy
• Changes in personal factors
• Life long process
• You need a set of Career Management skills
• First step : Career Decision Making

4. Effective Career Choice
Abilities
Wants &
Needs
Interests

5. Engage
• why you need to start making some career
choices
• the factors involved in making career choices
• how people important to you can help you
with these decisions

6. Understand
• your interests
• your abilities
• what you need and want from a career
• Match career and occupational choices with
your interests, needs and abilities.

7. Explore
• review your interests
• review your abilities
• investigate additional qualification
requirements
• identify potential occupations
• look at some occupations matching your
career and life goals.

8. Evaluate
• Create a summary of your interests, abilities,
needs and wants, and your answers to
questions regarding what you want in terms of
work environment
• Link up interests with occupation choices
• Rank your occupations accordingly,
• Address any limitations you may face
• Create a personal career development profile.

9. Outcome
• Aware of your work personality
• Understand your values
• Start exploring your career options
• Make an informed career decision

10. Career Planning
• 1st Step -Self assessment
• Values: the things that are important to you, like
achievement, status, and autonomy
• Interests: what you enjoy doing, i.e. playing,
reading, hanging out with friends
• Personality: a person's individual traits,
motivational drives, needs, and attitudes
• Skills: the activities you are good at, such as
language, computer programming, organising

11. Making career decisions
Finding out what type of work personality you are…
• Dr. John Holland is a psychologist who developed a
system of matching interests with one or more of six
vocational personality types (RIASEC). These are
detailed on the next slide. Holland then matched these
types with occupations.
• John Holland’s RIASEC theory (1997) and his
instruments have been widely and successfully used in
career counselling practice since 1970.

12. Summary
• Most people can be categorized as one of six
types
• There are six model environments
• People search for environments that will let
them exercise their skills and abilities, express
their attitudes and values, and take on
agreeable problems and roles.
• Behaviour is determined by an interaction
between personality and environment

13. John Holland’s Career Theory
6 ideal vocational
personality types:
• Realistic
• Investigative
• Artistic
• Social
• Enterprising
• Conventional

14. Realistic
• Enjoys hands-on activities
• Prefers working with things
• Likes being outdoors
• Enjoys taking decisive action
• Generally prefers to learn by doing
• Does not mind working alone

15. Investigative
• Is analytical and observant
• Prefers an intellectual approach to work
• Places importance on research
• Enjoys using logic
• Likes solving complex problems
• Often works independently
• Likes to be challenged

16. Artistic
• Is intuitive and imaginative
• Enjoys creative activities
• Seeks opportunities for self-expression
• Prefers flexibility and takes risks to try new
things
• Communicates in an expressive manner
• Enjoys working in less structured setting

17. Social
• Is humanistic, idealistic, responsible
• Is concerned with the welfare of others
• Enjoys participating in group activities and
working in teams
• Likes to utilise interpersonal skills
• Genuinely enjoys working with people
• Is viewed as understanding, helpful, cheerful,
skilled in teaching

18. Enterprising
• Is energetic, ambitious, adventurous, self-
confident, sociable
• Enjoys persuading and motivating others
• Seeks out leadership role
• Avoids routine activities
• Is seen as self-confident, skilled in leadership,
management, persuading

19. Conventional/Organised
• Is efficient, careful, organised, conscientious
• Appreciates structure and routine in work activities
• Enjoys working with numbers and statistics
• Is thorough and reliable in carrying out tasks
• Possesses good clerical, organisational, numerical abilities
• Enjoys well-defined tasks

20. Adapted from the following source:
• http://hrnt.jhu.edu/cmp/HollandTypes
• Online Career Interest profiling using John
Holland’s theory available on various websites
(fee usually payable)

21. © 2004 PRO::ICT
John Holland‘s Theory
The criteria for the CPT were built from Holland’s original descriptions
of the 6 basic career types.
Holland’s Theory
Holland’s hexagonal model comprises 6 basic career types,
namely:
Artistic
Enterprising
Conventional
Realistic
Investigative
Social

22. © 2004 PRO::ICT
John Holland’s
6 descriptions of the 6 basic career types
Realistic
Strong mechanical, psychomotor, and athletic abilities; honest; loyal; like
the outdoors; prefer working with machines, tools, plants, and
animals. Structured; clear goals and lines of authority; work with
hands, machines, or tools; casual dress; focus on tangible results.
Investigative
Strong problem solving and analytical skills; mathematically inclined; like
to observe, learn, and evaluate; prefer working alone; reserved; idea
generators. Nonstructured; research oriented; intellectual; discover,
collect, and analyse ideas/data.

23. © 2004 PRO::ICT
Artistic
Creative; complex; emotional; intuitive; idealistic; flair for communicating
ideas; prefer working independently; like to sing; write, act, paint, think
creatively. Nonstructured; creative; flexible; rewards unconventional
and aesthetic values; creation of products and ideas.
Social
Friendly; outgoing; find fulfilment in helping others; strong verbal and
personal skills; teaching abilities; impulsive. Harmonious; congenial;
work on people-related problems/issues; inform, develop, cure, or
enlighten others; team oriented.

24. © 2004 PRO::ICT
Enterprising
Confident; assertive; sociable; speaking and leadership abilities; like to
use influence; strong interpersonal skills; status conscious. True
business environment; results oriented; driven; high-quality service
and product orientation; entrepreneurial; high prestige; power
focused.
Conventional
Dependable; disciplined; precise; persistent orderly; efficient; practical;
detail oriented; clerical and numerical abilities. Orderly; clear rules
and policies; systematized manipulation and organization of data;
control and handling of money; high income potential.

25. Realistic
• Realistic types prefer to deal with Things.
• Realistic Personality - frank, practical, focused,
• mechanical, determined, or rugged.
• Examples of Realistic Abilities include
• manipulating tools, doing mechanical or manual
• tasks, or doing athletic activities.
• Examples of Realistic Holland Code Careers
• include Craftsman, Fitness Trainer, Optician,
• Policemen, Fire Fighter, and Physical Education
• Teacher.
• Possible Realistic College Majors are Law, Science, Athletic Training,
Martial Arts, Corporate Fitness, and Physical Education.

26. Typical Realistic Career Choices
• Lab technician or Biotechnology
• Machinist
• Diploma in Engineering, Drafter or any type of
Carpentry
• Dental Technologist or Hygienist
• Tradesman: Plumber, Electrician, Pipe fitter,
Welder, etc…
• Baker or Chef

27. Investigative
• Investigative types prefer to deal with Things and Ideas.
• Investigative Personality tends to be analytical, intellectual,
reserved, independent, and scholarly.
• Examples of Investigative Abilities include
• working with abstract ideas and intellectual
• problems.
• Examples of Investigative Holland Code Careers include Biologist,
Chemist, Historian, Researcher, Doctor, and Mathematician.
• Possible Investigative College Majors are Botany, Engineering,
Forestry Science, Physics, and Foreign Languages.

28. Typical Investigative Careers
• Auditor or Accountant
• Systems Analyst or Computer Analyst
• Engineering of any type
• Doctor of any type
• Technical writer or researcher
• Biologist or Chemist
• Psychologist, Anthropologist or Archeology

29. Artistic
• Artistic types prefer to deal with Ideas and People.
• Artistic Personality tends to be Complicated, Original, Impulsive,
Independent, Expressive, and Creative.
• Examples of Artistic Abilities include using imagination
• and feelings in creative expression .
• Examples of Artistic Holland Code Careers include Artist, Musician,
Actor/ Actress, Designer, Writer, and Photographer.
• Possible Artistic College Majors are Art, Theater, Graphic Design,
Music, Journalism, and Communication.

30. Typical Artistic Interest Careers
• Design: Web, Graphic, Interior or Fashion
• Audio/Visual/Sound Technician
• Teacher: Music, Drama, English
• Art Director/ Advertising
• Film/Video Production
• Social Psychologist
• Illustrator or Editor
• Landscape Architect

31. Social
• Social types prefer to deal with People.
• Social Personality tends to be Helping, Informing, Teaching,
Inspiring, Counseling, and Serving.
• Examples of Social Abilities include interacting with
• people and concerned with the welfare of people.
• Examples of Social Holland Code Careers include Teacher, Clergy,
Coach, Therapist, Nurse, Counselor, and Sociologist.
• Possible Social College Majors are Nursing, Education, Counseling,
Research Studies, Social Science, and Education.

32. Typical Socialistic Careers
• Government Jobs
• Teacher of any kind
• Social Work - Politics
• Nurse, any health care support roles
• Counselling of any kind
• Athletic trainer or coach
• Administrator- School or Hospital
• Librarian
• Speech Language Pathologist

33. Enterprising
• Enterprising types prefer to deal with Data and People.
• Enterprising Personality tends to be Persuasive, Energetic,
Sociable, Adventurous, Ambitious, and Risk-taking.
• Examples Enterprising Abilities include leading, managing, and
organizing.
• Examples Enterprising Holland Code Careers include Manager,
Producer, Lawyer, Business/ Marketing, Executive, Entrepreneur, and
Principal.
• Possible Enterprising College Majors are Pre-Law, Business
Management and Administration, International Business, and
Political Science.

34. Typical Enterprising Career Choices
• Public Relations – Marketing, Event Management
• Sales Representative
• Business Owner or Executive Director
• Financial Analyst
• Retail or Wholesale Management
• Buyer or Purchasing Agent
• Stock Broker
• Urban Planner or Developer

35. Conventional
• Conventional types prefer to deal with Data and Things.
• Conventional Personality tends to be Careful, Conforming,
Conservative, Conscientious, Self controlled and Structured.
• Examples of Conventional Abilities include ordering activities
paying attention to details.
• Examples of Conventional Holland Code Careers include
Accountant, Banker, Editor, Office Manager, Librarian, and Reporter.
• Possible Conventional College Majors are Business, Accounting,
and Management.

36. Typical Conventional Interest Careers
• Lawyers, Reporters etc
• Secretary- Medical, Business Executive, Legal
• Database processor/manager
• Court reporter, Para-legal
• Insurance auditor/adjuster
• Accounting Clerk/ bookkeeper
• Building inspector

37. Your Dream Career
• Your internal dream vs. other people’s
expectation?
• Obstacles : the practicality
– Financial
– Economical
– Capability
• Ways of getting around the obstacles

38. Other Factors
• Interests
• Abilities
• Values
• Family
• Friends
• Experiences
• Religion
• Environment
• Goals and motivations
• others

39. Those factors Translate To :
• Nature of the work activities
• Education/Training
• Skills/abilities
• Pay and fringe benefits
• Ideal working conditions
• Location of employment
• Personality characteristics – co-workers
• Employment and advancement outlook
• Personal satisfaction

40. Word Of Caution
• No assessment instruments can make your
career decisions for you. They can serve as
reference tools for gathering information
about your interests, skills, personality style,
and the world of work enabling you to form
informed career decisions.

41. Career Decision Making Process
• Become aware & committed
• Study your environment
• Assess yourself
• Generate options
• Gather information
• Make the Decision
• Implement the Decision
• Get feedback

42. Conclusion
• You have a fair view of your work personality
& value
• Further need to explore more information
about occupations to gain more clarity
• Gain experience – Internships, part-time jobs,
classes, clubs, etc.
• Acquire competencies – workshops, co-
curriculum activities, etc.

43. Thank You
Any questions ?
Phone : 9243137253
Email : apkumar@surgeforth.com