This document provides a model for conducting a successful job search in 4 stages: self-assessment, exploration, focus, and the job search process. It emphasizes the importance of self-assessment to understand one's skills, interests, values and personality before exploring career options. This involves identifying one's values, interests, personality and skills through assessments. Potential career options are then identified and researched through websites before conducting informational interviews to further understand options and build professional networks. The best option is then selected and an action plan created to pursue it.

1. Finding A Career That Fits YouNina Olken, M.Ed.Career Counselor

2. Getting Started

3. Career Decision Making

4. The Job Search ProcessThe pyramid presents a model for how to conduct a successful job search, where “successful” refers to getting a job that is genuinely a good fit for you. Although the process is actually dynamic and there is movement back and forth among the different stages, the model suggests that a successful job search encompasses four basic steps. It begins with Self-Assessment—knowing who you are and what you want, moves on to Exploration of what’s out there in terms of interesting industries and occupations, progresses to Focusing on specific industries and companies that appeal to you, and then culminates in the nuts-and-bolts Job Search stage, involving sending out resumes, interviewing, and negotiating job offers.

5. Identify Decision to Be MadeBefore you begin gathering information, it is important that you have a clear understanding of what it is you are trying to decide. Some decisions you might be facing could include: 1. What kind of work do I want to do? 2. What kind of training do I need? 3. What should I choose for a major? 4. What do I want to do after graduation? Should I get a job? What kind of job do I want? Should I go to graduate school? Should I travel and see the world?

6. Self-AssessmentBefore you begin exploring careers and trying to identify jobs and careers which will prove satisfying, you must first develop a true understanding of you--your skills, interests, values, and personality characteristics.

7. Self-Assessment: ValuesBefore beginning your job search, it is important to gain an understanding of your personal and work values. Your values have been shaped by your life experiences — upbringing, environment, gender, culture, socioeconomic status, education, and other variables. Your values serve as criteria for your judgments, preferences, and choices. Based on his review of the literature on values, Shwartz (1992) found five characteristics of values consistently reported. Values: 1) are beliefs, 2) relate to desirable end states of behavior, 3) guide evaluation of behaviors or events, 4) remain stable across time and context, and 5) are ordered by relative importance. Making career and life choices that agree with your core values is essential to satisfaction and happiness. Values are often divided into personal, or life values and work values. Your personal values are those core aspects of your life that matter the most. Work values are those factors contributing to job satisfaction, such as salary and benefits, challenge, variety, achievement, and recognition.

8. Self-Assessment: InterestsO*NET® Computerized Interest ProfilerTMEveryone has likes and dislikes that are the foundation for our individual interests. Your interests include activities you enjoy or want to do and subject areas arousing your curiosity or holding your attention. Your interests began evolving in your early childhood and continue to grow and develop throughout your lifetime. As you try different activities, take interesting classes, work in your field, travel and experience new cultures, and meet interesting people, you will discover new interests. The more pleasurable or appealing the experience is for you, the more inspired and motivated you will be to pursue it. While some students can create a long list of their interests, others may have difficulty identifying theirs. Limited life experience, little or no work experience, perceived and real environmental constraints, limited access to resources, and low self-esteem are among the wide-ranging and complex reasons why people struggle to identify their interests.

9. Self-Assessment: Personality

10. Self- Assessment: SkillsSkillScan uses a game-like card deck that helps you identify your greatest strengths - those skills you like the most and want to use in a career and those you don't like and want to avoid using.SkillScan can help you:Identify skill sets that are most enjoyable to youExplore appropriate career options, education and training programsDevelop new skills that will enhance your career opportunitiesAvoid using your least preferred skills that may lead to job dissatisfactionAcquire a skill language for selling yourself in resumes and interviews

11. Identifying Career OptionsBased on what you have discovered so far, create a list of your top 10 career options that you would like to investigate further.MBTI Career SuggestionsSkillsScan Career SuggestionsO*NET Interest Profiler Suggestions

12. Information GatheringComplete the occupation exploration worksheet for your top prospect using the following websites:America’s Career InfoNet -- http://www.acinet.orgClick Occupation Information > Occupation ProfileO*Net Online -- http://www.onetonline.org

13. Informational InterviewingAn informational interview involves talking with people who are currently working in the field to gain a better understanding of an occupation or industry -- and to build a network of contacts in that field. Here's a startling statistic: One out of every 200 resumes (some studies put the number as high as 1,500 resumes) results in a job offer. One out of every 12 informational interviews, however, results in a job offer. That's why informational interviewing is the ultimate networking technique, especially considering that the purpose of informational interviewing is not to get job offers. Job offers just happen to be a delightful side benefit to this valuable practice.

14. Evaluate Options

15. Select an OptionMy Career Choice Is:

16. Action Plan