This document provides advice on finding and choosing a career path. It discusses choosing a career you are passionate about that you can see yourself doing long-term. It also notes that most people change careers multiple times, so your interests may change. The document recommends researching careers through informational interviews, job shadowing, internships and career fairs. It emphasizes gaining experience through leadership, volunteering, jobs and research. Finally, it suggests joining professional organizations and maintaining a professional online image and wardrobe.

1. What will your
career be?
How do you Find It?

2. “Do you hate your job? Sorry
to hear that. There’s a support
group for that. It’s called
EVERYBODY, and they meet
at the bar!”
---George Carlin

3. Did I choose the right major?!
 Your goal should be choosing a career for
the right reason
 Something you are passionate about
 Something you can see yourself doing for a
long time
All of us are good
at things we’re not madly in love with and
all of us have talents we never used.

4. Working for the next 50 years
 Most likely you won’t stay in one career
for the whole 50 years.
 Studies show that people change careers
(not jobs) about 5 or 6 times over their life
 Your tastes, interests, and life situations
could change

5. Finding your PASSION
 One important element to personal happiness
is being passionate about your career/job
 Finding a career that you have passion for is
about obtaining fulfillment
 It’s about how the job makes you feel inside
 Work should spark excitement and energy
If you work in your passion, money will follow.

6. My Major is great, but isn’t a
direct path to a career
 Interest inventories can help you determine
what area to go into if your major is flexible
 Myers-Briggs Type Indicator
 Keirsey Temperament Sorter
 The Big Five Personality Test
 Campbell Interest & Skill Survey
“The good life is when you get up
in the morning and can’t wait to
start all over again.”

7. Let’s do a survey!

8. Where do I start?

9. FIRST
Clean up your Image!
 Google?
 Voicemail?
 Email?
 Facebook?
 Blogs?
 Photo Websites (i.e. Flickr & Photobucket)
 Change settings to private
 Untag pictures
Different people have different gauges
of what is or isn’t appropriate

10. FIRST
Clean up your Image!
 Don’t just remove the bad, add some good
 Create a LinkedIn profile
(look at the profiles who rank well for tips)
 Join the SIUE Athletics Alumni Group on LinkedIn
 Follow @SIUEAthelticsSAS on Twitter
 Use your own blog to showcase your skills
88% of employers will Google your name

11. SECOND
Who will support you?
 Start thinking about who you would use as
references
 favorite teachers
 coaches
 Supervisors
 mentors
 Foster your relationship with that person(s)
Never burn bridges –it can hurt your
career progression or job search

12. THIRD
Conduct Career Research
 Informational interviews
 Prepare just as you would for an actual job
interview
 Job Shadowing
 Firsthand experience in work environment
 Internships
 Actual work experience in a particular industry
 Career Fairs
 Attend and gather knowledge

13. FOURTH
Gain Experience
 Take Initiative
 Be Proactive
 As student-athletes your time is limited
 Example:
 You are a barista who is majoring in graphic
design. Design some marketing collateral
for the coffee house and ask your supervisor
if they would like to use it

14. Let’s do a survey!
A second one . . .

15. FOURTH
Gain Experience
 Leadership opportunities
 Meetings with mentor
 Volunteering
 Internship in the summer
 Jobs during the school year
 Working with a professor on research
 Independent Study
 Study Abroad

16. FIFTH
Join up!
 Sign up for professional associations and
organizations –FREE ADVICE!
 Much cheaper while you are still a student
 Opportunities to network
 Leadership opportunities
 Browse listings of internships and positions
 Publications
 Conferences/Conventions
 SIUE Student Groups
 SAAC
 Kimmel Leadership Center

17. SIXTH
Go Shopping!
Is your closet prepared for an unexpected
interview?
 Shop for business attire so you can “dress
for success.”

18. Still Not Sure which Career?
 These careers have shown the largest
numerical growth recently
 Nursing
 Retail
 Home Health
 Customer Service
 College Professor
 Accounting
 Elementary School teacher (not special ed)
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics and Division of Occupational Outlook

19. Careers on the Rise
 These careers are predicted to have the
most growth in the coming years
 Biomedical Engineer
 Vet Tech
 Physical Therapy Assistant
 Event Planner
 Occupational Therapy Assistant
 Marriage and Family Therapist
 Physical Therapist
BLS Occupational Employment Statistics and Division of Occupational Outlook

20. Don’t forget . . .
 Occupational Outlook Handbook
 Complied by US Bureau of Labor Statistics
 Published yearly
http://www.bls.gov/oco/

21. Job Search/
Action Plan
Resumes, interviews,
researching options
Focusing
Which organizations are a good fit?
What do I need to be competitive?
Who can connect me to these
options?
Exploration
What’s out there?
Options, jobs, careers and industries that fit my
skills and interests?
Self Assessment
Who am I? Interests, Skills, Values, Work Styles
The JOB
SEARCH
PROCESS

22. It’s not what you know,
it’s who you know!

23. Be an active Job Seeker
 Job boards have less than 5% effectiveness
 Networking has over 50% effectiveness
 Select companies where you would want to
work
 Follow that company on LinkedIn or Twitter
 Like the company on Facebook
 Join the conversation – comment on blogs

24. Or you could wear this everywhere you go . . .

25. Or get one
of these made . . .

26. Pocket Resume
 iPhone/iPad App
 http://pocketresume.net/
 Android App
 https://market.android.com/details?id=co
m.pocketresume