Career Planning Process

 

Career Planning

Career planning is a lifelong process and will happen several times as you gain experiences and redefine your needs, personal wants and/or career goals. The Career Planning Process includes 4 steps, D.I.G.S. – Discover, Investigate, enGage, and Succeed.

Self-assessment is the first step in gathering information about yourself in order to make an informed career decision. Self-assessments may measure your interests, values, roles, skills/aptitudes, preferred environments, developmental needs, and realities. In the Career Resources Section below, there are a variety of career assessments you can utilize in this Discovery process.

Gather information about employment outlook, salary, related occupations, education and training, and job duties.

• Explore the occupations in which you are interested
• Research the industries in which you would like to work
• Understand employment trends, salaries, requisite skills, etc.

Once you’ve researched a number of careers, narrow your options by:

• Job shadowing or seeking professional mentors
• Part-time employment, internships, or volunteer opportunities (e.g. community service)
• Conducting informational interviews with professionals/practitioners

Obtain relevant experience through internships, part-time jobs, volunteering, and undergraduate research experiences (UREs) to measure and test if this career path is enjoyable and sparks your passion. 

Develop the steps you need to take in order to reach your goal, for example:

• Investigate sources of additional training, education, and/or gaps to determine if anything is needed to qualify you for the career
• Develop a marketable resume and cover letter
• Network with professionals in your career field, job search, and interview
• Take action and persevere toward your career goal

Career Assessments

Assessment	What does it measure?	How to take it
Focus 2	Interests, Values, Personality, Workplace Preferences, Leisure	Log in or create your account here. ***Use access code bulldogs. Additional instructions can be found in this Career Assessment Guide.
Stepping Blocks	Personality and skills. You can also explore a wide variety of career paths and how others got there.	Log in or create your account here.
Keirsey Temperament Sorter	Personality	See a Career Counselor for more information.
Strong Interest Inventory	Interests	See a Career Counselor for more information
California Career Zone	Interests, Skills, Work Importance	Register here
O*Net Career Exploration Tools	Abilities, Interests, Work Importance	Access here

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Career Counseling Services

Reduce your confusion, make choices, and create changes in your life suitable for the academic and work environment by seeking assistance in the following areas:

• Professional resumes and cover letters
• Career exploration and career assessment inventories
• Choosing a major or future career
• Graduate school preparation

• Job search
• Interviewing skills (including mock interviews)
• Managing job offers and salary negotiation
• And much more…

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