Curriculum Studies Guide 2018

9 / 104

Curriculum Studies Guide 2018
9
Career Planning
In planning a career, the main emphasis in
career guidance is on helping individuals to
make their own career decisions based on a
true understanding of their abilities, skills,
interests, work values and personality, and on
the options open to them. Since people today
more frequently face ongoing, successive work
and study transitions, and career changes and
developments, such an approach also aims at
equipping them with career-planning skills to
face decisions in the future. Career guidance is
not therefore simply based on the concept of
matching people and jobs. The process involves
these steps:
(A) Assess yourself – the internal factors
1. Abilities
2. Occupational values, e.g. status, security,
challenge, creativity, independence, team work,
location
3. Interests - personal/vocational (possible career
fields)
4. Skills (practised abilities):
– – Thinking/creative/problem solving
– – Communication/interpersonal
– – Business & management
– – Numerical
– – Language
– – Technological/computer
– – Information & research
– – Ability to keep on learning and adapting
5. Personality and character
(B) Consider the external influences
1. Family expectations and pressures
2. Peer group pressure
3. Media images of the occupation
4. School subjects and marks required
5. Lifestyle requirements
6. Culture and religion
7. Work experience (job requirements, work
environment, occupational characteristics)
8. Job availability
(C) Internal factors + external influences + job
criteria = suitability
(D) Research and generate several career
options for evaluation
Generally, the more people learn about
themselves and the occupational world, the better
and more informed their career decisions will be.
Consequently, students must realise that career
planning requires their time and personal effort in:
1. Assessing their abilities, work values, interests,
skills and personality.
2. Use of the resources of the Careers Room to
gather information and ideas.
3. Consultation and discussion with the Careers
Adviser, teachers, parents and friends.
4. Visits to tertiary institutions.
5. Contact with people in the workplace for further
discussion, information and work experience.
The process should begin at the very least in Year
9 with students developing a career plan. Planning
and decision-making should not be left until
the third term of Year 13, as some polytechnic
courses close in August and halls of residence
applications are due by 1 October.
The Careers Room is very well resourced with
information and is open every school day from
8.30am - 4.00pm for students to research their
career interests and receive appropriate help from
Mr Sellars, the Careers Adviser.