Researching Your Career Field

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Researching Your Career Field Setting Goals

• Rosemarie Sena Center
• Career Development Services

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Seminar Agenda

• Understand the Economy
• How to Begin Your Research
• Resources (Where to look)

• What is a Goal?
• SMART Goals
• Setting Goals
• How Goals Fit into the Overall Job Search

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Three Sectors of the Economy

• Tax-Supported Sector
• Non-Profit Sector
• Profit-Making Sector

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Tax-Supported Sector

• Funded by federal, state, or local taxes
• High job security (usually)
• Discretion is limited
• Pay benefits are good
• Large organizations
• Work hours are predictable

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Non-Profit Sector

• Supported by private funds
• Less job security
• Greater discretion, variety
• Pay benefits low
• Relatively small organizations
• Work hours may vary

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Profit-Making Sector

• Results-oriented
• Higher pay, better benefits
• Competitive
• All sizes of business industry
• Includes professions in private practice
  entrepreneurs

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More Information on the Labor Market and Jobs

• Job Outlook and Salary Statistics
• www.acinet.org (Americas Career InfoNet)
• www.bls.gov/oco/
  (Occupational Outlook Handbook)
• www.vec.state.va.us/index.cfm
  (Virginia Employment Commission)
• Entry Level Jobs and Employers
• www.collegegrad.com
• Researching Industries and Companies
• www.hoovers.com
• www.vault.com
• www.wetfeet.com

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The Top 10 Job Web Sites (according to
Quintcareers.com)

• HotJobs.com
• DirectEmployers.com
• CollegeRecruiter.com
• CareerBuilder.com
• Monster.com

• Job.com
• Career.com
• TrueCareers.com
• CareerShop.com
• Net-Temps.com

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Getting Started Beginning the Research Process

• Academic Focus
• Identifying careers related to my major
• Field/Job Focus
• Identifying careers in a specific field or
  industry (PR careers)
• Geographic Focus
• Identifying careers in a certain place
• Conducting Informational Interviews

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Academic Focus

• Job Opportunities for Business Majors
• The College Majors Handbook
• Great Jobs for ___ Majors
• MBC Guide to Majors
• Career NETWORK Directory

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Field/Job Focus

• Public Relations Career Directory
• Job Opportunities in Health and Science
• Job Opportunities in Engineering Computer
  Science
• Vacancy Listings
• Internet Resources

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Geographic Focus

• How to Get a Job in Atlanta, New York City,
  Dallas/Ft. Worth, etc.?
• World Chamber of Commerce Directory
• Career NETWORK geographical index
• Internet Resources yellow pages
• Classifieds (paper/on-line)
• City/State Vacancy Listings

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Informational Interviews

• Gather information regarding specific career
  fields and/or geographic areas by conducting an
  informal interview with friends, family, MBC
  alums, professors, Sena staff, supervisors,
  co-workers, etc.

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What is a Goal?

• A goal is an end toward which effort is directed.

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SMART Goals

• SMART goals ensure that all the necessary
  elements are included for creating effective
  goals.
• S-pecific (detailed, focused)
• M-easurable (quantifiable)
• A-ction-oriented (produce results)
• R-ealistic (achievable, possible, practical)
• T-ime Resource-constrained (deadline)

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Short Course in Goal Setting

• Keep It Simple Specific
• Break It Into Small Steps
• Choose a Starting Point

• Monitor Progress and Redefine the Goal if
  Necessary
• Set a Deadline

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Keep It Simple and Specific

• Define the goal as clearly as possible. I want
  to save up for a new car is too general.
• Example I will open a separate savings account
  and save 100 each month toward a new car.

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Break It Into Small Steps

• How will you accomplish the goal youve chosen?
• Example I will bring lunch from home instead of
  buying lunch at work and I will quit smoking.
  Result - 100 savings per month

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Choose a Starting Point

• Often goals are thought of as something to be
  tackled sometime in the vague future. Even if
  you cant start right away, choose a starting
  date and stick to it.
• Example I will begin in January, when Ive paid
  off the holiday bills.

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Monitor Progress Redefine Goal if Necessary

• As time goes by, you may decide that the original
  goal was too ambitious or not ambitious enough.
• Example I will call my bank credit union for
  loan estimates. I will read the financial news to
  find out when interest rates are expected to be
  favorable.

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Set a Deadline

• Set a date for completion of your goal, and stick
  with your plan until then. If it looks like you
  wont reach your goal by your deadline, dont
  give up. Review, redefine set a new deadline.

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How Goals Fit into Overall Job Search

• Short
• Intermediate
• Long-term