Discovering Your Career Passion

Location: POD 60Phone: (416) 979 – 5177Email: career@ryerson.caHours: Mon – Thu 8:30 am – 6:30 pm/Fri 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

Career Development WorkshopsGet Ready

Know yourself and what you want

Get SetPresent yourself with style

GOMake your move

• Discover Your Career Passion

• The “Wow” Factor: Resumes & Cover Letters that stand out

• Job Search Strategies that Maximize Results

• Pinpointing Resources for Career Planning

• Interview Techniques that Land the Job

• Leveraging Social Media for Your Job Search

• Grad School Application Essentials

• LinkedIn: Developing Career Connections & Effective Profiles

• Keep It Pro: Business Etiquette & Dress

• Make it a Breeze: Transitioning from School to Work

• Don’t Slurp the Soup! Tips for Dining Etiquette Success

• Showing Achievements: Crafting an Engaging Portfolio

“Most job-hunters who fail to find their dream job, fail not because they lack information about the job market, but because they lack information about

themselves.”

~ Richard Bolles

Agenda

1. Objectives of Career Exploration

2. Components of Self Assessment

• Values – Card Sort• Interests – SII • Personality – MBTI • Skills – Card Sort

3. Reflection 4. Next Steps5. Summary

Most Common Question

“I don’t know what I want to do. Is there a test or something that

can tell me what career is right for me?”

NO

Objectives of Career ExplorationSelf-assessment is the first step of the career planning process. It allows you to learn more about your:

• An informed career decision• Information for a strong resume• Self knowledge for interviews

• Interests • Skills • Personality • Values

• Natural talents• Work styles • Unique strengths in

relation to career fields and titles

The result is:

Components of Self Assessment

Values What is important to you

• E.g.) Wealth, status, independence, security, etc.

Interests What you enjoy doing

• E.g.) Taking photos, playing basketball, socializing, etc.

Personality

What drives/motivates you, individual traits, needs, and attitudes

Skills

What you are good at

• E.g.) Public speaking, computer programming, coordinating, etc.

VALUES

Values• Beliefs we develop early in life

– right and wrong, good and bad

• Shaped by family, culture, education, religion, socialization processes

• Some maintained for life, others may change

• E.g.) Having children, financial stability, health, religious beliefs, job security

Identifying Values: Card SortSort cards according to 3 parameters:

• What I Strongly Value• What I Value At Times• What I Don’t Value

After:• List your 10 Most Essential Values

These 10 essential values will help you:• Identify appropriate career choices by matching

your work values with characteristics of occupations

INTERESTS

Interests

E.K. Strong Jr.

• Researched people's likes and dislikes for activities, objects, and types of people

• Discovered similar interests amongst satisfied individuals in the same career

Strong Interest Inventory (SII)

Work Styles

Dr. John Holland’s theory classifies people and work environments into 6 types:

1. Realistic

2. Investigative

3. Artistic

4. Social

5. Enterprising

6. Conventional

Also known as the Holland Codes or RIASEC!

Holland Code: Realistic

People who tend to prefer:

• Athletic or mechanical tasks• Working with objects, tools,

machines, plants or animals• Being outdoors

Sample majors: Science and Engineering

Sample careers: Engineer, military service

Holland Code: Investigative

People who tend to prefer:

• Observing, learning, investigating• Analyzing, evaluating, science

and math problem solving• Independent work

Sample majors: Human Science, Physics, Chemistry, Computer Science

Sample careers: physician, professor, chemist

Holland Code: Artistic

People who tend to prefer:

• Creativity, innovation, intuition• Working in unstructured

situations• Using their imaginations

Sample majors: Art History, Studio Art, Theater and Performance

Sample careers: interior designer, editor, musician, reporter

Holland Code: SocialPeople who are / tend to prefer:

• Working with and helping people• Informing, enlightening, helping,

training, developing or curing people

• Skilled with words

Sample majors: Psychology, Sociology

Sample careers: counsellor, nurse, community organizer, social advocate, teacher

Holland Code: EnterprisingPeople who tend to prefer:

• Influencing, persuading or performing

• Leading or managing for company goals or economic gain

• Working with people

Sample majors: International Business, Marketing, Management

Sample careers: investment manager, buyer, realtor, entrepreneur, fundraiser

Holland Code: Conventional

People who tend to prefer:

• Clerical or numerical ability• Attention to detail, following

through on others’ instructions

Sample majors: Accounting, Finance

Sample careers: accountant, actuary, math teacher

Holland Codes: Additional Influences Other possible influences:

• Family • Friends• Coursework• Volunteer experiences

• Teachers• Cultural context• Environment

(growing up)

PERSONALITY

Personality: MBTI

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

• Isabel Myers and Katherine Briggs’ wanted to help people learn their personality

• MBTI measures differences in traits between individuals

• Assumes other minds work on same principles as own

• Incorporates Carl Jung’s theory that people use 4 basic mental functions or processes

Personality & Work: MBTI

• MBTI theory argues that certain personality types are a better fit for particular careers

• E.g.) Dominant “Feeling” function in a legal career

• Use MBTI in conjunction with other inventories (interests and values)

Personality: MBTI MBTI uses 4 dichotomies:

Extraversion vs. Introversion

(Attitudes)

• Identifies outward or inward flow of energy

Sensing vs. iNtuition(Functions)

• How you understand and process information

Thinking vs. Feeling(Functions)

• How you make decisions

Judging vs. Perceiving(Lifestyle)

• How you like to live your outer life OR your orientation to the outer world

SKILLS

Skills Assessment

Hard / Technical Skills:• Measurable• Factual knowledge • Specific processes/

procedures• Learned during formal

training, at school or on the job

Soft / Transferable Skills: • Talent that can

“transfer” from one field of study, job, leisure activity to another

• Acquired throughout entire life: school, work, extracurriculars, volunteering, hobbies

Identifying Skills: Card SortSort cards according to 3 parameters:

• What I Like To Do• What I Would Like To Learn• What I Don’t Like To Do

After:• List the top 10 skills you would like to use or learn

These 10 skills will help you:• Identify appropriate career choices by matching

your work skills with characteristics of occupations

Reflection

• Confirmations?

• Surprises?

• What’s next for you?

Revisit values, interests, personality, and skills periodically to see if anything changes.

Next Steps

• Add “Next Steps” to brochure• Developing an “Action Plan”

SummaryTo discover a career that is suitable for you, it is important to conduct a self-assessment on your:

VALUESINTERESTS

PERSONALITYSKILLS

Resources

Career Assessments:• Strong Interest Inventory (SII)• Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI)

Additional information: • http://www.ryerson.ca/career/students/

planmycareer/selfassessment/

Connect With Us!

Contact Information:

Location: POD 60

Phone: (416) 979 – 5177

Email: career@ryerson.ca

Hours: Mon. – Thur. 8:30 am – 6:30 pm Fri. 8:30 am – 4:30 pm

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