Getting from Here to There

The Career Planning Process

for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows

Keturah Leonforde MBA CHRM

Career Development Centre

2013

Learning Objectives • Recognize the need to “put into words” my skills, strengths and preferences as they apply to careers

• Discover how to gather relevant career information

• Understand how to begin generating a list of possible careers to research

• Be aware of the career planning resources available through the Career Centre

Introductions Name – Program - Goals

Give a man a fish

you feed him for a day

Teach a man to fish

you feed him for a lifetime! -Chinese Proverb

Ask the right question…

What can I do with my…program?

Skills?

Experiences?

Interests?

Personality?

Geographic restrictions?

Personal & Financial Commitments?

YOU are MORE than your program!

A better question

What does career success mean to me?

Exercise:

• Part 1: Define career success in your own words

• Part 2: Pair and share

Beware the 4Ps:

Peers, Parents, Partners and Profs

A Word to the Wise…

Take a bit of time, if you can, to define “success” on your own terms. Then stay true to yourself while earning a living.

If you can retain your personal values and beliefs even during hard times, you’re likelier to end up contented than those who chase after goals that weren’t their own in the first place.

- Workopolis Career Advisor, Mark Swartz MBA, M.Ed

Sources of Grad Student Stress*

1. Balance between school & life outside of school 2. Career success 3. Financial pressures 4. Stress or burnout 5. Health 6. Meeting other people’s expectations 7. Choosing the wrong career path 8. Not completing their degree 9. Relationships with professors 10. Relationships with peers 11. Feeling like an outsider 12. Spiritual growth

*2011 data from Grad Resources–

Survey of 578 graduate

students at 26 universities

WHY begin career planning now?

Begin with the end in mind – Steven Covey, 7 Habits of Highly Effective People

WHAT is career planning?

A dynamic process of researching, analyzing, interpreting and continually reflecting on accurate information about your –

• Personality, skills and interests

• Current & potential marketability

• Evolving lifestyle requirements

• Career options, interests and themes

Career planning process model

SELF-

AWARENESS

EMPLOYMENT

PREPARATION

GOAL

SETTING

CAREER

IMMERSION

CAREER

AWARENESS

Self-Awareness WHAT HOW

Understanding yourself and what matters to you from a career perspective

• Personality TYPE • Work environment

preferences • Lifestyle preferences • Personal motivators • Competencies, skills and

gaps

REFLECTION + ARTICULATION + EVALUATION

Personality Assessments - • TYPEFOCUS™ • Myers-Briggs Type Indicator

(MBTI®)

Interest and Skills Inventories –

• Strong Interest Inventory® • CareerLeader®

Assessment Debrief workshops Individual appointments

Self-Awareness Exercise

Professional Skills Identification

What do my past accomplishments suggest regarding the skills I have and

the skills I might enjoy using in a career? (Note: There is a difference!)

What skills might I need to develop?...

Career Awareness WHAT HOW

Secondary research to acquire knowledge of existing and emerging career options in your field(s) of interest

• Tasks and activities • Entry and progression

requirements • Demand & earning potential • Work culture • Geographical environment • Future trends and outlook (LMI) • Life Context

wlu.ca/career • Career Assessments • “My major” overview • Career profiles • CareerCruising • The BIG guide to Living & Working

Overseas • Graduate Employment Stats

Internet/Social Media Groups/Blogs (e.g. LinkedIn, Working in Canada,

Datamonitor360, Scott’s Directories etc.)

Academic Conferences Professional Associations & Events Industry Websites & Activities

Upcoming Career Events

JOB FAIR 2013 120+ EMPLOYERS

February 6 partners4employment.com

Self-Awareness linked to Career Awareness Exercise

Life Context Analysis

Identify a potential career field that you might reasonably consider.

Ask yourself,

“How well will this career path fit with my Life Context?”

Career Immersion WHAT HOW

Primary research to assess the suitability of a “short list” of career options • Informational Interviewing • Strategic Volunteering • Job Shadowing • Labour Market Information (LMI) • Networking Connections • Further Education & Training • Co-op & Internship Opportunities

wlu.ca/career • Informational Interviewing Guidebook • Alumni Sharing Knowledge (ASK) • Volunteer Profiles • Employer Information Events • Career, Job and Education Fairs • Professional Career Panels & Events • NAVIGATOR – Job Postings (FT/PT/CT)

Network/referrals • Professors, committee members,

colleagues, co-workers, community partners and Laurier alumni etc.

Self-Awareness linked to Career Immersion Exercise

Career Related Values

How well do these potential careers align to my values?

What are my career related values?

Goal Setting WHAT HOW

Using Self-Awareness inputs as a filter, conduct an analysis of your research findings • Create a “short-list” of potential career

options for the near term and the longer term.

• Prioritize your career preferences • Determine next steps required to

activate your preferred career plans • Be prepared to recalibrate as this is a

dynamic process (i.e. Plan B)

Reflection Consultation • Professional Career Consultant • Professors/Supervisors • Mentor • Colleague • Counsellor or Advisor • Friend • Partner or Parent

Additional Research (as required)

Goal Setting – Reality Check

Determine a few industries, jobs or environments that match your interests right now. You are by no means plotting your career path for the rest of your life…

Life is full of changes and surprises, so your ultimate path is bound to look quite different from whatever you imagine.

-Lindsay Pollack, Gen Y Career Expert

Employment Preparation WHAT HOW

Target your professional job search efforts:

• Online profile • Networking card • Reference list • Resumé, CV & cover letter

templates • Interview preparation & practice • Teaching dossier (if applicable)

Develop a proactive job search & networking campaign

10 Career Builders – Tips* GSA – WLU Networking Cards

wlu.ca/career

Online resources and event calendar Employment Preparation workshops –

• Resumé Writing • Cover Letter Writing • Interview Success • Job Search & Networking

NAVIGATOR – Job Postings (FT/PT/CT)

Career Development Certificate*

WHEN – Sample Timelines ONE YEAR GRADUATE PROGRAM 2 YEAR+ GRADUATE PROGRAM

SELF-AWARENESS | CAREER AWARENESS | CAREER IMMERSION

Fall Term Fall Term

Career Planning Assessment Debrief appointment

Networking Card Online profile

PD events (Career Day, Academic Careers Event, Professional Panels)

GOAL-SETTING | EMPLOYMENT PREPARATIONN

Winter Term Winter & Spring Terms

CV, Resume & Cover Letter appointment Interview Success

Job Search PD events (Job Fair, Professional Panels)

Spring Term Year Two+

Job Search (active) Interview coaching appointment

Networking activities (e.g. Conferences)

WHY – Career Planning

“I’m convinced that the only thing that kept

me going was that I loved what I did.

You’ve got to find what you love…If you

haven’t found it yet, keep looking.

Don’t settle.” - Steve Jobs, Founder, Apple Computers

Connect with us!

Keturah Leonforde 519.884.0710 x4495 careercentre@wlu.ca wlu.ca/career facebook.com/lauriercareercentre lauriercareercentre.wordpress.com linkedin.com (Laurier Career Centre group)

If I could turn back time…

• Alumni reflections on what they wish they had known before college…

• http://vimeo.com/51934985

REMINDER - Career Events

SPEAKER & NETWORKING PANELS DATES

Careers in Sales Tuesday Nov 6 7 – 9 p.m.

Career Connections – Various Laurier Alumni

Wednesday Nov 7 5:30 – 7 p.m.

Careers in Academia Friday Nov 16 9 a.m. - 2 p.m.

Careers in Social Change Wednesday Nov 21 5:30 – 7:30 p.m.

Careers in Human Resources

Tuesday Nov 26 6 – 8 p.m.