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Take out a piece of paper. Sign your autograph as if you were famous.
Take out a piece of paper. Sign your autograph as if you were famous.
Now switch hands and sign your name again but with your opposite hand. (So, if you're a righty, sign with your left hand or vice versa.)
Now switch hands and sign your name again but with your opposite hand. (So, if you're a righty, sign with your left hand or vice versa.)
It's okay...take your time. You can do it.
It's okay...take your time. You can do it.
What does it feel like signing with your opposite hand?
What does it feel like signing with your opposite hand?
Writing with our normal hand feels, well, normal. But writing with our opposite hand is pretty weird, awkward and uncomfortable. Now imagine if that was your career. What if every day of your working life you had to write with your other hand. What would your life be like?
Writing with our normal hand feels, well, normal. But writing with our opposite hand is pretty weird, awkward and uncomfortable. Now imagine if that was your career. What if every day of your working life you had to write with your other hand. What would your life be like?
You might be able to do it, if your practiced, but would you actually want to?
You might be able to do it, if your practiced, but would you actually want to?
Instead, imagine a career where you can write in your dominant hand. Where you're comfortable. Natural. Normal. Yourself. Can tap into your strengths.
Instead, imagine a career where you can write in your dominant hand. Where you're comfortable. Natural. Normal. Yourself. Can tap into your strengths.
This is the power of connecting yourself to your career. In fact, we know that people who match their personalities to their career choice can achieve three powerful things. They:
This is the power of connecting yourself to your career. In fact, we know that people who match their personalities to their career choice can achieve three powerful things. They:
graduate on time & change majors less
graduate on time & change majors less
report higher job satisfaction
report higher job satisfaction
make more money--literally
make more money--literally
let's play a game!
let's play a game!
stand up. no, not stand-up comedy. just stand up. literally. right now. You. stand up.
stand up. no, not stand-up comedy. just stand up. literally. right now. You. stand up.
Read the below characteristics of a specific, individual career.
Read the below characteristics of a specific, individual career.
If you think you might like this, keep standing. If you don’t think you’d like this, sit down.
If you think you might like this, keep standing. If you don’t think you’d like this, sit down.
Make sense? Okay, ready? Stand up and read.
Make sense? Okay, ready? Stand up and read.
THIS JOB:
THIS JOB:
- Has an average salary of $70,000 per year
- Needs you to be somewhat comfortable with computers and technology
- Is performed indoors (are you still standing?)
- Requires good critical thinking skills
- Demands that you are honest and ethical
- Depends on a great deal of accuracy and precision
- Requires a minimum of a bachelor’s degree—4 years of education
- Works more with data and details, than ideas (are you still standing?)
- Follows a routine, strict guidelines and procedures
- Typically done while sitting at a desk
- Requires a good aptitude for math, numbers and finance
Are you still standing? Well, if so, maybe this career is worth exploring for you!
Are you still standing? Well, if so, maybe this career is worth exploring for you!
If not, when did you sit down? Why? What was it about this one criteria that turned you off? If you didn't sit down when you did, go back and look when would you have instead.
If not, when did you sit down? Why? What was it about this one criteria that turned you off? If you didn't sit down when you did, go back and look when would you have instead.
Think about what you can learn from this little exercise. In order to decide if the major and career you choose will fit for you, you need to know two crucial things:
Think about what you can learn from this little exercise. In order to decide if the major and career you choose will fit for you, you need to know two crucial things:
What is most important to me? What do I like? What do I value? What is my personality? What am I good at?
What is most important to me? What do I like? What do I value? What is my personality? What am I good at?
What does a career really look like? Sometimes we think we know what a career entails, but are we right? How do we know? Without a complete understanding, we might be passing up a career that could be great for us, or worse, going into a career that isn't quite right.
What does a career really look like? Sometimes we think we know what a career entails, but are we right? How do we know? Without a complete understanding, we might be passing up a career that could be great for us, or worse, going into a career that isn't quite right.
How you answer these two questions could very well determine whether you are truly connecting yourself to your future career. By this end of these modules, you will have a tool called the career decision-making grid that will help you put this all together. Stay tuned.
How you answer these two questions could very well determine whether you are truly connecting yourself to your future career. By this end of these modules, you will have a tool called the career decision-making grid that will help you put this all together. Stay tuned.
"Don’t ask yourself 'What major should I choose?' The right question is 'What major is right for me?'"
"Don’t ask yourself 'What major should I choose?' The right question is 'What major is right for me?'"
Christian Eilers
Christian Eilers
From the article you read before you started these modules, you learned about the importance of identifying your interests, personality, values, passions, and abilities before choosing your major. But many people make a major and career decision without considering how all these things might work together.
From the article you read before you started these modules, you learned about the importance of identifying your interests, personality, values, passions, and abilities before choosing your major. But many people make a major and career decision without considering how all these things might work together.
For example, in Career Development Services, we hear students say:
For example, in Career Development Services, we hear students say:
- "I'll major in Business because you can do anything with a Business degree"
- "My parents want me to be an accountant because it pays well"
- "Healthcare is a growing field with good job security, so I'll do that"
- "I don't know much about careers but my family works in [fill in the blank], so I will too"
While all these might be fine options and valid reasons for choosing a path, are they enough for you?
While all these might be fine options and valid reasons for choosing a path, are they enough for you?
To truly know what major or career fits for you, you have to know who you are. What's your personality? How will you use your personality every day in your future career? What parts of your personality will naturally fit? What parts will be like writing in your opposite hand?
To truly know what major or career fits for you, you have to know who you are. What's your personality? How will you use your personality every day in your future career? What parts of your personality will naturally fit? What parts will be like writing in your opposite hand?
Until you can answer those questions, you can't be sure that you are connecting yourself--your interests, strengths, personality and values--to your future career.
Until you can answer those questions, you can't be sure that you are connecting yourself--your interests, strengths, personality and values--to your future career.
ASSIGNMENT: Download the below Connecting Interests to Careers Worksheet (if you haven't already) in Word and complete questions under Module 1. (Or open in Google Docs here)
ASSIGNMENT: Download the below Connecting Interests to Careers Worksheet (if you haven't already) in Word and complete questions under Module 1. (Or open in Google Docs here)
Master Worksheet--FINAL.docxkeep going through EACH MODULE so you can be sure you are connecting yourself to your career.
keep going through EACH MODULE so you can be sure you are connecting yourself to your career.
Ready for the next module? Click here: Module 2 Career Development Process
Ready for the next module? Click here: Module 2 Career Development Process
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