Careers Support
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Career Planning
'If you find a job you love, you will never have to work a day in your life'
The basic premise of career planning is to: Know yourself, know the world of work, and match these together. The Careers Advisor can help you to explore you interests, values and personality type and match these to work environments which would suit you. By exploring occupational information and labour market trends, they can assist you to evaluate alternatives and make career decisions.
Working out your interests
Interests reflect preferences for certain activities and work environments. According to the most popular theory of career interests, Holland’s RIASEC model, interests can be organized into six areas: Realistic, Investigative, Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Not only can a person’s interests profile be defined by these six types, but work environments can also be classified into the same six categories. Aligning one’s work environments with his or her interests will not only increase satisfaction at work but also enhance the potential for achieving career success.
Think about your values
These core principles are an important part of who you are. They include things like honesty, service, self-respect, respect for others, helping people, money and success. Therefore, you must identify what work values you cherish the most before you choose a career.
Knowing your personality type
An individual's personality sometimes makes them more adaptable to certain jobs. Personality tests give people an idea of their psychological makeup and can be a great tool when looking for a job. Knowing what personality type you are can help you discover the ideal job and work environment for your type.
Knowing what jobs are out there
Investigating the world of work is an important step in the career decision making process. There are thousands of job options out there, many of which we don't even know exist. It is important to have relevant up-to-date occupational information, such as wages, job opportunities and any training required, so you can make an informed decision. Factors such as location availability and labour market trends also need to be taken into account as the world of work is constantly changing.
Creating an action plan
Krumboltz’s 7 steps to career decision making is a good framework to work with when making career decisions. It is summarised as the acronym DECIDES:
Define the Problem
Establish an Action Plan
Clarifying Values
Identifying Alternatives
Discover Probable Outcomes.
Eliminate Alternatives
Start Action
Assessment Tools
The Careers Advisor has many different assessment tools available to help you learn more about yourself, find occupational alternatives, and help you make career decisions. Book an appointment today by visiting a Student Helpdesk, or by emailing lss@wandw.ac.nz or calling 0800 141 121.