Module I: Career Exploration

To get the most out of career planning, it’s important to understand what exactly you are planning for. The word career pops up all over the place and can mean different things to different people. Career can include all of your life and work experiences including hobbies. In this course, career includes all of the education, clinical/field experiences/internships, and work experience that relate to your professional work life. Career preparation and planning does not stop once you graduate from college - it continues on throughout your life. From your first job to the next one until you finally decide to retire you will continue to evaluate and readjust your career goals. You may change jobs, or even careers, go back to school, or decide to start your own business. Think of your college degree as the beginning foundation of your career. As you go through life you will be constantly adding to that foundation with life and work experiences, new positions and employers, and continued educational experiences.

Just as there are many definitions about the word career, so are there some common myths about careers. To learn about the top 10 career myths, please click here: Top 10 Career Myths.

In this module you will learn how to:

• Identify your interests, values, abilities, and personality.
• Find appropriate career options that match your interests, abilities, values, and personality type.
• Make an informed career decision by researching career options and using facts and intuition to make a good career decision.
• You will record your answers on a worksheet called, “My Career Plan.”

Are you ready to begin? Go to Lesson 1.