latrobe.edu.au/students/careers CRICOS Provider 00115M

Career Ready ProgramSeminar 5: Next Steps

Career Development CentreLa Trobe University

Career Readiness Planning

3 adapted from: /www.ed.ac.uk/schools-departments/careers/postgrad/phd/making-career-decisions/models

Career Readiness Planning

Self Awareness

Opportunity Awareness

Review options and

make choices

Create an action plan

Make applications &

generate opportunities

Gain experience

4

Self Awareness Module 1-2

Reflect on your career exploration so far ...

• Values

• Interests

• Decision making style

Review your employability skill development

5

Opportunity Awareness Module 3-4

Review your career opportunities

• Your career research

• Occupations identified

• Job search methods

• Networks

• Applying for opportunities

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Next Steps Consolidating & taking action

What will your Career Readiness Plan include?

• Skill development

• Network development

• Acting on opportunity

Luck is a matter of preparation meeting opportunity. Seneca

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Goal Setting – Some Considerations

• Your environment is dynamic ... and so are you!

complex, constantly changing, adapting

See: Jim Bright; The Chaos Theory of Careers

• Therefore: long term goal setting may be of limited benefit

• You can really only plan for how you to be successful in this environment

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Short-Term Goal Setting

specific

action orientated

measurable

Activity!

• Complete the Goal section of your Career Readiness Plan, recording 1-3 career goals

• List 2-4 short term goals that you want to achieve in the next 6-12 months that support your career goals

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Another way to set goals ...

Career Bucket Lists

• Using PebblePad you can create a ‘Career Bucket List’ of the 10 things you want to experience in your career.

• Get inspiration from Pinterest

• Items could include; working overseas, becoming an expert in your field, speaking at a conference, changing attitudes to a social issue etc.

Professionalism in the Workplace

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Professionalism

“It takes 20 years to build a reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think

about that, you'll do things differently.”

Warren Buffett

• Professionalism: “the conduct, aims, or qualities that characterize or mark a profession or a professional person” (Merriam Webster dictionary)

• Adherence to professional etiquette and ethics

• Related to the person rather than the position

• Your level of professionalism can have a long lasting effect on your personal career development.

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Professionalism in the Workplace

Characteristics of professionals:

• Possess specialised knowledge

• Competent

• Act with integrity

• Accountable

• Calm under pressure

• Dress appropriately for the situation

www.mindtools.com

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Building Your Professional Profile

• Let people know who you are.

• Let people know you’re capable and interested.

• Get involved and take advantage of opportunities.

• Be a strong team player.

• Volunteer to do extra tasks, projects or committee work (but volunteer wisely).

• Find a mentor.

• Network within and outside the organisation.

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Professional Etiquette Tips

• Make it your goal to work well with others.• Treat people at all levels with respect and dignity.• Arrive on time for meetings and appointments.• Show genuine appreciation for help.• Keep all promises and commitments.• Conduct personal business on your lunch breaks.

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Professional Etiquette Tips (continued)

• Avoid getting involved in office politics.• Try to return phone calls and emails within 24 hours.• Keep emails professional.• Avoid personal web surfing.• Dress appropriately for the workplace.• Demonstrate enthusiasm for learning.• Don’t use profanity or slang.

Managing Your Career

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Strategies for Managing Your Career

• Develop professional workplace relationships

• Seek feedback from others

• Get a mentor (formal or informal)

• Join and participate in a professional association

• Undertake continuing professional development

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Strategies for Managing Your Career (continued)

• Use appropriate business etiquette

• Learn how to network properly

• Keep resume up to date

• Be prepared to take risks and look for opportunities

• Continue to be self aware – reflect on your unique skill set

Career Resilience

“I didn't see it then, but it turned out that getting fired from Apple was

the best thing that could have ever happened to me. It freed me to

enter one of the most creative periods of my life.[…] Sometimes life

hits you in the head with a brick. Don't lose faith.”

Steve Jobs, on his being fired from Apple in 1984

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Resilience

The ability to recover quickly from change or misfortune; buoyancy.

www.thefreedictionary.com/resilience

Career Resilience can be considered as the ability to

bounce back from adversity, adapt to change or to be

able to resume your career identity in spite of a career setback.

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Strategies to develop resilience

• Get enough sleep and exercise, and learn to manage stress.

• Practice positive thinking.

• Learn from your mistakes and failures.

• Choose your response.

• Maintain perspective and try to avoid blowing things out of proportion.

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Strategies to develop resilience (continued)

• Learn to set and achieve goals, and learn from your experiences.

• Build your self confidence.

• Take the risks you need to get ahead.

• Develop strong relationships with your colleagues.

• Focus on being flexible.

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Building Career Resilience

• Accept change as constant

• Optimism – view challenges as opportunities

• Focus on meaning and purpose

• Take responsibility for your career

• Develop emotional intelligence

• Balance work and life goals

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My career has not been linear, I

have just made the best decision I could at the time”

Tim Costello, World Vision

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Planned Happenstance

The theory of ‘planned happenstance’ incorporates ideas about using skills to

deal with uncertainty, and seeing the

potential benefits from unplanned events.

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Planned Happenstance

Attitudes helpful when dealing with uncertainty:

• CuriosityExplore new learning opportunities

• PersistenceExerting effort despite setbacks

• FlexibilityChanging attitudes and circumstances

• OptimismViewing opportunities as possible and attainable

• Risk takingTaking action in the face of uncertain outcomes

(Mitchell, Levin & Krumboltz 1999)

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Making the most of opportunities

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Next steps

• LMS readings for module ‘Next steps after I graduate’

• Complete your PebblePad workbook activities

• If you are a Work Ready BA or Science student:

• Submit your completed PebblePad workbook to the ‘Career Ready Program 2013’ workspace

• We will notify your faculty that you have completed the program

Thank you

Connect with us via:

Web: latrobe.edu.au/students/careers

Facebook: facebook.com/LaTrobeCareers

Twitter: @LTUcareers

Email: careers@latrobe.edu.au