The Career Adventure Your Guide to Personal Assessment, Career Exploration, and Decision Making

by Johnston, Susan M.

• ISBN13: 9780131149694
• ISBN10: 0131149695
• Edition: 4th
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2005-06-28
• Publisher: Prentice Hall

Summary

The Career Adventure captures the excitement of career planning in a step-by-step process of self-assessment and decision making. The text encourages students to be autonomous and use self-exploration as a means to success.This edition offers an expanded use of electronic and Internet resources, an update of Maslow's hierarchy, and exercises that relate all facets of the job search to students' larger career goals.Important features of this edition include: Integrated Exercises Case Studies Portfolios Visit our Student Success Supersite at www.prenhall.com/success Features include: Majors Exploration Career Advice Web Links Tips from Successful Students Student Bulletin Boards Faculty Resources

Author Biography

With approximately 20 years of experience in career development and counseling, Susan M. Johnston has had the opportunity to work closely with hundreds of students and clients who have chosen to take on the challenge of career planning.  As an instructor in career planning and a private practice career advisor, she has guided individuals through the process of self-assessment, career exploration, and decison making to achieve their career goals.  Prior to her classroom and private practice experience, she held positions at Sinclair Community College in the area of Cooperative Education and with the Career Planning and Placement Center.  In addition to her teaching and counseling services, she is currently providing career planning consulting services to secondary schools seeking to update and implement career development programs.

Susan graduated summa cum laude from Wright State University with a B.A. in Communications and holds an M.S.Ed. in Counseling from the University of Dayton.  In past positions, she has been on assignment with the State Department in India for the U.S. Information Agency, and prior to her experience as an educator, she was a contract negotiator for th U.S. Air Force.  She is an active member of the American Counseling Association, the National Career Development Association, and the Ohio Counseling Association.  She has also written a number of articles and presented workshops in the areas of career planning and balancing roles.

Currently, Susan is pursuing a doctoral degree in Workforce Development at The Ohio State University.

Susan is a pacifist whose oldest son, Charles, is a second lieutenant in the United State Marine Corps of whom she is insufferably proud.  Susan's middle son, Mitch, is an honors student majoring in international business and Italian at The Ohio State University.  Her youngest son, Russ, applies his 6'3", 250-pound frame to the offensive line on his high school football team.

Table of Contents

Preface	ix
About the Author	xiii
Introduction	xv
College Career Planning Year by Year	xix
PART I Self-Assessment	1	(44)
Learning About Yourself
Creating Your Dream	3	(4)
Who Are You? Who Would You Like To Be?	3	(4)
Discovering Yourself	7	(14)
Motivations, Life Stages, and Values
Motivations: What Drives You?	7	(4)
Maslow's Pyramid	10	(1)
Life Stages: Where Do You Fit?	11	(2)
Your Current Life Stage	13	(1)
Values: How Well Do You Know Yourself?	13	(4)
Distinguishing Your Values	15	(2)
Katie's Story	17	(1)
Pulling It All Together	17	(1)
A Look Back	18	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	19	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	19	(2)
Continuing Your Self-Discovery	21	(24)
Skills, Personality, and Interests
Abilities/Skills: Were You Born With Them? Can You Learn Them?	21	(3)
Acknowledge Your Abilities, Value Your Skills	23	(1)
Transferable Skills	24	(2)
Your Transferable Skills	24	(2)
Are You Ready for the Workplace	26	(3)
On-the-Job Know How	28	(1)
What Makes Your Personality Uniqui	29	(9)
Identifying Your Type	31	(4)
A Glimpse in the Mirror	35	(2)
Love--Hate Between Types	37	(1)
What Do You Enjoy Doing?	38	(3)
Assessing Your Interests	39	(2)
Li's Story	41	(2)
Pulling It All Together	42	(1)
A Look Back	43	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	43	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	44	(1)
PART II Career Exploration	45	(66)
Learning About the World of Work
Exploring the World of Work	47	(32)
How Can Uncle Sam Help?	48	(9)
Finding Your Way Around Department of Labor Data	55	(2)
Internet Resources: Career Database or Data Dump?	57	(3)
To ``Blog'' or Not to ``Blog''?	60	(3)
Searching the Sites	62	(1)
What Is Computer-Assisted Career Guidance?	63	(1)
Which Way to Your College Career Center?	64	(1)
What's the Big Picture?	64	(5)
Understanding Workplace Trends	68	(1)
Trying Out a Career	69	(4)
Sampling Careers	70	(1)
Learning From Your Community	70	(1)
Acquiring Hands-on Experience	71	(1)
Finding a Setting to Hone Your Skills	72	(1)
Mitch's Story	73	(1)
Pulling It All Together	74	(1)
A Look Back	74	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	75	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	76	(3)
Networking	79	(18)
Establishing Contacts and Support
Identifying Your Existing Network	80	(2)
Your ``Foy Club''	80	(2)
Expanding Your Network	82	(2)
Develop Contacts	83	(1)
Information Networking	84	(1)
Arranging Your Network Meeting	84	(3)
Practice Your Telephone Style	86	(1)
Preparing For Your Network Meeting	87	(2)
Following Up	89	(1)
Finding Mentors and Sponsors	90	(1)
Job Shadowing	91	(1)
Elizabeth's Story	92	(2)
Pulling It All Together	93	(1)
A Look Back	94	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	95	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	95	(2)
Decision Making and Goal Setting	97	(14)
Decision-Making Styles	98	(1)
Decision-Making Techniques	98	(1)
What Are Your Priorities? What Are Your Options?	99	(1)
Career Option Checklist	99	(1)
What Are Your Goals?	100	(1)
Your Long-Term Goal	101	(1)
What's Next?	101	(2)
Fact Finding	101	(2)
The One-Year Plan of Action	103	(1)
Consolidating Your Resources	103	(2)
Setting Short-Term Goals	104	(1)
Dealing With Uncertainty: Affirmations	105	(3)
Positive Self-Talk	107	(1)
Charlie's Story	108	(1)
Pulling It All Together	109	(1)
A Look Back	109	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	110	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	110	(1)
PART III The Job Campaign	111	(76)
Organizing Your Search
Designing Your Resume and Cover Letters	113	(34)
Conveying Who You Are	113	(1)
There's No Such Thing As A ``Surefire'' Resume	114	(1)
Resume Styles	114	(4)
Which Style Is Right for You?	118	(2)
Developing Content For Your Resume	120	(1)
Finding Parallel Skills	121	(1)
Components of a Resume	121	(10)
A Practice Summary Statement	123	(2)
Highlighting Your Skills	125	(2)
Showcasing Your Work Experience	127	(3)
The Whole You	130	(1)
Appearance, Format, and Electronic Distribution	131	(1)
The Steps in Finding a Job	132	(1)
The Cover Letter	133	(3)
Writing a Persuasive Cover Letter	135	(1)
Job Applications	136	(2)
Career Portfolios	138	(1)
Russell's Story	139	(5)
Pulling It All Together	142	(2)
A Look Back	144	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	144	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	145	(2)
Interviewing with Confidence	147	(18)
Preparing Yourself to Interview	147	(1)
The Dynamics of Interviewing	148	(1)
Aspects of the Interview You Control	149	(10)
Mirror, Mirror on the Wall . . .	151	(2)
Telling, Not Bragging	153	(1)
Sample Interview Questions	154	(3)
How Am I Acting?	157	(1)
Prepare Your Questions	158	(1)
Telephone Interviewing	159	(1)
Keep Your Focus	159	(1)
Visualize Your Success	160	(1)
Your Interview Goals	160	(1)
Jaime's Story	161	(2)
Pulling It All Together	162	(1)
A Look Back	163	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	163	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	164	(1)
Developing Job Leads	165	(16)
The Hidden Job Market	165	(1)
Alerting Your Network	166	(2)
Enlist Your Network's Support	167	(1)
Accepting Support	168	(1)
Marketing Yourself	168	(2)
Using the Internet	170	(1)
Researching Employers and Jobs Electronically	171	(3)
Enlarging Your Network	174	(2)
Generating Interviews	175	(1)
Be Organized and Persistent	176	(1)
The Mini-Campaign	176	(1)
Being a Resource to Someone Else	177	(1)
Scott's Story	177	(2)
Pulling It All Together	178	(1)
A Look Back	179	(1)
Other Sources and Suggested Reading	179	(1)
Web Sites and Internet Resources	180	(1)
Continuing Your Adventure	181	(6)
Understanding Your Employer's Expectations	181	(3)
The New World Order	184	(1)
Wiggling Around	184	(1)
Your Career: A Work ``In Process''	185	(2)
Appendices	187	(14)
A Department of Labor Samples	187	(6)
B Sample Resumes and Cover Letters	193	(6)
C Additional Resources	199	(2)
References	201	(6)
Index	207