Turning Points: Your Career Decision-Making Guide

Turning Points is a comprehensive, practical resource that covers self-assessment, career exploration, job search, and success in the workplace. Student profiles illustrate each topic along the way. Students and instructors who used the first edition praise the following features: bull; bull;Coverage of Holland, Campbell, and Myers-Briggs self-assessment tools bull;Use of the four-step ASAP (Ask-Search-Analyze-Plan) research method for gathering information bull;A decision-making style that combines "listening to your heart" and "using your head" bull;Treatment of decisions about further education as an integral part of the career-planning process With every chapter updated, the second edition provides additional features, including: bull; bull;O'Net basic skills and a unique 88-item portable skills self-test bull;A completely revised chapter with effective strategies for professional development during internships, college jobs, and extracurricular activities bull;An updated chapter that shares experts' tips for managing your career during a time of rapid technological change bull;Expanded coverage of electronic resumes, online job banks, and other job/internship search tools bull;New and restructured activities designed to help readers use and evacuate career-related Web sites bull;A section on implementing career decisions, accompanied by a related hands-on activity Visit our Student Success Supersite at www.prenhall.com/success Features include: bull; bull;Majors Exploration bull;Career Advice bull;Web Links bull;Tips from Successful Students bull;Student Bulletin Boards bull;Faculty Resources

Career decisions are among the most important choices you will ever make. Work plays an important part in shaping your lifestyle and contributes significantly to your overall life satisfaction. To engage in career planning is to concentrate on some of life's biggest questions: "What do I want to do?" "Who do I want to become?" "How will I earn my living?" There are no ready-made, one-size-fits-all answers to these questions. Career planning is a creative endeavor. Each of you has a different set of concerns and a unique life situation, and each of you possesses a distinctive combination of values, interests, personality, and skills. This second edition ofTurning Pointsis designed to respond to your individual needs and introduce you to career-planning techniques that will have lifelong advantages. CAREER DILEMMAS You want to choose wisely, because your choices will have very important consequences for your life. Yet there are so many issues to consider that it is natural to feel some uncertainty. Read over the list of questions below, and check the ones that are similar to questions you may have. Which career options really suit me the best? How can I balance my desire to advance my career with my family needs? Should I change direction or stay with what I have selected? Am I too much of a dreamer, never settling on any one direction? Is it a good idea to continue my education? Now or later? Full-time or part-time? Where can I get the time and money to go on with my education? What are the best career opportunities in the global marketplace? Which fields hold the most promise in the years ahead? What kinds of skills do employers want? Now add any other questions that came to mind. In this book I call such questions and concerns "career dilemmas" because they often involve difficult and perplexing issues--they are like puzzles. This book will help you define your own personal career dilemmas and provide you with a method for resolving them. You can become more confident about your future. You have made a substantial investment in higher education. Learning practical career-planning techniques helps to ensure that one major benefit of your efforts will be a selection of rewarding career options. OVERVIEW OF THE CONTENTS The scope of this book is comprehensive. Its 13 chapters encompass three major topics: (1) searching for information, (2) setting your career direction, and (3) making your experience count. Each of these topics corresponds to one of the three essential tasks--exploration, specification, and implementation--described by Donald Super in his pioneering work on career development. Part I: Search for Information This unit, consisting of Chapters 1-5, focuses on exploration tasks. You'll cover the kind of information you need to make good career choices and see whether an advanced degree or additional training is right for you. The purpose of these chapters is to help you conduct a self-assessment, gather information, and identify suitable career and educational options. Part II: Set Your Direction In this unit, I introduce a practical model of career decision making. You are encouraged to "Listen to Your Heart" and "Use Your Head." This balanced approach helps you consider your personal dreams, life circumstances, and economic goals. It also highlights the need to ponder external factors, such as workplace opportunities. This unit, consisting of Chapters 6-10, engages you in setting your career direction. It addresses three important choices: selecting a college major, choosing a work setting, and making a job choice. It also teaches you effective job search tactics and vital job search skills, such as resume writing and interviewing. Part III: Make Your Experience Count Chapters 11-13 are devoted to strategies to advance you