Career Decisions I. Discuss Thoughts on Career a.

To be truly happy in what you do for a living you need three things: i. You must be good at it ii. It must come easily to for you iii. You must enjoy it b. If you want to enjoy a successful and rewarding life, you have to plan for it. Importance of Self-Assessment a. _______________ (amount) or more on the job of your career b. Find a career that interest you and is satisfying c. DO NOT pick a job based on money i. Annual Incomes (2010) 1. Some High School: $23,088 2. High School Graduate:$ 32, 552 3. Some College: $37, 024 4. Associate Degree: $39, 884 5. Bachelors Degree: $53, 976 6. Masters: $66,144- 80, 600 d. ENJOY GOING TO WORK!! e. Think about what you like doing, what you do well and what skills and knowledge you want to have Technology and Internet a. Businesses seek ways to improve quality, increase output and lower costs b. The internet opened worldwide markets, it has also created global competition Positive Features of Employment a. Salary: is the amount of monthly or annual pay that you earn for your labor

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b. Benefits: are company provided additions to salary, such as, health, dental and eye insurance, sick pay, vacation time and retirement plans. c. Opportunity for Promotion: is the ability to advance to positions of greater responsibility and higher pay Negative Features of Employment a. Employee Expenses: includes any costs of working paid by the employee that are not reimbursed by the employer i. Examples- uniforms, cleaning ii. These make jobs less attractive to job searchers b. Work Characteristics: are the daily activities of the job and environment in which they must be performed. i. Examples- working indoors v. outdoor, alone v. a team, high stress v. low stress ii. These characteristics attract a worker to the job Entrepreneurship a. Entrepreneur: Is someone who organizes, manages, and assumes the ownership risks of a new business b. Opportunities for business ownership i. Family Business ii. Purchase a franchise/business in existence iii. Start a New Business Advantages of Owning your own Business a. Making the Decisions b. Be Your Own Boss c. Feel in control of your own future d. Keep the priorities Disadvantages of Owning your own Business a. Large Investment of planning, time and money b. High Risk of Failure c. Statistics show that most new small business do not succeed d. Reasons for failure i. Lack of money

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ii. Lack of skills Coping with Change a. Change WILL happen b. If you accept change you can help shape it; if you ignore change you will be left behind c. Be a lifelong learner- someone who actively seeks new knowledge, skills, and experiences that will add professional and personal growth throughout life. d. Take Classes i. Upgrading: advancing to a higher level of skill to increase your usefulness to an employer ii. Retraining: learning new and different skills so that an employee can retain the same level of employability. iii. Advanced Degrees: specialized, intensive programs (Masters) that prepare students for higher-level work responsibilities with more challenges and higher pay Placement Centers a. Many schools, colleges, and technical training institutes have placement centers that offer advice and counseling to help you choose a career. b. Services offered i. Helping with self-assessment ii. Advice to determine career path iii. Vocational, interest, and personal testing iv. Let people know when jobs open v. Help with applying and interviewing Changing Career Opportunities a. Long- Term Sustainability i. Average job only lasts 4 years b. World Economy i. Competing with world for jobs

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c. Networking: The people you meet through work (phone calls, email, lunch, etc) and become friends and contacts. Knowing your Career a. Job Analysis: an evaluation of the positive and negative traits about a job