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Choosing and Exploring a Career: Know Yourself First

The Career Management Cycle | Starting Self Assessment

"What should the next step be in my career?" Many alumni ask themselves this question and some turn to us for an answer. They realize they may not have a grasp of all the activities beyond their academic work that contribute to an ultimately successful launch of a career. Faced with the need to set a new course to a career, many realize they face a new adventure requiring decision making for which life to-date may have provided little by way of preparation.

The answer to the question above lies in a learning process whose foundation components are self asessment, i.e. knowing one's skills, potentials, interests, temperament, expectations from work, and personal priorities, and work world assessment, i.e. learning just what career fields are all about through reading, speaking with professionals and gaining experience. Add to this foundation a sense of how selection processes for employment and further study are actually conducted, and the ability to set and execute realistic strategies to attain results, and alumni will have a framework for lifelong career management. The cycle resembles this:

The Role of Career Advisors

To translate this model into practice after their years at Syracuse, alumni draw on many resources, experiences and people. Adding perspective to these efforts are frequently career advisors from the Center for Career Services. Our staff of experienced advisors can help alumni to conduct self assessment, i.e. evaluating their skills, interests, lifestyle goals, personal priorities and requirements, preferred workstyles, external influences and more. At their disposal are assessment tools, sometimes referred to as tests, that aid in the profiling and discussion of these important foundations for further exploration. At the core are confidential discussions that enable progress toward making a choice that is right.

STARTING SELF ASSESSMENT

Self Help Resources. The Center can suggest some print resources such as What Color is Your Parachute that address self assessment. Checklists included in The Career Guide, a publication available free of charge, can also start people to thinking about their skills, interests, and temperament. It is best, however, to seek staff assistance.

Staff Assistance. One of the principal roles of the Center's career consultants is to discuss and facilitate self assessment and subsequent exploration of career options. Appointments are recommended and may be arranged by calling 315 443-3616, or, if possible, by visiting the Center. The consultants have at their disposal a number of career assessment instruments and will evaluate which may meet an alumnus/na's need during a personal consultation. The assessment process generally requires a number of conversations and provides a good foundation for initial career information gathering, thinking about further study, and evaluating options for those with backgrounds applicable in many settings.