Continuing Professional Development: Your state may require that you obtain or renew professional licensure through continuing professional development (CRD). Even if it is not a requirement, however, you may want to consider expanding your expertise through continuing education classes or other, more informal methods, such as participating in or attending professional committees, conferences, and workshops, or writing articles for professional journals.
The self assessment work sheets included in this chapter are provided to help you inventory your skills, knowledge, abilities, interests, accomplishments, values, and personal traits as they have been demonstrated in your day to day activities at work, school, home, and in the community. Make sure you include all your talents. Sometimes people take their biggest positives for granted. Have someone who knows you well review your work sheets to ensure that you include all your positives. When completing these work sheets think about "transferable." These are skills and abilities that you can take with you to a new job. They are characteristics you have in which your new employer will be particularly interested. Remember, the employer is going to be looking for how you can benefit his or her organization.
Exploring Career Possibilities: Review your assessment work sheets. Do the strengths and positive attributes listed suggest possible changes for you? Your choice of a career does not have to be limited to the one in which you have the most direct education, experience, or training.
You may discover a new occupation by changing industries, or you may decide to try consulting. When evaluating your career, you may consider returning to school to learn new skills or becoming self employed.
While answering these questions, carefully consider personal circumstances: your lifestyle, health, family circumstances, and financial needs. Keep these factors in mind when making career plans.
Considering everything you know about yourself, try to think of some career possibilities that you could do well and would enjoy. Make a list of these possibilities to use in your job search.
You may obtain additional information about careers from a number of useful publications. Following are three examples, published by the Department of Labor.
Guide for Occupational Exploration, (GOE): The GOE lists more than 12,000 occupations and organizes them into a structure developed specifically for career guidance. It provides a wealth of information on how to relate your background to jobs and where to obtain additional information.
Occupational Outlook Handbook, (OOH): Designed for career guidance, this book presents useful information, including requirements and duties, for a wide variety of jobs. The OOH is described in more detail in Chapter 4, "Researching the Job Market."
Dictionary of Occupational Titles, (DOT): The DOT is a comprehensive listing of job descriptions. It describes more than 12,000 occupations and is used by all State Employment Service offices to match people's qualifications to job openings.
These books are available at your local Employment Service office and at many libraries and college career centers.
If you are considering self employment or buying a franchise, the U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) offers loans, training, and planning, as well as many useful publications. There are SBA offices in every state. Their toll free number is (800) U ASK SBA. In addition, their Service Corps of Retired Executives (SCORE) provides free training and counseling on how to set up and run a small business.
Considering Self Employment: If you are considering starting your own consulting business, you may want to call your local association for consulting engineers. For the phone number in your state, contact the American Consulting Engineers Council (ACEC), 1015 15th Street N.W., Washington, D.C. 20005, (202) 347 7474.
Getting Professional Assistance: If you would like additional help in planning your career, you may want to turn to public or private career counseling services that are useful for career exploration. They may help to develop comprehensive career plans. You will find them listed in your local telephone directory. These organizations use a variety of tests and instruments to assess your skills, abilities, interests, and personality. Types of organizations where you can seek assistance include the following.
State Employment Service Offices: State employment offices are located throughout the country. In most states, they provide career counseling services to those who are deciding on a career or who are thinking about changing careers. Many of these offices also provide interactive computer systems that contain job information. These services are free.
Community Colleges and Libraries: These organizations often have career counseling centers that have computerized job and career information systems. Sometimes they offer short courses on conducting a Job search, and they often offer career counseling at no charge.
College/University Guidance Centers: If you are graduating from a college or university, consider the services offered by your college guidance center. In addition, college guidance centers sometimes offer their services to the public for a fee.
Nonprofit Organizations: Such organizations like the YMCA provide career counseling, although fees may be charged on a sliding scale. Check local social service agencies, community vocational services, or religious organizations such as Catholic Social Services.
Privately Run Firms: Privately run firms provide counseling services that are useful in helping you decide on possible careers. However, they can be expensive and quality varies; before you select one, check with the Better Business Bureau or with friends who have used these services.
