Reading: Lesson 10 - Personal Career Planning

12.10.A - Personal Career Planning

1. BUSINESS CAREERS

1. Business careers are appealing because of the number and variety of jobs available and the opportunities for advancement. No matter what your interests, skills, or level of education and experience might be, there is a job in business that matches them. Once you have obtained your first job and gained both experience and knowledge of business procedures, many opportunities open up. You can advance with additional education or with continuing experience and training on the job. You can identify career paths in almost any business. If you begin work in a clerical position, you may progress to more specialized jobs in information management or office administration. You can then advance from assistant manager to department manager or to a highly specialized position in either area. Some people progress to the very top of the company as executives. Similar career paths are available to people who begin as counter workers in fast-food restaurants, supply clerks in factories, or bell staff in hotels. Because common areas of knowledge and skills are important to many types of businesses, you are not limited to one career path, one type of business, or one geographic area. People who begin in banking may change to an insurance career. Someone who is a salesperson for a computer products company may decide to move to a pharmaceutical company for a higher salary or more responsibilities. If job prospects are not particularly good in one part of the country, a skilled businessperson can probably find employment in another part of the country or even another part of the world. Career paths in business are usually very flexible.
   
2. When you first enter the workforce, you will most likely begin in an entry-level position. Many people get their first job in business while still in high school, with little prior work experience and only a beginning understanding of business principles and operations. The top positions in large corporations are held by people with many years of experience. Executives usually have worked in several areas of the business and often have experience in several businesses. Most business executives today have a college degree and, increasingly, graduate degrees. Businesses have several levels of employment, based on the amount of education and experience required. Common levels are entry, career, specialist, management, and executive/entrepreneur.
   
3. Entry-level occupations usually involve routine activities and require little training. These jobs are open to people with little or no previous business education or experience. If you have not worked in business before, this is where you might begin. People hold entry-level jobs for only a short time until they have developed enough experience and skill for promotion. Examples of entry-level jobs are cashier, counter person, clerk, receptionist, and operator. Career-level jobs require more complex duties. People in career-level occupations have the authority to control some of their work and make some decisions. To be successful, they should have a basic understanding of business and skills in the areas in which they are working. They usually view their work as more than a job and have an interest in the area of business as a potential career. Career-level jobs include sales associate, manufacturing technician, telephone research surveyor, bank teller, and customer account representative.
   
4. Specialist occupations require a variety of skills in one or more business functions and extensive understanding of the operations of a specific company or industry. Specialists are the people considered the most skilled or expert in the activities they perform on the job. Specialists in businesses include buyers, researchers, website designers, programmers, analysts, professional salespeople, technicians, machine operators, and people in similar technical or skilled positions. Supervisors/managers hold the first levels of management positions. They must have a high level of knowledge in the parts of the organization that they supervise. They also must be effective decision makers and have strong leadership ability. People in supervisor/management occupations are responsible for specific units in a business and must make decisions about operations and personnel. The job titles associated with this level of employment are supervisor, assistant manager, and manager. The people who perform management tasks within work teams are often called team leaders.
   
5. Executives/entrepreneurs perform all the management tasks associated with owning a business or managing a major function, a large unit in a company, or the entire company. People who work in executive/entrepreneur occupations are fully responsible for the success or failure of the company. They must possess a comprehensive understanding of business and management. They spend most of their time planning and evaluating the work of the organization. The positions held by executives/entrepreneurs are vice president, president, chief executive, and owner.
   
6. The growth of trade between countries and increasing global competition provide continuing evidence of the importance of international business. It has never been easier to travel to other countries, communicate with people around the world, buy products produced in other places, and sell products and services abroad. The Internet makes access to almost any business and millions of customers only a mouse-click away. We are members of a global community generally, and a global business community specifically. As businesses expand into international markets, so do the opportunities for international business careers. International business careers have all the advantages of a career in one country plus more. In addition to the excitement and challenges that accompany any business career, international careers usually offer additional job choices and the chance to develop new skills, travel, and interact with a wide variety of people from different cultures.
   
7. The international businessperson must be familiar with the cultures of the countries in which the business will operate or to which the company’s products and service are directed. The economic and political environments of countries are other important areas of study. Currently, English is the international language of business. However, there is no substitute for understanding the language of the country in which you will work. People are favorably impressed when you take the trouble to learn their language. It is difficult to predict which languages will be the most important in your future. Your commitment to study and learn a second language will impress employers as well as your international contacts. You will also find it easier to learn an additional language if needed later. Your selection of international courses in high school and college, travel opportunities, and interactions with people from other countries and cultures are all valuable experiences if you would like to work in international business.
   

2. PREPARING FOR A BUSINESS CAREER

1. Preparing for a career in business may seem like trying to negotiate a maze. People who are not familiar with business may have difficulty determining what preparation they need and how to obtain the job they want. If you talk to people who have worked in business for many years, you will find that some did not plan or prepare for the job they currently hold. They often ended up there after starting in another part of the business or in an entirely different occupation. Today, a person is less likely to enter a business career without specific preparation. In your study of business, you have seen that a business career requires a great deal of knowledge and skill in a number of areas. People who understand the requirements and carefully plan to develop the necessary skills are more likely to succeed in business. In some ways, preparing for a business career is complicated, but in other ways, it is really quite simple. It is often a matter of matching your personal qualities, education, and experience with a career path in business.
   
2. Good business education programs are offered in high schools as well as in community and junior colleges and career and technical schools. Business is usually one of the largest degree programs in colleges and universities. You can complete a general business program or specialize in a specific area, such as accounting, computer science, marketing, or even e-commerce. Many businesses offer education and training programs for their employees or pay for some or all of the costs of college coursework. You can also attend conferences and seminars sponsored by businesses and professional associations. Experience in business is always an advantage. Experience in working with people in any way can give you confidence and develop important communication and interpersonal skills. Even if you have not worked part time or full time in a business, other types of experiences are useful. Working on projects in an organization, writing for the yearbook or school newspaper, forming a Junior Achievement company, or helping in a parent’s business are all examples of experiences that can develop skills important in business.
   
3. Most employers value experience when they hire employees. It is relatively easy to find an entry-level job if you are not particularly concerned about the type of work or working conditions. These entry-level jobs provide the work experience that will qualify you for the jobs you prefer. Even though the pay may not be as high as you would like and work schedules are sometimes difficult to manage with school and extracurricular activities, it is important to have a good work record at your first jobs. Beginning employees who stay with one employer for a length of time and receive favorable evaluations will find it easier to receive promotions or be hired by an employer offering a better job. Employees who take advantage of training, opportunities for leadership, or the chance to supervise other employees or contribute to team activities will have an excellent employment record to use when applying for promotions or advanced jobs in other companies.
   
4. Career opportunities for high school graduates are much more limited than for college graduates. Lifetime income is also directly related to your level of education. Someone with a bachelor’s degree will earn, on average, $1 million more than a high school graduate, and those with a professional degree (such as doctors and lawyers) will likely earn over $2 million more. Regardless of your education level, employers desire certain traits in their employees. The Figure below shows the results of a recent study by the National Association of Colleges and Employers. The top two most preferred traits in a job candidate are interpersonal-related skills—leadership and the ability to work in teams. The study also found that the factors that most influence the employer’s choice of a job candidate include holding a leadership position, the area of study or major, a GPA above 3.0, and involvement in extracurricular activities such as clubs, sports, student government, and so forth. Many factors are involved when launching a career. It can be difficult and frustrating. There are steps that both high school and college graduates can take to improve the odds of landing a job. Developing an individual career plan is your first step. Developing a portfolio for employers that highlights your interpersonal skills and job-related knowledge is now much easier to do with websites such as LinkedIn. 
   

   
   

5. DEVELOPING AN INDIVIDUAL CAREER PLAN Many people do little planning, even for the things that are most important to them. You know from your study of business that planning is an important skill. Businesses that plan are much more successful than those that do not. Likewise, people who plan their careers are more likely to achieve their career goals than those who do not plan. By developing a career plan, you will be able to practice an important business skill. In addition, you can show your plan to potential employers to demonstrate your understanding of business as well as your planning and communication skills. The following steps provide an outline for developing your own career plan.
   
   1. Develop an understanding of business concepts and the different types of business careers. Study careers in depth to determine the industries, businesses, and jobs that most interest you and the types of career paths related to those jobs.
   
   2. Complete a self-assessment of your knowledge, skills, and attitudes that are related to those needed in business careers. Use the traits identified in the Figure above and plan to develop interpersonal and job-related skills. Ask a counselor to assist you with appropriate interest and aptitude tests that can help with your self-assessment. Get feedback from people you know (family, friends, teachers, and employers) about their perceptions of your current strengths and weaknesses.
   
   3. Identify the education and experience requirements for specific business careers that interest you. Compare those career requirements with your current preparation, and determine the additional education and experience you will need to qualify for those careers.
   
   4. Discuss the education and experience you will need with people (counselors or businesspeople) who are familiar with education programs and employment opportunities. Have them act as mentors to guide you in selecting those that fit your career plans and qualifications. Ask your mentors to provide job references for you.
   
   5. Develop a career plan that identifies the knowledge and skills needed for the career you have chosen and how you will develop them through a combination of education and experience. The plan can identify the jobs in a career path, the schools or educational programs you plan to attend, leadership opportunities you can pursue, the length of time you anticipate you will spend on each step of the career path, and the ultimate career goal you would like to achieve.

6. Artists, models, and advertising people have used portfolios for many years to demonstrate their abilities and present examples of their work. You may already have been asked to develop an education portfolio to document your work in several of your classes. A career portfolio is an organized collection of information and materials you develop to represent yourself, your preparation, and your accomplishments. You might want to create a portfolio to help with career planning and to represent yourself when you apply for jobs or for admission to an educational institution. Your portfolio should provide clear descriptions of your preparation, skills, and experience. Those descriptions can include examples of projects you have completed in school and on the job or for organizations to which you belong. They can even be work you have done as a hobby that demonstrates an important business skill. You can include evaluations of your skills and work evidenced through tests, checklists of competencies you have mastered, and performance reviews from employers. Also, you might ask people who know you well to write recommendations that relate to your skills and abilities or critiques of your projects or work.

7. A portfolio can be developed over a long period of time. You might start it now and continue to add to it as you complete high school, go on for additional education, or move through jobs in your career path. Your portfolio allows you to add and remove items. Portfolio materials may be kept in a binder or other protective covering to keep them in good condition. If you are a business-focused student, you should develop a digital version of your portfolio. Many college and university career centers provide online career portfolio services. Your digital portfolio may include word-processed documents and projects, examples of your spreadsheet work, presentations, and video and audio files. If there are paper objects, they can be scanned for your digital portfolio. The most popular digital portfolio career site is LinkedIn. LinkedIn acts as an online resume and a repository for digital portfolio materials. It also allows individuals to endorse the skills of others as identified in their profile. For example, if you stated in LinkedIn that you had leadership skills, others can endorse you for this skill. Potential employers who look at these endorsements will be more impressed if the endorsements come from other professionals and not just fellow students. If you decide to use the Internet for this purpose, be careful to protect personal and confidential information.

8. The portfolio should include your best and most recent materials. A portfolio is also a good way to identify important materials that will help you with your self-assessment. It keeps materials organized so you can show them to others to demonstrate achievement, or as you apply for educational programs and jobs. Whether a paper or digital version, a portfolio must communicate your preparation and skills effectively. It should be well organized, professional, and easy for others to review and understand. In addition to a portfolio, two other essential items needed for every career search are an up-to-date resume and a sample application letter. With these items, you are ready to apply for any job that fits into your career plan. By maintaining an up-to-date portfolio, resume, and sample application letter, you can quickly tailor them to a specific employer when you are ready to complete a job application.