Title: Evaluate career choices in relation to a personal life-management plan.
Course: Life Planning (19257-36) > Section: Developing Strategies for Lifelong Career Planning

Evaluation should include

- defining job and career and differentiating between the two
- assessing personal characteristics
- completing appropriate interest inventories or tests
- identifying career clusters and pathways
- researching job characteristics and conditions
- determining training requirements
- considering geographic mobility
- gauging employment outlook (e.g., conducting labor market research to determine trends in hiring and growth in occupations)
- considering values, goals, and desired lifestyle
- identifying career choices that will support choice of lifestyle
- discussing specific steps to create a clearly defined plan of action.

Process/Skill Questions:

Thinking

- Why are career choices important in a life-management plan?
- Would you be willing to make sacrifices (e.g., work in jobs you do not enjoy or for low pay) to reach a goal of a satisfying career? Explain.
- How can you clearly define your career path?

Communication

- What communication skills enable you to evaluate career choices in relation to a life-management plan?
- Where do you acquire your attitudes and beliefs regarding career choices?
- How can you communicate your career choices to others?

Leadership

- How can you encourage others to evaluate career choices in relation to a life-management plan?
- What happens when you choose a career that fits into your definition of success? What happens when you choose a career that does not fit?
- How can going the extra mile contribute to your success as a leader?

Management

- What information is needed to evaluate career choices in relation to a life-management plan?
- What problem-solving/decision-making process can be used to evaluate career choices in relation to a life-management plan?
- What steps can be taken to ensure that the career choices fit the life-management plan?