The Career Adventure Your Guide to Personal Assessment, Career Exploration, and Decision Making

This book leverages the power of peer and mentor support guiding students through a flexible, yet comprehensive, approach to career planning in a world in which change continues to influence the career landscape.

The Career Adventure is a full-range approach for adult students who are seeking engagement in a systematic process to career decision-making. Whether students are new to career planning and trying to determine how their experiences prepare them for future careers or seasoned pros who are moving on to a new career opportunity, a series of steps helps them build on the growth and learning that has informed their prior work lives. Students will use their experiences as part of a process that contextualizes skills, knowledge, and background to inform future success. Grounded in ‘doing’ rather than ‘explaining,’ students are encouraged to move aggressively through these steps for life-long career development. The revision focuses on setting and achieving career goals that offer long-term growth, and uses social networking media to create a vibrant exchange that supports mutual value and meaning. The opportunity to capitalize on the knowledge of fellow career seekers maximizes information sharing and reflection for better, more illuminated goal-setting and decision-making.

Dr. Susan Johnston has worked in the field of career planning for over 30 years as a career advisor, consultant, scholar and a professional shaping her own experience of career. As such she brings a wealth of experience and insight to the increasingly volatile process of professional growth and development. Her span of experience in this field includes working at community college, four-year University, in private practice with clients and as a consultant with public school districts. Currently she is working with faculty at a professional military education institution directing the Office of Institutional Research, Analysis and Planning. Her scholarly interests include continuing professional development through communities of practice and resilience in high stress, high stakes settings.

I. SELF-ASSESSMENT: LEARNING ABOUT YOURSELF.

1. Creating Your Dream.

2. Discovering Yourself: Motivations, Life Stages, and Values.

3. Continuing Your Self-Discovery: Skills, Personality, and Interests.

II. CAREER EXPLORATION: LEARNING ABOUT THE WORLD OF WORK.

4. Exploring the World of Work.

5. Networking: Establishing Contacts and Support.

6. Decision Making and Goal Setting.

III. THE JOB CAMPAIGN: ORGANIZING YOUR SEARCH.

7. Designing Your Resume and Cover Letters.

8. Interviewing with Confidence.

9. Developing Job Leads.

10. Continuing Your Adventure.

Appendix A: Sample Resumes and Cover Letters.

References.

Index.

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