NG Y O U R C A REER PATH

DETE RM IN I
I M AK E G O O D C AREER CHOICES? 
HOW DO
 EER PLANNING PROC
ESS R PLANNING
FOUR STEPS TO CAR AR N ING AN D DE VE LOPMENT. THE CAREE
NAGE YOUR LE
G OI N G PR OC ES S TH AT CAN HELP YOU MA
AN ON
CAREER PLANNING IS
UR ST EPS:
PROCESS HAS FO AND VALUES.
AR T W IT H Y O UR SKILLS, INTERESTS
OURSELF- ST
STEP 1: KNOWING Y
D COURSES.
ND IN G OU T- FI ND OUT ABOUT JOBS AN
STEP 2: FI PARE.
S- L OO K AT Y OU R OPTIONS AND COM
CISION
STEP 3: MAKING DE OAL.
XT ST EP AN D W OR K TOWARDS YOUR G
YOUR NE
STEP 4: ACTING- PLAN

 
STEP 1: KNOWING YOURSELF
BEGIN BY THINKING ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE NOW, WHERE
YOU WANT TO BE AND HOW YOU’RE GOING TO GET THERE. 
ONCE YOU HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT WHERE YOU ARE AT NOW
AND WHERE YOU WANT TO BE, YOU CAN WORK ON GETTING
TO KNOW YOUR SKILLS, INTERESTS AND VALUES. 
Begin by asking yourself the following questions:

 Where do I start? Think about where you are at, where you want to go and
how you are going to get there.
 
 
 What are my interests? Explore your work interests.
 
 What are my skills? Explore your abilities. 
 What is important now? Clarify what is important to you in your work and
your life.
 
 What else do I need to think about? Think about the other factors that will
  affect your work and learning decisions.

 
At the end of this step you will have a clearer idea of your work
or learning goal and your individual preferences.
STEP 2: FINDING OUT
THIS STEP IS ABOUT EXPLORING THE OCCUPATIONS AND
LEARNING AREAS THAT INTEREST YOU.
ONCE YOU HAVE SOME IDEA OF YOUR OCCUPATIONAL
PREFERENCES YOU CAN RESEARCH THE SPECIFIC SKILLS AND
QUALIFICATIONS REQUIRED FOR THOSE OCCUPATIONS.
 
 How do I find out more about my preferred occupations?
 How do my skills and interests match up with these occupations?
 What skills do I need?
 What options do I have to gain these skills or qualify for these occupations? 
 Where is the work?
 What are the working conditions?
 What are the daily tasks and duties?
It is important that you try not to make any decisions at this point and keep an
open mind. Use the tools below to help you. 
 
STEP 3: MAKING DECISIONS
THIS STEP INVOLVES COMPARING YOUR OPTIONS,
NARROWING DOWN YOUR CHOICES AND THINKING ABOUT
WHAT SUITS YOU BEST NOW.  
 
Ask yourself:
 What are my best work/training options?
 How do they match with my skills, interests and values?
 How do they fit with the current labour market?
 How do they fit with my current situation and responsibilities?
 What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
 What will help and what will hinder me?
 What can I do about it?

At the end of this step you will have narrowed down your options and have more of an idea of what
you need to do next to help you achieve your goals.
 
STEP 4: ACTING
HERE YOU PLAN THE STEPS YOU NEED TO TAKE TO PUT YOUR
PLAN INTO ACTION.
USE ALL YOU HAVE LEARNT ABOUT YOUR SKILLS, INTERESTS
AND VALUES TOGETHER WITH THE INFORMATION YOU HAVE
GATHERED ABOUT THE WORLD OF WORK TO CREATE YOUR PLAN. 
  
 
You can plan:  
 for a specific occupation; 
 your general career direction;
 to achieve a specific qualification; 
 to do more research; and
 to explore a range of career and study options. 
The most effective action plans are:
 based on up-to-date information;
 specific and detailed;
 tied to timelines with specific completion dates;
 challenging but achievable; and
 aligned with your goals and values. 
Try these suggestions:
 Try basing your plan on a specific occupation. If you are not ready to commit, then use the experience to
help you learn more about the planning process and about the occupation. Sometimes just trying out the
process of planning can help you to clarify your options. 
 You could make a plan that included steps, which helped you to:
 Research the occupation in detail;
 Identify a key occupation;
 Set yourself a key task like arranging work experience or speaking to someone that works in the field; and
 Find out about study or training pathways that would help you to achieve a specific qualification for a preferred
occupation.