Decision Making & Career Planning URI 101: Planning for Academic Success URI 101

Decision Making & Career PlanningURI 101: Planning for Academic

Success

URI 101

Employment Trends of the Future

Keep up with what is happening in the world so that you’re up to date with your field and career trends!

Learn about employment trends:

• The Internet• News Programs• Government Statistics and Publications• Media/Social Media• Networking

The New Millennials (born between 1977-1995)

• Sometimes called the “Echo Boomers”

• By 2010, they will be the largest teen population is U.S. history

• Will exceed the number of Baby Boomers

• In the next 10 years, college enrollments will increase by 300,000 students per year

• College admission will become increasingly competitive

The New Millennials• The cyber generation• Their most important values are individuality and uniqueness• Decreasing use of alcohol, drugs and tobacco• Have the promise of changing institutions for the better

Generation Z (born after 1995)

• Last generation with a Caucasian majority• Celebrate Diversity• Decline of “traditional families”• Because of recession, less likely to believe in

the American dream of having more• The age of “girl power”• Hope to use technology to change the world

Need for Lifelong Education

• In today’s society higher education improves you chances of getting a job, yet you need to continually learn through experiences

• Need for training and education over a lifetime• Without training and education skills will soon become

obsolete

E-commerce: Changing Business

• Online sales are increasing 10-20% a year while traditional retail sales are stagnant

• Online marketing is used for most retail sales

• E-commerce will become an important part of business education

Increase in Entrepreneurship

• Starting your own business

• Taking advantage of technology to work from home

• Entrepreneurs often have very high job satisfaction because of new and exciting opportunities happening almost daily. You never know what your next day of work will bring

• You have control over the decision making for the entire company

• You have more flexibility with your work schedule and have the freedom to run a company how you want

Diversified Workforce

• More older workers• More women workers• More immigrants• One third of today’s workers are from

diverse groups!

Work Skills for the 21st Century

Basic Skills• Reading• Basic Math• Oral Communication• Written Communication• Computers (Email, Excel, Outlook, Publisher,

PowerPoint, Word, etc.)

Critical Thinking Skills

• Creative Thinking• Decision Making• Problem Solving• Mental Visualization• Effective Learning skills• Reasoning

Bloom’s Taxonomy in critical thinking

Personal Qualities• Responsibility• Self-esteem• Sociability• Self-management• Integrity/Honesty• Persistence • Positive attitude

Workplace Competencies

• Manage time and money• Participate as a member of a team• Use computers to access information• Develop efficient management systems• Use technology

Keys to Finding a Satisfying Career

• Assess your personality type and related strengths.

• Explore your vocational interests.

• Know your values.

• Discover multiple intelligences

• Learn about the job market.

• Gain job skills while in college.

• Use updated job seeking strategies.

Researching Your Career

What to look for when researching jobs:• Nature of the work• Working conditions• Training• Qualifications• Room for Advancement

Tools to Research Your Career

• Visit the Center for Career and Experiential Education or their website• Use “What can I do with this major?” link to discover possible careers (http://whatcanidowiththismajor.com/major/majors/)• Use the “Occupational Outlook Handbook” to get more information on

a specific career (http://www.bls.gov/ooh/)

Steps in Planning Your Education

• Take general education courses early on– Use these to discover passions and a possible career path through trying new and different subjects!

• Prepare for your major courses– These courses will help to provide a better sense of the field you are going into

• Gain experiential knowledge– Either through internships or professional job shadows.– These experiences will either confirm or alter your career goals– Compare current skills with needed skills

• Utilize web resources– web.uri.edu/career– Mynextmove.org

• Graduate and begin your job search!

Making a Career

Decision

There is a choice you have to make,

in everything you do.And you must always

keep in mind,The choice you make,

makes you.

Steps in Making a Career Decision

• Self-assessment– Personality, Interests– Values, Skills

• Explore Options• Research careers• Plan your education• Make a commitment and take action• Evaluate your decisions

Steps in Effective Decision Making

1. State the problem2. Consider your values3. Gather information4. Consider options5. Evaluate the pros and cons of options6. Consult others (if necessary)7. Select the best alternative8. Take action

Tools For Your Success

– Resume/Cover Letter writing– Interview skills– Professionalism/Networking skills– Internship and Job Search– Shadow Opportunities– CCEE website (helpful links to “What

can I do with this major?” and OOH)– Attend job fairs and internship fairs

at URI (check CCEE website for dates)

Online Resources web.uri.edu/career

The Center for Career and Experiential Education (CCEE) can help you with: