Planning for Your Career
Begin Early
You should begin thinking about career options no later than when you begin college. Among the first things you should do is to undertake an honest self-appraisal, since aptitude, interests and temperament are crucial factors in career planning. Here are some questions to ask yourself. Should you broaden your horizons and think more imaginatively? Or are you a dreamer who needs to think more realistically? Are you place bound, or do you hope to live somewhere other than in central Florida? (Obviously there are more government and government-related jobs in Washington and Tallahassee than there are in Orlando.) What categories of tasks can you realistically picture yourself doing? Given adequate substantive preparation, could you publicly defend a position taken by an interest group at a meeting of the Seminole County Commission, or would the idea of such a public presentation make you weak with anxiety? Could you assist in preparing a budget for the Metropolitan Transit Authority? Could you deal with constituent questions for a member of Congress? Teach a class of high school seniors? Write a grant proposal for an environmental action group? Run a campaign for the state legislature? Synthesize and evaluate information regarding economic developments in Costa Rica? Prepare a speech for a public official? What kinds of jobs would you consider ideal, what kinds would you consider impossible? How do you rank financial reward, job substance, job security, travel, and other factors in your career plans? What kinds of financial and family obligations will you have when you graduate? How much time can you afford to spend looking for the right job? You need to give yourself honest answers to these kinds of questions.
You can obtain help in this self-appraisal from UCF's Career Resources Center (www.crc.ucf.edu) and from UCF's Counseling and Testing Center (http://pegasus.cc.ucf.edu/~counstst). The Career Resources Center (407-823-2361) provides a Career Exploration Lab, computer-assisted career planning programs and several computer-based interest surveys, among many other services. You can make an appointment to meet with a career counselor at the Counseling and Testing Center (407-823-2811) this counselor will assist you in the self-assessment you need to undertake. There is no charge to UCF students for the assistance provided at the Career Resources Center or at the Counseling and Testing Center.
Write, Write, Write
Your writing skills are central to your ability to get a job and to your ability to progress in your career. Nothing is more fundamental. Your written materials are an extension of yourself. Your writing skill reflects your ability to think and to organize. The way to improve your writing is to write, and to have your written work evaluated, and then to rewrite, and then to repeat the process. If you have doubts about your writing abilities, ask someone who has good skills to read and critique your writing. If your writing skills are deficient, take writing courses in the English Department. If your skills need polishing, take courses that require that you write. Go to the Writing Center (www.reach.ucf.edu/~uwc or 407-823-2197). Find work that requires you to write. Work with a faculty member, become involved in a research project, take an independent study, and write!
