PREPARATION FOR A CAREER

1
PREPARATION FOR A CAREER
2
SMART Goal Setting

• Specific establish a definite goal that is
  important and write it down
• Measurable identify specific criteria that will
  verify progress in achieving the goal
• Attainable establish a challenging, yet
  realistic, path to achieving the goal
• Rewarding identify the reasons why this goal is
  important and visualize how it will feel whn this
  goal is accomplished
• Timely set a specific time limit so you will
  know that the price to be paid will be worth it
  when the goal is accomplished

3
Personal Goal Setting

• What is your personal long-term goal or dream?
• Is it possible to achieve this goal if you work
  hard and motivate yourself the next few years?
• What intermediate goals must you fulfill in the
  next few months to make progress toward achieving
  your dream?
• What are immediate or short-term goals that you
  can accomplish that will help you advance toward
  your long-term career goal?

4
Performance Goal Setting

• What is the one academic goal that you can
  achieve within six months?
• How can you improve your academic performance
  during this academic year?
• If you fail to meet this academic performance
  goal, how will you feel about yourself?
• What is the one athletic or fitness goal that you
  can achieve within six months?

5
Performance Goal Setting

• How can you improve your athletic or fitness
  performance during this academic year?
• If you fail to meet this athletic or fitness
  performance goal, how will you feel about
  yourself?
• What is one leadership goal that you can achieve
  within six months?
• How can you improve your leadership performance
  during this academic year?

6
GAINING EXPERIENCE

• Internships
• Volunteer activities, such as with community
  projects or as a research or laboratory assistant
• Working in intramurals, with sport clubs, or as a
  sportswriter with your college newspaper
• Officiating
• Youth sport coach
• Obtain a certification

7
IMPORTANCE OF INTERNSHIPS

• Get more extensive learning experiences
• Benefit from extensive hands-on
  experiences
• Obtain better preparation for employment
• Gain a competitive edge when seeking employment
• Develop networks with potential employers
• Learn from fellow employees and build good
  relationships with them

• Impress internship employers, making them more
  likely to hire you as a full-time employee
• Position yourself for more job offers
• Qualify for a higher starting salary
• Advance through more frequent promotions

8
TIMELINE FOR PURSUING AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB

• First Year in College
• Learn about available resources on campus, such
  as exploring possible majors and careers with
  your academic counselor and advisor
• Talk with professors about possible majors and
  careers
• Make an appointment at the career development
  center to assess your interests through available
  inventories as well as your areas of strength
• Participate in at least one extracurricular club
  or activity related to your potential career
• Begin the file of activities and experiences for
  your resume
• Apply for a part-time or summer job related to
  your possible career choice

9
TIMELINE FOR PURSUING AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB

• Second Year in College
• Take a introductory course for a major in which
  you are interested
• Join a student and professional organization
• Attend a job or internship seminar
• Prepare a draft of a resume
• Learn more about various careers by surfing the
  Web for more information
• Select a major and meet with an academic advisor
  to plan the sequence of your coursework
• Interview people in careers in which you may be
  interested
• Participate in at least two extracurricular clubs
  or activities related to your potential career

10
TIMELINE FOR PURSUING AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB

• Third Year in College
• Add entries about your academic achievements and
  collegiate experinces to your resume
• Meet with the internship advisor and explore
  options
• Participate actively in a majors club in your
  area of interest
• Attend job fairs or career events and seek out
  possible internships
• Attend a meeting of a state, regional, or
  national professional organization to begin
  networking for possible internships
• Explore internship opportunities online, via the
  print media, and through campus resources
• Investigate your colleges program for connecting
  students with alumni for internships
• Attend seminars offered by the career development
  center

11
TIMELINE FOR PURSUING AN INTERNSHIP OR JOB

• Fourth Year in College
• Complete advanced courses in your major
• Attend a meeting of a state, regional, or
  national professional organization to continue
  networking
• Participate actively in a majors club in your
  area of interest
• Prepare letters of application for internships
  and make contacts with potential internship sites
• Complete the internship application process and
  attend the internship orientation meeting
• Add entries about your academic achievements and
  collegiate experiences and complete your resume
  
• Complete a mock job interview through the career
  development center
• Continue to network at career events and job
  fairs
• Identify and ask individuals who will be willing
  to write letters of recommendation for you

12
IMPORTANCE OF CERTIFICATIONS

• Confirms the attainment of a high level of
  competence and the achievement of the standards
  of the profession
• Demonstrates that the fundamental knowledge and
  skills associated with job responsibilities have
  been learned
• Shows a willingness and commitment on the part of
  certification applicants to enhance their career
  preparation

• Provides potential clients and the general public
  with a quality control measure that reassures
  them that as a certified person you have a proven
  level of competence
• Enables potential employers to differentiate
  among applicants based on a known standard of
  knowledge and skills

13
ACSM CERTIFICATES

• Certified Personal Trainer
• Health/Fitness Instructor
• Exercise Specialist
• Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist

14
COOPER INSTITUTE

• Aerobic Instructor
• Coaching Healthy Behaviors
• Optimal Performance Training
• Personal Trainer Premier Education
• Promoting Healthy Behaviors in Children
• Providing Dietary Guidance

15
NATIONAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION

• Certified Personal Trainer
• Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist

16
Questions Relative to Career Choice

• What would I like to do immediately following
  graduation? After five years? Ten years later?
  Twenty years later?
• What experiences and learning opportunities can I
  take advantage of while in college to help me
  prepare for immediate, short-term, and long-term
  careers?
• What resources and people on my campus can help
  me prepare for immediate, short-term, and
  long-term careers?

17
Questions Relative to Career Choice

• What objectives and action plans have I
  established to help me explore various aspects of
  my career development while in college?
• How will the development of a portfolio (such as
  work experiences, internships, volunteer
  experiences, and class activities) help
  demonstrate what I have learned in my career
  preparation?
• How will my course work help me make better
  decisions in my career?

18
Questions Relative to Career Choice

• How are my strengths personally, academically,
  and socially matched to the potential career for
  which I am preparing?
• How can others help me evaluate and understand my
  abilities and develop strategies to work on areas
  in need of strengthening?
• How will I use feedback from experiences and from
  others to better prepare myself to make decisions
  relative to my career choice?

19
Questions Relative to Career Choice

• How motivated am I to devote the time and effort
  needed to be successful in and satisfied with my
  career choice?

20
SAMPLE RESUME

• Address (school and permanent)
• Education
• Experiences
• Honors and awards
• College activities
• Professional affiliations
• Availability date
• References

21
OUTLINE FOR A PORTFOLIO TO HELP IN GETTING A
JOB

• Professional Philosophy
• Provide a brief profile about yourself
• Describe your personal values
• Share your short-term professional goals
  specifically as they relate to this career

22
OUTLINE FOR A PORTFOLIO TO HELP IN GETTING A
JOB

• Educational Background
• List colleges attended, degrees earned, and
  majors
• Describe academic honors earned, including
  honorary societies and recognitions received
• Explain how your collegiate studies
  prepared you for a career in this field
• Identify memberships held in professional
  organizations and describe how your past
  participation has helped enhance your
  professional development
• List any professional certifications and explain
  their significance relative to the position sought

23
OUTLINE FOR A PORTFOLIO TO HELP IN GETTING A
JOB

• Work Experiences
• List all work experiences that have helped
  prepare you for the position sought
• Describe the scope of your work responsibilities
  in each job
• Include commendations and illustrations of the
  quality of your work

24
OUTLINE FOR A PORTFOLIO TO HELP IN GETTING A
JOB

• Extracurricular Activities
• Describe your participation in athletics, service
  activities, and organizations and how what you
  learned and experienced helped increase your
  abilities and knowledge
• Explain the importance of each aspect of your
  volunteer work

25
OUTLINE FOR A PORTFOLIO TO HELP IN GETTING A
JOB

• Examples of your Professional Abilities
• Include copies of awards, deans list citations,
  and thank-you letters for service
• Illustrate your competence, such as through
  publication of a research paper, a video-tape of
  a professional presentation, samples of lesson
  plans, or internship evaluations
• Provide examples of your commitment to lifelong
  learning

26
OUTLINE FOR A PORTFOLIO TO HELP IN GETTING A
JOB

• Professional Goals
• Share your long-term career aspirations and your
  current plans for achieving them

27
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR PROSPECTIVE
CAREER

• What is the educational background required?
• How much prior experience is needed?
• What are the typical work hours?
• What is the daily routine and the average time
  spent on each part of these activities?
• What is the starting salary and salary range?
• How much vacation time is provided?
• What are the fringe benefits?

28
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR PROSPECTIVE
CAREER

• To what extent will this job affect my personal
  life?
• What are the requisite skills and knowledge for
  this job?
• What personal characteristics, such as
  creativity, problem-solving ability, or
  enthusiasm, are necessary for this job?
• What is the potential for employment in this
  career?
• In what regions or states is this job available?

29
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR PROSPECTIVE
CAREER

• What is the potential for advancement in this
  career?
• Is on-the-job training or advanced education
  required to maintain employment or to advance in
  this career?
• What are the specific work responsibilities of
  this job? How much time is spent doing each?
• What criteria are used to evaluate job
  performance?

30
POSSIBLE QUESTIONS TO ASK ABOUT YOUR PROSPECTIVE
CAREER

• What are the most satisfying or advantageous
  aspects of this job?
• What are the most frustrating or disadvantageous
  aspects of this job?
• What has been your biggest disillusionment?
• What has been your most rewarding or enjoyable
  experience?