LESSON 2

Persons and Careers

Objectives:
1. explain that through understanding of the concepts of career and life goals can help in planning his/her
career
2. identify the personal factors influencing career choices.
3. take a self-assessment tool to know his/her personality traits and other personal factors in relation to
his/her life goals.

Career Basic Concepts

A career is defined as the combination and sequence of roles played by a person during the course
of a lifetime. Your career basically dictates a lot of things in your life – it can determine the kind of
lifestyle that you will be leading, the Me My Career Abilities/ Skills/ Personality and Interests Social and
Economic Conditions Family Childhood Fantasies Gender Culture quality of relationships that you have
with people around you like your family and friends, the kind of balance you will be able to keep with
your life and your responsibilities.

MYTHS ABOUT CAREER PLANNING BUSTED

Myth 1: Arts/humanities majors usually are unemployable after college
Fact: Skills matter in every stream
Humanities majors usually provide training in basic areas called transferable skills such as interpersonal
communication, writing, research, and critical thinking. Transferable skills indicate those skills that are
learned in one area can be readily utilized in a wide range of other areas. These skills that one learns are
sought after by many employers. Arts majors are employed in a wide range of careers. Although
humanities graduates sometimes take more time finding a "niche" in the working world, it's usually
because they don't know what they can or want to do or they are not aware of the options available to
them. So, do not assume that a certain stream will open up your opportunities for the future.
Myth 2: Career assessments / counsellors will not be of any use for me
Fact: You must know what your aptitude is before choosing a career
Psychometric Assessments (Aptitude Test) can provide additional information that may be helpful as a
part of the career planning process. Assessments would provide a clear idea as to one’s aptitude, strengths
and weakness and their mental capabilities, which aids in selecting a career, but with thorough
brainstorming with the career counsellor, who can chalk out various career options based on the match
between the student profile and the career. Of course, it's up to you whether you want to pursue what the
counsellor advises you to, but do not skip this step.
Myth 3: If X is happy in a particular field, I will be happy too.
Fact: You are not X
Everyone is different and what works for one person won't necessarily work for another, even if that other
person is someone with whom you have a lot in common. If someone you know has a career that interests
you try and get more details about the career in terms of the job description, the skills required and market
demand of the career.
Then match the description with your traits and then make a choice. Be aware that what you like may not
necessarily be a good fit for you.

Myth 4: If I wait long enough, luck will eventually bring me to the right career.
Fact: Procrastination is no substitute for laziness
It is unlikely that you will just "bump into" the occupation that will perfectly match your skills and
interests.
The more information you gather about yourself and the occupations you are considering, the more likely
it is you will make a wise career decision. It is true that some things beyond your control will influence
your life, but you must take an active role to determine your own fate. Look around you -- those people
who are unhappy in their careers most likely just "fell into" something without careful planning. Do you
want the same thing to happen to your career graph? So think wisely and plan the process.

Myth 5: Making a lot of money will make me happy.

Fact: The ingredients of fulfilling career also includes passion and commitment to growth
While salary is important, it isn't the only factor you should look at when choosing a career. Countless
surveys have shown that money doesn't necessarily lead to job satisfaction. For many people enjoying
what they do at work is much more important
Myth 6: Once I choose a career I'll be stuck in it forever
Fact: You are never too old to switch careers
Not true. If you are unsatisfied in your career for any reason, you can always change. Discussing your
interests with knowledgeable people who could guide you towards another career could land you in a
satisfying job profile. Remember just being in a job without a lack of interests would hamper your
performance. So it would be better if you make a wise choice later. Many people do change careers
several times over the course of their lifetimes.
Myth 7: If I change careers my skills will be wasted
Fact: Being multi-skilled allows you to learn and adapt accordingly
It is true that certain jobs require some specialized skill set. But note that mostly jobs require a common
type of skills which most of the individuals possess. Your skills are yours to keep. You may not use them
in the exactly same way, but they won't be wasted.
Myth 8: I will decide after the results are out.
Fact: Impulsive decisions lack planning and direction
Though one can keep options, but having a sound academic background always proves beneficial while
making a career. The two years of Junior college (class 11 and 12) are very essential as they form a base
for a particular career. One cannot ignore the knowledge gained whilst studying. Deciding after
graduation sometimes leads to impulsive decisions as, the earlier educational qualification may not be
applicable to the area of work that you plan to pursue in later life. Planning in advance prepares you better
to deal with the If-and-Or situations better.
Myth 9: I love this hobby, but I don't think I can make money out of it.
Fact: If you love what you do, you will not feel like you are working
An oft repeated line, it explains why part-time hobbies like cooking, photography and design that were
once pursued during weekends are now being pursued as full time careers. And most of these hobby-
turned vocations pay really well if pursued professionally. If your hobby becomes a career, then there's
nothing stopping you from being satisfied in your job and life. So, go ahead and make a wise choice!

There are a lot of theories to consider in the relatively new field of career development.
As you read through the factors below, you'll see that many of the related theories address some
of the same issues. No one theory explains everything, so it's good to consider these factors from
multiple perspectives. There are a lot of theories to consider in the relatively new field of career
development. As you read through the factors below, you'll see that many of the related theories
address some of the same issues. No one theory explains everything ,so it's good to consider these
factors from multiple perspectives.
1. Skills and Abilities – Considering your skills and abilities and how they may fit a particular
occupation comes out of one of the earliest career development fields, Trait-Factor theories, and is still
used today.
2. Interest and Personality Type – Holland's Career Typology is a widely used to connect personality
types and career fields. This theory establishes a classification system that matches personality
characteristics and personal preferences to job characteristics.
3. Life Roles – Being a worker is just one of your life roles, in addition to others such as, student, parent,
and child. Super's Lifespan theory directly addresses the fact that we each play multiple roles in our lives
and that these roles change over the course of our lives.
4. Previous Experiences - Having positive experiences and role models working in specific careers may
influence the set of careers we consider as options for ourselves.
5. Culture – Racial and ethnic background, as well as the culture of an individual's regional area, local
community, and extended family, may impact career decisions. Our culture often shapes our values and
expectations as they relate to many parts of our lives, including jobs and careers.
6. Gender – Both men and women have experienced career-related stereo types. Gender is a factor
included in multiple career development theories and approaches including, Social Learning and
multicultural career counseling.
7. Social and Economic Conditions – All of our career choices take place within the context of society
and the economy.
8. Childhood Fantasies – What do you want to be when you grow-up? You may remember this question
from your childhood, and it may have helped shape how you thought about careers then, as well as later
in life

Output No. 2 – Career Decision Wheel

Directions: Using the format above, make your own career decision wheel, makeuse of other sheet to do
it. Be creative.
Rubrics:

CONTENT - 20 (contained the required information as specified in the instruction)

CREATIVITY- 15 (The design and crafts are excellently arranged, text were written clearly and were
easy to read from a distance.)
ORGANIZATION AND SUBMITTED ON TIME– 15 (The work was well- organized and the message
is well understood. The output is submitted on the agreement time)
DEADLINE: May 6, 2024 (MONDAY)