Career Advising

Do you wonder how the Office of Career Planning can support you? Curious about how meeting with a Career Advisor can help you? Below, we have provided answers to common questions about our services and the career planning process. We hope this information on career planning and career advising will give you an idea of what to expect from the career management process.

Career planning in considered a lifelong process which can include

• Choice of occupation;
• Job search;
• Job growth;
• Career transitions;
• Career advancement.

Career planning answers questions such as,

• Where do I want to go?
• What do I want to do?
• What do I want out of my career?
• How can use my education to advance my career?
• How do I take into consideration both work and life goals?
• How do I navigate the path to promotion and advancement?

The Career planning process has many components including

• Self-Assessment
• Helps to answer questions such as What do I like doing? What are my skills and abilities?
• Getting to know your interests, abilities, values, and skills allows you to make informed career choices. During this time you may also review your work history and all the factors (psychological, sociological, economic) that influenced your career choices.
• Exploration of occupations
• Helps to answer questions such as How do I get from my present work situation to where I want to be in the future? What current skills can I transition to a new role or function?
• Investigating possible occupations and jobs with a Career Advisor can help you discover how to attain your professional goals and address the needs and priorities identified during your self-assessment.
• Strategic job search
• Helps to answer questions such as How do I market my skills and abilities to potential employers? What is the best way for me to look for a job? How do I reposition myself in the marketplace?
• Developing strategic and practical steps to reach your career goals can ultimately save you time and energy and land you the job of your dreams.
• Ongoing career management
• Helps to answer questions such as How do I advance my career at my current workplace? What skills and knowledge do I need to stay competitive on the job?
• Knowing where you want to go with your career can help focus your energy and create awareness and openness to new opportunities.

The general goal of career advising is to assist people so that they

• can better identify their skills, interests, personality preferences and values;
• make informed career choices;
• be valued, satisfied, and competent in the workplace.

The Office of Career Planning has Career Advisors available to meet with you and discuss work-related concerns such as:

• setting career goals and action plans;
• career decision making;
• assessment of skills, values, interests, and personality preferences;
• resume and cover letter writing;
• job interview skills;
• job search strategies;
• job loss.

A Career Advisor tends to be results-oriented, working with you in a collaborative and confidential relationship. They can act as a sounding board and will assist you through the career planning and development process. A Career Advisor is also able to guide you through career transitions, challenges and events. At the Office of Career Planning career advising tends to follow this format:

Introduction
In your first meeting with a Career Advisor you will be introduced to the process and give the Career Advisor a bit more information about what you hope to achieve from the career planning process. You may be asked to give some background about your work and educational history as well as share your thoughts for the future. At this point, you should feel free to ask any questions you may have about the process.

Self-assessment
This step involves exploring and evaluating your competencies, values, personality preferences and interests. Self assessment is an invaluable tool for you to discover your preferred working style, what your values are, how you make decisions, what transferable skills you possess and what careers you might enjoy. You may take a series of questionnaires or inventories to assist in the self-assessment process.

Researching and Setting Career Goals
Self-knowledge provides you with the information to begin decision -making concerning career choices. This is a jumping off point to begin analyzing what careers and which companies best fit your needs. You can work with the Career Advisor to find resources to begin your research as well as set specific goals to accomplish your career needs.

Action Plan
Once your career goals have been established, an action plan lists the steps necessary to fulfill your goals. These steps can take the form of additional coursework, internships, additional responsibilities at work, feedback meetings with your supervisor, or informational interviews. This process allows you to convert your research, self-assessments and discussions with your Career Advisor into action.

This process requires time and energy and is a partnership between you and your Career Advisor. The Office of Career Planning can supply you with the tools to manage your career, but its most important role is to facilitate your becoming self-reliant. The Office of Career Planning is always here to help you manage your career. We encourage you to visit us whenever you have questions, but especially when:

• you don't know where to begin your career planning;
• you like your coursework, but you are unsure how to make a career out of it;
• you are thinking of changing your academic program and you are wondering how this will impact your career
• your career situation is complicated or unique;
• you have an idea about where you want to go and how to attain your goal and would like an objective point of view;
• you're interested in developing a career plan and need skills and strategies to accomplish them;
• you're not sure about your career direction and need help deciding what your next career path should be;
• you would like help with cover letter or resume writing, job interviews or job searching.

Office of Career Planning
Golden Gate University
40 Jessie Street
3rd Floor
San Francisco, CA 94105
Phone: 415-442-7299
Fax: 415-442-7284
E-mail: careers@ggu.edu