GENL 115 - Career Planning

1 Credits: (1 lecture)

Course Description
This course provides information and experiential activities designed to help students narrow their choices for a college major and develop skills necessary for long-range career planning and development. Emphasis will be placed upon assisting students to engage in self-assessment, clarify and formulate realistic career goals, and develop appropriate career plans and strategies to achieve those goals.

Text
None required.

Objectives
A. Complete a self-assessment for personal interests, aptitudes, abilities and values.

B. Utilize located sources of occupational information.

C. Identify steps of the career decision making process.

D. Identify various types of organizations and employers which match personal abilities, interests and values.

E. Apply planning strategies for college major, entry level career employment and long term career planning.

Content
A. Significance of planning - personal commitment

B. Self-assessment to include standardized tests

C. Career exploration - information and resources

D. Career decision-making

E. Goal setting

F. Informational interviews

G. Long term career planning and strategies for change

Student Evaluation
Evaluation will be based on tests, written assignments and class projects.Bibliography
Downing, Skip. On Course: Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life. Boston: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.

Dahlstrom, Harry. The Job Hunting Handbook, 14th Edition. Holliston, MA: Dahlstrom, 2012. Print.

U. S. Department of Labor. Occupational Outlook Handbook 2013-14. Indianapolis, IN: Norton, 2013. Print. PA Career Zone - www.pacareerzone.com Occupational Outlook Handbook - Bureau of Labor Statistics - www.bls.ogov/ooh

A Practical Manual for Job Hunters & Career Changers, 2014 O*Net - Dictionary of Occupational Titles - www.onetonline.org