PLAnning YOuR CAREER
ThE fIRsT sTEP toward success is making smart
decisions about your education and career options.
Plan for
Success
W
hen I was in high school,” says Sheryl Follow up on this informal exercise by taking
Kovach, a senior human resources generalist some formal assessments to determine your interests
with IKON Office Solutions in Houston, and abilities. Common assessments include the
“the only job that I even knew about was receptionist Kuder (www.kuder.com), Bridges (www.bridges.
work. I didn’t aspire to be a manager or entrepreneur com), Career Cruising (www.careercruising.com),
because I really didn’t know about those disciplines. COIN (www.coinedu.com), and Myers-Briggs
I was just looking forward to graduating. That was it. (www.myersbriggs.org) tests. Terry Brock, director
I really didn’t know what it was I wanted to do.” of the Texas Counselors’ Network, a group that
Sound familiar? You, too, may not have a clue helps counselors statewide advise their students on
about what to do with your life. career planning, says, “These tools give most of our
Don’t worry, though. Help is right here in your students some career exploration awareness by the
hands. This issue of AchieveTexas in Action is time they enter eighth or ninth grade.”
your guide to education and career choices that Ask your principal or counselor about the
can shape your future. It’s one of 16 career cluster career assessments available at your school.
guides published by AchieveTexas, Texas’s college
and career initiative (www.AchieveTexas.org). Research Your Career Options
This edition is all about Arts, A/V Technology & Once you’ve learned about yourself, learn more
Communications. about your career options. There are thousands of
Let’s start with some basic steps you should take occupations out there of which you may never have
to get organized, plan for the future, and start on the heard, and others that do not yet
road to success. exist because the technologies
have not been developed.
Assess Your Talents and Abilities Fortunately, there are plenty of
First, you need to figure out some things about resources (see inside back cover)
yourself. This step can be as simple as writing down for you, and they are as close as the
a list of your interests (like video games or rock nearest computer.
climbing), your hopes and dreams (like helping One of the most helpful is
others), your talents (like writing or math ability), the Occupation and Skill
and your weaknesses (if you’re squeamish at the Computer-Assisted Researcher
sight of blood, for example, you might not want to be (or OSCAR, for short) from the
a doctor). Texas Workforce Commission.
an esTImaTed $2.79 bIllIon was spenT on
fIlm producTIon In Texas beTween 1996 and 2005.
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