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 some formal assessments to determine your
generalist with IKON Office Solutions in interests and abilities. Common assessments
Houston, “the only job that I even knew about include the Kuder (www.kuder.com), Bridges
was receptionist work. I didn’t aspire to be a (www.bridges.com), Career Cruising (www.
manager or entrepreneur because I really didn’t careercruising.com), COIN (www.coinedu.com),
know about those disciplines. I was just looking and Myers-Briggs (www.myersbriggs.org) tests.
forward to graduating. That was it. I really didn’t Terry Brock, director of the Texas Counselors’
know what it was I wanted to do.” Network, a group that helps counselors statewide
Sound familiar? You, too, may not have a clue advise their students on career planning, says,
about what to do with your life. “These tools give most of our students some
Don’t worry, though. Help is right here in your career exploration awareness by the time they
hands. This issue of AchieveTexas in Action is enter eighth or ninth grade.”
your guide to education and career choices that Ask your principal or counselor
can shape your future. It’s one of 16 career cluster about the career
guides published by AchieveTexas, Texas’s college assessments
and career initiative (www.AchieveTexas.org). available at
This edition is all about Business, Management your school.
& Administration.
Let’s start with some basic steps you should take
to get organized, plan for the future, and start on
the road to success.
Assess Your
more THan
Talents and Abilities
300
First, you need to figure out some
companIes
things about yourself. This step can

be as simple as writing down a list
vIsIT THe maYs
of your interests (like video games
BusIness scHool
or rock climbing), your hopes and
dreams (like helping others), your
aT Texas a&m
talents (like writing or math ability),
unIversITY
and your weaknesses (if you’re
eacH Year To
squeamish at the sight of blood, for
example, you might not want to be
recruIT BusIness
a doctor).
sTudenTs.
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