PLAnning yOur CArEEr
the first step
Plan for
toward success is
making smart decisions
about your education
and career options.
Success
W
hen I was in high school,” says by AchieveTexas, Texas’s college and career Follow up on this informal exercise
Sheryl Kovach, a senior human initiative (www.AchieveTexas.org). This by taking some formal assessments to
resources generalist with IKON edition is all about Education & Training. determine your interests and abilities.
Office Solutions in Houston, “the only job Let’s start with some basic steps you Common assessments include the Kuder
that I even knew about was receptionist should take to get organized, plan for the (www.kuder.com), Bridges (www.bridges.
work. I didn’t aspire to be a manager or future, and start on the road to success. com), Career Cruising (www.careercruising.
entrepreneur because I really didn’t know com), COIN (www.coineduc.com), and
about those disciplines. I was just looking Assess your Talents and Abilities Myers-Briggs (www.myersbriggs.org)
forward to graduating. That was it. I really First, you need to figure out some things tests. Terry Brock, director of the Texas
didn’t know what it was I wanted to do.” about yourself. This step can be as simple Counselors’ Network, a group that helps
Sound familiar? You, too, may not have a as writing down a list of your interests (like counselors statewide advise their students
clue about what to do with your life. video games or rock climbing), your hopes on career planning, says, “These tools
Don’t worry, though. Help is right here and dreams (like helping others), your give most of our students some career
in your hands. This issue of AchieveTexas talents (like writing or math ability), and exploration awareness by the time they enter
in Action is your guide to education and your weaknesses (if you’re squeamish at the eighth or ninth grade.”
career choices that can shape your future. sight of blood, for example, you might not Ask your principal or counselor about the
It’s one of 16 career cluster guides published want to be a doctor). career assessments available at your school.
research your Career Options
TeacH for Texas
Once you’ve learned about yourself, learn
more about your career options. There are
Is a sTaTe-sponsored
thousands of occupations out there of which
condITIonal granT program
you may never have heard, including some
THaT Helps fuTure TeacHers
that do not exist because the technologies
have not yet been developed. Fortunately,
wITH college expenses.
there are plenty of resources (see inside back
cover) for you, and they are as close as the
nearest computer.
One of the most helpful is the Occupation
and Skill Computer-Assisted Researcher
(or OSCAR, for short) from the Texas
Workforce Commission. It is a vast
database of information about hundreds of
professions. You can find OSCAR at www.
ioscar.org/tx. Another good place to start is
O*NET (online.onetcenter.org).
Gather information about what you
can earn in the careers in which you are
interested. Find out whether the careers
you are considering have a promising
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