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 was include the Kuder (www.kuder.com), Bridges (www.
receptionist work. I didn’t aspire to be a manager bridges.com), Career Cruising (www.careercruising.
or entrepreneur because I really didn’t know about com), COIN (www.coinedu.com), and Myers-Briggs
those disciplines. I was just looking forward to (www.myersbriggs.org) tests. Terry Brock, director
graduating. That was it. I really didn’t know what it of the Texas Counselors’ Network, a group that
was I wanted to do.” helps counselors statewide advise their students on
Sound familiar? You, too, may not have a clue career planning, says, “These tools give most of our
about what to do with your life. students some career exploration awareness by the
Don’t worry, though. Help is right here in your time they enter eighth or ninth grade.”
hands. This issue of AchieveTexas in Action is Ask your principal or counselor about the career
your guide to education and career choices that assessments available at your school.
can shape your future. It’s one of 16 career cluster
guides published by AchieveTexas, Texas’s college
and career initiative (www.AchieveTexas.org). This
edition is all about health science.
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 Talents and Abilities
First, you need to figure out some things about
yourself. This step can be as simple as writing down
a list of your interests (like video games or rock
climbing), your hopes and dreams (like helping
others), your talents (like writing or math ability),
and your weaknesses (if you’re squeamish at the
sight of blood, for example, you might not want to
be a doctor).
In 2006, THere were
9,909 denTIsTs and
denTal specIalIsTs
In Texas.
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