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 Network, a group that helps counselors statewide
Kovach, a senior human resources advise their students on career planning, says,
generalist with IKON Office Solutions in “These tools give most of our students some career
Houston, “the only job that I even knew about was exploration awareness by the time they hit eighth
receptionist work. I didn’t aspire to be a manager or ninth grade.”
or entrepreneur because I really didn’t know about Ask your principal or counselor about the career
those disciplines. I was just looking forward to assessments available at your school.
graduating. That was it. I really didn’t know what it
was I wanted to do.” Research Your Career Options
Sound familiar? You, too, may not have a clue Once you’ve learned about yourself, learn more
about what to do with your life. about your career options. There are thousands of
Don’t worry, though. Help is right here in your occupations out there of which you may never have
hands. This issue of AchieveTexas in Action is heard. Fortunately, there are plenty of resources
your guide to education and career choices that (see inside back cover) for you, and they are as close
can shape your future. It’s one of 16 career cluster as the nearest computer.
guides published by AchieveTexas, Texas’s college One of the most helpful is the Occupation and
and career initiative (www.AchieveTexas.org). This Skill Computer-Assisted Researcher (or OSCAR,
edition is all about Law, Public Safety, Corrections
& Security.
86%
Let’s start with some basic steps you should take
to get organized, plan for the future, and start on
of THe 1,828
the road to success.
law sTudenTs
wHo Took THe
Assess Your Talents and Abilities
First, you need to figure out some things about
Texas Bar exam
yourself. This step can be as simple as writing down
In 2006 passed.
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).
Follow up on this informal exercise by taking
some formal assessments to determine your
interests and abilities. Common assessments
include the Kuder (www.kuder.com), Bridges (www.
bridges.org), Career Cruising (www.careercruising.
com), and Myers-Briggs (www.myersbriggs.com)
tests. Terry Brock, director of the Texas Counselors’
Page 2
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24