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 research your Career Options
and career initiative (www.AchieveTexas.org). This Once you’ve learned about yourself, learn more
edition is all about Marketing, Sales & Service. about your career options. There are thousands of
Let’s start with some basic steps you should occupations out there of which you may never have
take to get organized, plan for the future, heard, including some that do not exist because
and start on the road to success. the technologies have not yet been developed.
Fortunately, there are plenty of resources
Assess your Talents and Abilities (see inside back cover) for you, and they are as close
First, you need to figure out some things as the nearest computer.
about yourself. This step can be as
simple as writing down a list of THe
your interests (like video games
or rock climbing), your
enTrepreneursHIp
hopes and dreams (like
programs
helping others), your
talents (like writing or
aT Texas cHrIsTIan unIversITY,
math ability), and unIversITY of norTH Texas,
your weaknesses (if
unIversITY of HousTon, and
you’re squeamish at
the sight of blood,
souTHern meTHodIsT unIversITY
for example, you all made EntrEprEnEur magazIne’s
might not want to
2006 lIsT of THe Top 100 collegIaTe
be a doctor).
enTrepreneursHIp programs.
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