Objective: As a result of LAS, students shall become familiar with how Career Services assists students engaged in the career planning process.

Steps for Implementation:

1. Contact Ann Greubel to schedule a time for a member of Career Services staff to come to your class to discuss counseling, career development and planning issues appropriate for first year students.
2. Let us know about any relevant issues you feel are important for them to know about your discipline or what your class is studying.
3. Let us know if there are any particular items for discussion you feel would be helpful to have included in the presentation for your class.
4. The meeting will be more meaningful to your students if you attend with them.

Optional Supplements:
There are a number of things you can do to increase the chances that the Career Services Meeting is a meaningful one for your students.

Option 1: Preparation
Option 2: TypeFocus
Option 3: Appointment with a Career Counselor

Option 1: Preparation

Before the Career Services event ask students any of the following questions:

• What steps do you think are involved in the career planning process?

• What sorts of services do you think are offered by Career Services?

• Why do you think you are being introduced to Career Services as first year students rather than waiting until closer to graduation?

• What do you think is the relationship between selecting a major and a career?

• When you graduate from Simpson, do you hope to have a job, a career, or a vocation? What's the difference between the three?

• What types of assistance would it be helpful for you to have as you go about selecting and pursuing a vocation?

To the extent to which you offer explanations to your students, think carefully about how you want to present that information. Having a vocational goal can help students recognize the relevance of particular classes they take at Simpson, make better choices while in college and increase retention. Nevertheless, many students will not have a career or major selected and many more will change their minds regarding their current career goal. Students should be encouraged to recognize both these possibilities as a natural part of the career planning process rather than as evidence that they won’t succeed in college.

After attending the Career Services meeting, you could ask your students if they learned or experienced something new about career planning. Other questions they could be asked to consider include the following:

• How could Career Services be utilized by someone who already knows what he or she wants as a career?

• How could it be utilized by someone who doesn't know what he or she wants to do for a living?

• Why is it important to think about vocation as a first year student? How does a career differ from a vocation?

• How could the Career Center be used to explore one's vocation rather than just a career?

• What other resources on campus could be useful in exploring one's vocation?

• What's the relationship between your choice of academic major (and other courses) and your choice of career? Do you have to major in a certain area to get a specific job later on?

• Do you have to have a major and a career selected for sure now, your first year in college?

Option 2: TypeFocus  www.careers.typefocus.com

This program assesses personality type and generates five customized reports, which help people understand themselves better so they can choose a more effective career strategies.
As the user works through the reports, information from one section is automatically incorporated into the next section. For example, when a user identifies a career they are interested in within the career choice section, the program will also save the educational requirements needed for this career within the education section.
Besides saving information, the program is interactive. Users add their own information, (e.g., values, skills, focus) which is stored and automatically incorporated into their reports. Eventually the user has a set of three reports that form a holistic approach to self-awareness and career success.
The program is flexible and easily allows users to re-assess their personality or change it so it fits with their self-perception. Facilitator manuals ensure the program is implemented effectively. 

Students should have completed at least Step 1 through the first year portal.
Manuals and lesson plans for classroom use are available through the Career Services office.

Step 1:  Self-awareness Report
Your personality strengths
Careers that fit your strengths
Values
Interests
Skills

Step 2:  Setting Goals
Focus and passion
Education Plan
Life Goals

Step 3:  Success Factor Results
Your background
Accepts Responsibility
Competitive Attitude
Self Esteem
Lifestyle Choices
Time management skills
Social integration
Social support
External commitments
Goal persistence

Step 4: Getting the Job
Customize your tools
Interview Guides
Resume wizard
Career portfolio

Step 5: Success at Work
Understanding personality clashes
Two person relationships
Your learning style

 

Option 3: Appointment with a Career Counselor
As an alternative to a class visit, require students to make an appointment with a career counselor who will:

Assist them in interpreting their Typefocus results
Discuss choosing a major
Explore the Career Planning Process
Introduce the student to services offered by our office