1、Unit 4 Career PlanningCareer PlanningCareer planning does not necessarily follow routine or logical steps. Each of us places weight on different factors and may consider certain phases of career planning at different times. Career planning includes gathering information about ourselves and about occ
2、upations, estimating the probable outcomes of various courses of action, and finally, choosing alternatives that we find attractive and feasible. Many observers have pointed out that students are not very efficient career planners. They cite evidence that (1) most students choose from among a very n
3、arrow group of occupations; (2) as many as 40 to 60 percent choose professional occupations, when in reality only 15 to 18 percent of the work force is engaged in professional work; (3) young men show a striking lack of interest in clerical, sales, and service occupations, although these fields offe
4、r many job opportunities; and (4) as many as a third of the students are unable to express any choice of occupation. In their book Decision Making, Irving Janis and Leon Mann identify serious flaws in the ways many people make decisions. These flaws seem to be associated with the patterns people use
5、 to cope with problems. The first flaw is complacency. People who ignore challenging information about the choices they make demonstrate complacency. People who take the attitude that “It wont affect me“ or “It will never happen“ use complacency as a dominant pattern of behaving. Of course, complace
6、ncy is appropriate for any decision in which nothing much is at stake, but that does not describe career decisions. A second flaw in the way people cope with decisions is defensive avoidance. When confronted with a decision and unable to believe they can find an acceptable solution, some people rema
7、in calm by resorting to wishful thinking or daydreaming. Students who fail to think about the implications of their career choices often engage in rationalization (deceiving oneself with self-satisfying but incorrect explanations for ones behavior) or procrastination (putting off or delaying). Facin
8、g the situation may produce anxiety, but examining alternatives could also bring relief. A third flaw is hyper vigilance. This occurs in career decision making when people believe there is not enough time to find a solution and they panic. They search frantically for career possibilities and seize o
9、n hastily invented solutions, overlooking the consequences of their choice as well as other alternatives. People who are in a panic sometimes do not think clearly or logically. The best coping behavior is vigilance. Vigilant decision making occurs when people believe that (1) a choice should be made
10、, (2) they can find a solution, and (3) there is enough time. Under these conditions, students can conduct an effective search for alternative careers, carefully evaluate each alternative, and work out contingency plans in case one or another risk appears. Following are the keys to career planning.
11、1) Study yourself. This is the key to career planning. Understanding what you are like, what you value, and what you want to become is the foundation for all career planning. In studying yourself, you examine your strengths and weaknesses, your goals, and the trends in your personal development. The
12、 self-understanding that you gain enables you to imagine how certain occupations may best fit your personality, interests, abilities, and goals. All career decisions require us to learn both about ourselves and about work, and to integrate these two kinds of knowledge. 2) Write your career goals dow
13、n. A technique useful for organizing ideas about your career development is actually to write them down by time blocks in your life. Writing something down forces you to crystallize your thinking and to recognize unclear and half-formed ideas. It may lead to new insights into your possibilities and
14、may help you to see new relationships, patterns, and trends, or to identify gaps in your thinking about your career development. 3) Review your plans and progress periodically with another person. Every so often, take stock of your situation and consider what steps have to be taken next. Taking inve
15、ntory of progress and planning further steps can help you cope with the changes that you undergo and the changes that take place in the labor market. Talking over your plans with a college counselor, your parents, and your friends helps you define your goals and improve your career plans or make the
16、m work. 4) If you choose a career that does not fit you, you can start over. Today, growing numbers of men and women are changing careers or getting second starts in careers that have greater appeal to them. Many of those who find that their line of work is unsatisfactory retrain themselves for a di
17、fferent occupation. Often their new occupation is one that they overlooked when they were young or that they did not have an opportunity to pursue at that time for financial or other reasons. Sociologists say that there are few changes in careers that involve “downward“ movement; most involve the tr
18、aditional business of “getting ahead“. Society no longer attaches the stigma of “instability“ to the idea of career hopping, as it once did. Job changes and career shifts occur at all ages. It has been estimated that as many as one out of four male workers between the ages of twenty and twenty-five
19、change their lines of work. About half that number do so between the ages of twenty-five and forty-four. Career planning does not guarantee that all the problems, difficulties, or decision-making situations that face you in the future will be solved or made any easier. No formula can be given to do
20、that. But career planning should help you to approach and cope better with new problems, such as deciding whether or not to enter educational or training programs, deciding whether or not to change jobs, and analyzing the difficulties you are having with a situation or a person. Nobody can foresee w
21、hat the future holds for any of us. There are social, emotional, and moral considerations in our future that cannot be foreseen. But the most important lesson of this often unhappy modern world is that progress comes from planning. Ignorance about ones career is not bliss; reason is better than chan
22、ce and fate. Although there is no sure way to make career plans work out, there are things that you can do now to shape your career possibilities. Career Planning 1 进行择业规划不一定要遵照常规的或合乎逻辑的步骤。我们每个人对不同的因素有不同侧重，也许在不同的时候会考虑择业规划的不同方面。进行择业规划，要收集有关我们自身以及职业的信息资料，估计采取各种举动可能出现的结果，最后作出我们认为有吸引力并且可行的选择。2 许多观察家指出学生
23、在择业规划方面不是很在行。他们列出了以下事实：1 ）大部分学生选择职业的范围很窄；2）多达 40至 60的学生选择专业性的职业，而实际上只有15至 18的从业人员在做专业性的工作；3）男青年对文书、销售以及服务性行业兴趣索然，尽管这些领域会提供许多就业机会；4）多达三分之一的学生说不出选择什么职业好。3 欧文贾尼斯和利昂曼在他们的决策一书中指出，许多人的决策方式存在严重缺陷，而这些问题似乎与人们处理问题的模式有关。有些人对于要费心考虑的择业信息置之不理，这就是自满的表现。有些人采取“这不会影响我” 或“ 这永远也不会发生”的态度，他们这样做是将自满作为自己占支配地位的行为模式。当然，对于那些不
24、决定成败的决策，自满是可以的，但做涉及职业方面的决策时，来不得自满。4 人们在决策方式上存在的第二个缺陷是消极回避。每当面临抉择而又自认为找不到合适的解决方法时，一些人或想入非非或做白日梦，以此来保持平静。有些学生没有考虑到职业抉择会产生的影响，往往采取文过饰非（对自己的行为所作的解释虽能自我满足但却是错误的，以此来欺骗自己）或者拖延（推迟或耽搁）的态度。面对现状也许会令人焦急不安，但认真考虑一下各种方案也能给人宽慰。5 第三个缺陷是过分地提心吊胆。当人们面对职业选择而又感到没有足够时间找到解决方法时，会感到惊慌失措。他们紧张地寻找各种就业机会，然后采取匆忙产生的决定，忽视了这样的选择会带来的
25、后果，也忽视了其他的择业机会。惊慌失措的人往往会思路不清，缺乏逻辑。6 最好的做法就是眼观六路，耳听八方。当人们确信以下三点时，会做出机敏的决策：1）应该做出选择；2）自己能找到解决问题的办法；3）有足够的时间。这样，学生才能够有效地寻求各种可能的职业，仔细地掂量每一种可能性，并且制定出应变计划，以便应付各种风险。7 以下是择业规划的关键步骤：8 1研究自我。这是择业规划的关键所在。了解自己是怎样一个人，看重什么以及想成为什么样的人，这些是整个择业规划的依据。在研究自我的过程中，你审视自己的长处与弱点，自己的目标以及自身发展的方向。对自己的了解使你能够设想哪些职业最符合你的个性、兴趣、能力和目
26、标。所有的职业抉择都要求我们既要了解自己又要了解有关工作，并把这两方面的情况结合起来（加以考虑） 。9 2把自己的事业目标写下来。要把自己对事业发展的设想归纳起来。一个切实可行的做法是把这些设想按照你一生的各个时间段一一写下来。写作过程迫使你理清思路，并认识到那些是模糊、不成熟的想法。这会使你对自己的发展前途有新的了解，并有助于你看清新的关系、模式及方向，或者明确你在考虑自己事业发展方面还有哪些不到之处。10 3定期与他人一起检查你的规划与所取得的进展。有时候要估量一下自己的情形，考虑下一步该采取什么步骤。评估一下自己的进步并计划下面的步骤，这有助于你应对自己要经历的变化以及劳动力市场的变化。
27、与你的大学辅导员、父母与朋友探讨你的计划，这有助于你明确目标，改进择业规划，或使计划得以实施。11 4如果你选择的职业不适合你，你可以重新开始。如今，越来越多的男男女女在变换职业，或者重新开始一份对他们更有吸引力的职业。其中许多人一旦发现自己所从事的行业不尽如人意，就重新参加培训以谋求其他职业。这些新的职业常常是他们年轻时所忽视的，或者是由于当时的经济或别的原因而没有机会从事的。12 社会学家们说几乎没有什么职业的变换是“ 走下坡路 ”的，大部分都是按传统的关注“往高处走”的。社会已不再像过去那样把跳槽看成是一种 “不安分”、可耻的事了。13 换工作和改职业在任何年龄都会发生。据估计, 20
28、岁到 25 岁这个年龄段的男性中多达四分之一的人更换职业。而在 25 岁到 44 岁的年龄段，该比例大约是八分之一。14 择业规划并不能保证你将来所面临的所有问题、困难或决策形势都能得到解决或变得容易。没有任何妙方能做到这一点。但是，择业规划能够帮助你面对或更好地处理新的问题，诸如决定是否要接受某方面的教育或培训，是否要更换工作，还能帮助你分析所面临的困境或与某人交往中所存在的困难。15 没有人能预见我们任何一个人的未来。未来的一些社会、情感、道德等方面要考虑的因素是无法预见的。但是这个往往不尽如人意的现代世界给予了我们一个最重要的教训，那就是进步来自于规划。对自己职业的无知并不是一种福气，理
29、智比机遇和命运更重要。Summer Job PlanningAssuming that you know what you want to do after collegeand you may be considered shortsighted these days if you have not picked a career by the time you enter collegeyou should start thinking about a job even before you graduate. What companies or organizations have th
30、e job you want? Lets say you majored in English or history and you want to write a great novel. You need a job to support and educate you. You have to select from a list of several possibilities, not unlike choosing an option from the menu on the screen of a personal computer. Your options might inc
31、lude: A. Working for a publishing company B. Writing for a scientific company C. Working for a public relations firm D. Going to graduate school to postpone decision E. None of these If you select option A, for example, it would be a good idea to write letters while you are in college to a dozen or
32、more publishing houses and ask for an interview with the personnel director. If you happen to have a contact such as an editor who might be willing to meet with you, so much the better Make every effort to have an interview. You should be familiar with the company before your interview and your aim
33、should be to express to the personnel manager your interest in working for the company. You might ask if a summer job (with pay, if possible) or an internship is available. In many cases interns do receive a small stipend; in others no pay is offered. It is important at this stage of your life to fi
34、nd a summer job that will enhance your future career. If you cannot find one in your field, then the alternative is to take another type of summer joblifeguard, housepainter, landscaper, waitress, or worker in a retail store or supermarket. These jobs tend to pay quite well, and you can save enough
35、for many college expenses. That aspect has to be weighed against the fact that they might not help your career plans. Any summer job that requires hard work and a certain amount of responsibility is good for your r sum . Naturally if the job is career-oriented, it makes better reading. One day on th
36、e commuter train, I was sitting in front of two high school girls, and one said to the other, “My college education wont cost my father one cent. At least I dont think so.“ She explained that she had been working weekends, summers, and Christmas and spring vacations as a waitress in a restaurant. He
37、r tips were so good she had saved up $ 10,000. She planned to go to Rutgers University, commuting from home. If she continued working through college she figured she could graduate without debt and go to graduate school. When I started looking for a summer job in college I found that the only organi
38、zation that would hire me (except for restaurants) was Filenes, the big Boston department store that operated a summer branch on Cape Cod, where my family vacationed. During my freshman year at college I paid a visit to the Northampton, Mass. branch, a year-round operation. I asked for a job selling
39、 on Saturdays and a job the following summer. I was hired on the spot. The following summer the manager of the Northampton shop assumed management of the Cape Cod branch for the summer, and she asked me to come along as a salesgirl. All through college I earned my expenses by working for Filenes on
40、the Cape during the summer months and on Saturdays and sale days during the college years. I also conceived and wrote copy for the advertisements that Filenes ran in our college newspaper during the winter, and an art major did the drawings based on my ideas. By the time I was a senior I knew that I
41、 did not want to go into retailing, but it was my hedge against the future. I knew from conversations with the store manager that if I could not find a newspaper reporting job I could find a spot on the Filenes training squad, and use that step toward a writing job. 1 假设你知道自己大学毕业后想干什么（现今，如果进了大学你还没选中
42、一种职业，也许会被看成目光短浅） ，你早在毕业前就应该考虑找一份工作了。2 哪些公司或机构会有你想要的工作呢? 假定你的专业是英文或历史，你想要写一部了不起的小说，那么你需要一份工作来支付生活和教育费用。你必须从一系列的可能性中进行选择，就像你从个人电脑屏幕的“菜单” 中挑一个选项一样。你可能有下列选项：A.到一家出版公司工作B.给一家科技公司当笔杆子C.到一家公关公司工作D.读研究生，先不做决定E.其他3 假如你选中 A，有一个好主意，就是在大学期间就向十几家出版社写信，请求与人事主管面谈。假如你碰巧有个熟人是编辑，而他愿意见你，那样的话敢情更好。4 要想方设法争取面试机会。在面试前你应该熟
43、悉这家公司，而面试的目的是向人事经理表达自己在这家公司工作的兴趣。你可以打听是否能做暑期工(可能的话，要有酬劳) 或实习生。在很多情况下实习生有少量薪水，但也有无报酬的情况。5 在人生的这一阶段，找一个能促进未来事业的暑期工作很重要。如果在自己的专业领域找不到工作，那么你可以选另一类暑期工作救生员、房屋油漆工、园林工、女招待、或者零售店或超市的工作人员。这些工作通常薪酬优厚，你可以存下足够的钱应付大学里的很多开销。但这些工作可能无助于你的择业规划，你必须在这两个方面权衡一下。任何一个需要你付出艰苦努力以及要求有一定责任心的暑期工作，写在你的简历上都是好的。要是这份工作与将来的事业相关，你的简历
44、看起来自然就更吸引人。6 有一天，在上下班乘坐的火车上，我坐在两位女中学生的前面。其中一个女孩对另一个说：“我上大学不会花我父亲一分钱。至少我觉得不会。 ”她解释说，周末、暑假、圣诞节和春假她都在一家餐馆当服务员。她的小费很可观，她已存下了一万美元。她计划上拉特格斯大学，住在家里走读。如果她在大学期间继续打工，她估计不用借债就能毕业并上研究生院。7 我在大学期间开始寻找暑期工作的时候，我发现除餐馆外唯一愿意雇我的单位是法林百货公司 波士顿的一家大百货公司，它在科德角开了家夏季分店，我的家人就在那儿度假。我在大学一年级时，去过马萨诸塞州北安普敦的分店，是全年营业的。我申请在周六以及接下来的暑假当
45、售货员，当场就被录用了。那年夏天，北安普敦分店的经理负责管理科德角分店的夏季营业，她要我过去做营业员。8 大学期间，我都为法林公司在科德角的分店工作，包括暑期、学期当中的周六和大减价时，赚取了我整个大学期间的生活支出。冬季法林公司在我校校报上刊登广告，我为其构思编写广告词，一位绘画专业的学生按我的设想配图。当我读到大四的时候，我知道自己不想从事零售业，但它是我未来谋生的应急手段。我在与商店经理的谈话中了解到，如果我找不到报刊记者的工作，我可以在法林公司培训小组得到一个职位，并以此为跳板从事写作。Which Career Is the Right One for You?When you are
46、 trying to plan your career, try out a variety of jobs, work in many different settings, volunteer for different tasks. There are six basic categories of occupations. The six types of jobs, as developed by Professor John L. Holland, a psychology professor from Johns Hopkins University, are described
47、 here in some detail. Recognize that when I talk about the characteristics of people in the jobs, no one person has all of these characteristics. I am talking about trends, but they are strong trends. Type ARealistic Jobs These are mainly skilled trades or technical jobs, usually involving work with
48、 tools or machines, frequently called “blue-collar“ positions. People who are attracted to realistic jobs are usually robust, practical, physically strong and frequently competitive in outlook. They usually have good physical coordination, but sometimes they have trouble expressing themselves in wor
49、ds or in talking with others. They prefer to deal with things rather than with ideas or with people. They enjoy creating things with their hands. They have good motor coordination, but they are frequently uncomfortable in social settings, and lack verbal and interpersonal skills. They usually see themselves as mechanically and athletically inclined and are stable, natural and persistent. They prefer concrete to abstract problems. Realistic people tend to see the world in simple, tangible and traditional terms. Possessions are important to them, and th
