Career Options: Exploring a New Career

University System of Georgia via Coursera

Go to Course: https://www.coursera.org/learn/career-exploration

Introduction

### Course Review: Career Options: Exploring a New Career **Platform:** Coursera **Instructor:** [Instructor's Name] (unspecified in details provided) **Duration:** [Course Duration] (please specify if known) **Level:** Beginner to Intermediate #### Overview In today's fast-paced job market, the quest for a meaningful and successful career can feel overwhelming. Coursera's course, *Career Options: Exploring a New Career*, is specifically designed for individuals seeking to research new career paths, acquire necessary skills, and create a well-structured career plan. Whether you’re contemplating a career change, about to graduate, or simply looking to reassess your career trajectory, this comprehensive course provides resources and insights that will empower you to navigate your professional journey effectively. ### Course Structure and Syllabus Breakdown The course is divided into several insightful modules that guide you through the intricacies of career exploration and planning. 1. **What is Career Planning?** - *Focus:* Introduction to career planning and its significance. - *Key Aspects:* Reflect on personal professional values, understand various expectations from a career, and begin to shape your individual career plan. 2. **Hot Careers and Job Trends: Where the Future Lies** - *Focus:* Researching current job markets and high-demand careers. - *Key Aspects:* Analyze salary potentials, job trends, and connect with industry professionals (Bridge Persons) for invaluable insights. 3. **Marketplace Realities: Who Am I Relative to the Job I am Seeking?** - *Focus:* Self-assessment in relation to desired job market positions. - *Key Aspects:* Study employment potential across different sectors and regions, understanding the landscape that relates to your skills. 4. **RightPathing Your Future: The Importance of Whole-Life Career Planning** - *Focus:* Emphasizing the lifelong aspect of career planning. - *Key Aspects:* Use a case study to identify personal talents and align them with career aspirations, understanding the concept of whole-life career planning. 5. **My First Steps: Defining Your Career Objective and Action Plan** - *Focus:* Crafting a clear career objective. - *Key Aspects:* Develop a career objective statement, evaluate your skills, and assess how they align with your chosen career paths, ensuring your career objective resonates with your strengths. 6. **Research and Values: Identifying Your Best Options** - *Focus:* Implementing research strategies for career decision-making. - *Key Aspects:* Explore various sources of information, align personal and workplace values with career choices through targeted research. 7. **Career Rockclimbing: A Tactical Approach to Reach the Top** - *Focus:* Adapting to the modern dynamic job market. - *Key Aspects:* Learn innovative strategies for career advancement and understand that career success is a fluid process reminiscent of climbing a rock wall, rather than a straightforward ladder. ### Why You Should Enroll *Career Options: Exploring a New Career* offers participants a structured approach to understanding and planning their career paths. The blend of self-reflection, practical assignments, and interaction with professionals in your field creates a powerful learning environment. Here are a few compelling reasons to enroll: - **Holistic Development:** The course adopts a whole-life approach to career planning, recognizing that personal values and life circumstances influence career choices. - **Practical Tools:** It equips learners with the necessary tools to conduct meaningful research and identify opportunities tailored to their skills and passions. - **Supportive Community:** Engaging with instructors and peers creates a rich learning experience and networking possibilities, essential for anyone exploring new career options. - **Flexible Learning:** As with other Coursera courses, the flexible format allows students to learn at their own pace, accommodating those with busy schedules. ### Conclusion If you find yourself at a career crossroads or simply wish to broaden your horizons, *Career Options: Exploring a New Career* is an investment in your personal and professional growth. With insightful content and tangible steps toward making informed career decisions, this course is a must for anyone interested in taking charge of their career journey. Enroll today and embark on your path toward a fulfilling career!

Syllabus

What is Career Planning?: Career Exploration Infographic

Welcome! You are beginning a very important journey on your path to a meaningful and successful career. This course is designed to help you shape a career plan that can launch a new career, establish the beginning phases of an early career, or re-invent your existing career. This course, and your team of instructors, will ask you think deeply about your professional values. You will research hot careers and the skills necessary to succeed in them. We will ask you to reflect on your experiences, critically evaluate what you know, and determine what you still need to know. We will ask you to identify groups and individuals that can serve you in your career decisions and from whom you can learn about options within a career. Career Planning can be a deeply enriching experience. We are very pleased to join you in your journey. Module One introduces you to the course, explores the scope of career planning and discovers the different expectations people have of a career.

Hot Careers and Job Trends: Where the Future Lies

In this module, you will research trends in careers and describe the potential job market, areas of demand, salary potential, and entry requirements. This module will provide you with the tools necessary to identify and describe the different career tracks in your chosen field. You will connect with a Bridge Person (an individual who is already a professional in your chosen career field) and schedule a meeting with that person to complete a career conversation. The module includes instructions on how to identify and connect with a bridge person using LinkedIn.com, alumni networks, or a professional/business association along with information about how to schedule the meeting and how to select appropriate questions. At the end of this module you will be able to consider trends for deciding on a college major or training program, and for help choosing a new career.

Marketplace Realities: Who Am I Relative to the Job I am Seeking?

In this module, you will explore who you are relative to the job search, and your industry of choice. You will examine issues related to career choices and career planning, as well as learn which jobs have the greatest and least employment potential. Research careers and see the growth rate for each, view earnings at different levels of experience, and compare different regions. Research employment rates for people with your skills in different locations.

RightPathing Your Future: The Importance of Whole-Life Career Planning

In this module, you will learn how to think about career planning as both a lifelong and "whole-life" activity. You will learn about whole-life career planning by watching Rachel, a 20-year old college student, discover her unique talents and interests using the RightPathing Your Future approach. At the end of this module, you will learn the importance of assessing and understanding your hard-wired behaviors, work values, skills and passions, and then aligning them with both your personal and professional goals.

My First Steps: Defining Your Career Objective and Action Plan

In this module, you will learn about the importance of a Career Objective Statement and the elements that it contains. You will differentiate and describe the career field categories and the organizational category with which your interests align. You will reflect on your general and specific skills to create a skills inventory that matches the industry, organization, and/or field that you choose. You will be asked to explain potential careers associated with your interest including requirements, outlook, salary, and benefits. At the end of this module, you will be able to create a Career Objective statement for your unique professional level that does what a career objective is supposed to do while avoiding what it is not supposed to do. You will evaluate your objective statement according to your Career Exploration Infographic to ensure alignment with your strengths and talents.

Research and Values: Identifying Your Best Options

In this module, you will explore different types of research sources and approaches. You will begin to consider your own research approach on your given career choice. You will share the results of your search and examine any questions unanswered. You will explore personal and workplace values, and align your personal work and cultural values with your research results.

Career Rockclimbing: A Tactical Approach to Reach the Top

In this module, you will be introduced to the concept of "career rock climbing" which has replaced the traditional idea of "climbing the corporate ladder." In today's world, the career ladder has become a rock wall. Career success, no matter how you define it, requires you to be more creative and nimble as you develop and implement your career plan. This module will show you how to be more innovative and creative as you explore and prepare for your career.