- Accounting Firms
- Banks
- Investment Firms
- Hospitals
- Business Corporations
- State Government
- Labor Unions
- Trade Associations
- Marketing Research Firms
- Additional Factors
Your geographic location may be completely open-ended, in which case you are willing to relocate wherever you might be assigned for training or hired for permanent employment Some job hunters prefer to stay in the area where most of their family lives, others like to explore new regions of the country. Some have strong climate preferences, others want an urban or rural environment. Whatever factors are important to you in deciding where you want to live and work, it is important to note that some industries tend to be concentrated in different areas of the country.
This may affect the availability of certain kinds of work in some locations.
Action Step: geographical preferences,
Last in order of, geographical areas where you would prefer to live and work. Be as specific as possible, for example, indicate San Francisco, the Bay area, Southwest Florida, Boston, Phoenix rather than the West Coast, the Southeast United States, etc. Such decisions as geographical, urban/rural environment, and climate preferences are, of course, a personal choice that is influenced by many variables, including location of family and friends, employment opportunities, leisure activities/interests, etc.
Only you can decide how much money you feel you need or would like to earn. It is relatively easy to obtain from the university or college you attend or have attended, current information concerning salary offers made to individuals graduating with your degree or accepting the type of job in which you are interested. Ask for such information at your campus career planning and placement center. Many students use such statistics to determine the "market rate" they should request or expect from an employer. Besides your starting salary there are two other factors you should consider as you attempt to answer this question. The first is the importance to you of longer term earning potential and second is the importance of job security. The following Action Step approach to computing your basic financial needs.
Action Step: Calculating Your Financial Needs
One approach for determining the salary you need or should expect involves determining your financial needs based upon the lifestyle you are accustomed to or expect to live. Calculate a budget of such a lifestyle by tracking your current spending habits. Start with those expenses which are fixed such as housing, car, and insurance payments and then add your variable expenses such as food, entertainment, and travel. Once you have a base to work from you can begin to estimate additional expenses which are likely to accrue after you are employed, such as repayment of student loans, investment in work clothing, and the additional costs involved in raising your standard of living. Also consider the cost of living in the geographical area where you intend to live, adjusting your figures accordingly.
This systematic analysis will determine a salary figure (not accounting for income tax) that you can confidently feel is an accurate estimate of your basic financial needs. The low end of your expected salary range should be the minimum you would be willing to accept (your basic survival salary) no matter how good the job looks; the high end should be the highest amount you realistically can hope to be making in your first or next job, based on your research.
The relationship between work and your personal life is another issue that only you can decide. Many people have a strong preference to limit the amount of hours they work and keep their work and personal lives separate, while others do not mind bringing work home, both physically and mentally. For most, this issue is largely a question of time. How much time do you want to devote to your work and how much time do you want to pursue other things that may be important in your life, such as social relationships, family, recreational or cultural activities? Jobs vary dramatically in their time demands and you should be aware of any conflicts in this area with your own preferred lifestyle.
While many people, especially early in their careers, are willing to sacrifice personal time for their jobs, working extra hours will not necessarily bring you greater organizational rewards. Rewards are usually linked to what you achieve for the organization, not the number of extra hours you spend or how busy you appear to be.
Action Step: A Time Analysis of Personal and Professional Goals.
Try to determine the number of hours you spend a week on personal activities including life maintenance activities like grocery shopping, laundry, etc., as well as on hobbies, cultural activities, recreation, and other interests. Estimate the amount of time a week you spend, or expect to spend, with personal friends and significant others. Estimate the amount of time the job/career you seek will likely require. How demanding will your time commitments be? Which aspects of your anticipated schedule are most important to you and which can be flexible, if necessary? Discuss potential time conflicts with those people who may be affected in your personal life. How does it all add up? How can you achieve the balance you prefer?
Goal Setting
You should now have enough information to establish a career goal (your general direction) and an immediate job objective (the more specific statement of your overall career goal). Your objective should integrate your priorities as you have determined them.
It will represent a combination of all those factors you have identified as being important to you. Be prepared for the need to possibly compromise on some of the factors as a result of conflict between your responses. Your objective should be as specific as possible without overly limiting opportunities you wish to consider (a sometimes difficult task to achieve).
For example, "An entry-level position in public relations for a medium-sized, private company which involves client contact," would be better than, "A position working with people in public relations." Or, "Using my written and oral communication skills, organizational ability, and leader ship qualities to organize community support for improved zoning ordinances in Santa Clara County" would be better than "Entry-level position in a community action organization."
Although it is just an initial decision as to what you think you want and would be happy doing for a career, it is an important step to make in the career planning process. Your objective will serve as your starting point for researching the world of work.
After your research, you should have an even sharper focus on your career objective. Then, having decided what you £ire looking for, you can begin in earnest to look for it. Chapter Four will cover in detail the art and science of job hunting. The following pages will help you to summarize your progress so far.
Action Step: Career/life planning summary sheet.
Use the following career chart to list in priority or der within each category those elements important to you in your career. Action Step: Stating Your Career Objectives.
Develop your career objective by weaving together the key elements you identified on the Career Planning Summary Sheet:
I would like to use my proven writing ability, editorial experience, ability to research information, creativity, artistic sense and genuine interest in and concern for the environment working as a writer/ editor for a publication produced by a national organization promoting environmental concern, with offices in Washington, D.C. I want to be in a position where I can influence people and gain personal recognition for my work. I want to be making $14,000-$20,000 per year and work no more than 50 hours per week, leaving time to socialize with Mends, attend concerts at least twice a month, and play tennis once a week.
Group Action: Brainstorm with the group other possible ways of combining the elements on your Career Planning Summary Sheet.
