Finding a career that fits you

By Ross Oliver

Finding the career that best fits you takes an investment of your time and energy. But it’s not a job for you alone.

Building a successful career requires collaboration with others. ACC offers assistance for you through Career Counselors and Student Services staff.

Career building requires both expectation and preparation for change. Statistics say we will probably change careers three to five times in our life. The average worker under age 35 goes job hunting every one to three years. For the average worker over 35, it is every five to eight years.

That reality shatters the typical image we often have that a career is "a onetime decision set in stone" that cannot be changed. Actually, a career is a dynamic element that demands our attention to define our passion.

Embracing the many changes that life throws at us can help bring happiness to our career.

What is a 'career'?

For many, career simply equals a job.

Ccareer expert and best-selling author Richard N. Bolles defines career more broadly. He describes a career as dealing with all 24 hours each day. Whether you are on the job, at school, assisting a family member, volunteering in the community, experiencing something new, or working out, all of your activities make up your career. The way you prioritize your activities reflects your values, calling, and goals that define your life mission.

In effect, your life is your career.

Develop your career plan

The career planning process consists of these elements:

Setting Goals: in key areas such as: work, education, personal, leisure, and family with a targeted completion date.

Learning about yourself: inventories and information on your interests, values, abilities, personality, and skills.

Doing research: A fact-finding mission on occupations, companies, industries, and economic trends.

Making decisions: Reviewing a comprehensive set of factors before making a major choice.

Developing employability skills: Learning skills for resume writing, job search strategies, job interviewing, negotiating, etc.

Where to find help

ACC counselors and Student Services staff members are ready to assist you. You can take the 3-credit course Career Exploration/Planning (POFT 1310), attend a specific career topic workshop, or meet individually with a career counselor who will discuss your concerns, answer your questions, and guide your research.

To summarize

Just as you track your academic achievement by following a degree plan, you can develop a career portfolio that tracks you accomplishments.

Be creative in looking for jobs, internships, and volunteer work that will give you new skills and insights into careers that interest you. Put yourself in positions that test your abilities and challenge you to excel. When you fall short of your goals, learn from the experience, modify your plan, and try again.

Follow your dreams, work hard, be resourceful, discover what motivates you and never give up!

We invite you to visit with a career counselor or Student Service staff member on campus and/or use these helpful resources online.

Best wishes to you in your career journey!