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Upon completion of this course, students will be able to:
1. Explain the concept of the career development process across the lifespan.
2. Describe how personal values affect their lifestyles and career choices.
3. Analyze career interest and personality inventories as a resource for making career decisions.
4. Identify specific skills from past school, work or life experiences that could apply to a career path.
5. Assess the influence of individual psychological and biological traits on career choice and development.
6. Examine biological and environmentall influences on personality and their relationship to career development.
7. Examine personality theory and values clarification in relation to gender, culture and ethnicity.
8. Identify life span factors and examine their impact on career choice and transition.
9. Utilize the Career Development Center literature and web resources to evaluate an occupation or career
path in terms of market trends, personal values and skills compatibility.
10. Conduct informational interviews to gather current career information.
11. Synthesize career data and assess the degree of occupational compatibility.
12. Apply the analytical decision making process to career alternatives as well as the process of developing short and long-term goals.
13. Identify psychological, social and physical barriers in the career decision making process.
14. Evaluate the relationship between majors and careers.
15. Develop a career/life action plan for the implementation of career decisions.
16. Assess the physiological and psychological indicators for managing stress in the decision
making process and in the workplace.
17. Identify the components of a successful job search, fill out job applications, and write a resume and cover letter.
18. Identify and practice job interview techniques.
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I. Self and Career Awareness
A. Origins of career beliefs
B. Personal beliefs assessment and obstacles that may interfere with career exploration
C. Overview of human development and life stages across the lifespan
D. Theories of career development such as:
1. Donald Super
2. John Holland
3. John Krumboltz
4. Anne Roe
5. Eli Ginzberg
E. Factors influencing career development over the lifespan including aging, health,
disability, family, lifestyle, stress and support systems
F. Identification and integration of social and psychological roles in life
G. Influence of personal beliefs, social and cultural conditioning, economic and workplace
trends on career choice
H. Values Analysis
1. Values as they relate to career choice
2. Influences on individual values (family, culture, religion)
3. Role of values in contributing to a satisfying life and work environment
4. Personal values and philosophies assessment
I. Career interests
1. Origins of career interests
2. Social and cultural influences in the development of career interests
3. Interest inventories, evaluation and interpretation
4. Educational opportunities to develop interests
J. Personality assessment
1. Carl Jung's psychological types theory
2. Biological and cultural influences on personality
K. Skills assessment
1. Personal skill sets
2. Transferable skill sets
3. Occupational skill sets
4. Skill sets required for selected careers
5. Acquiring desired skill sets
L. Influence of career choice on lifestyle (quality of life, health, retirement,
economic well-being)
M. Creating a healthy work/life balance
N. Physiological, psychological and behavioral aspects of positive and negative
stress in the workplace
O. Diversity in the workplace
P. How to synthesize information from self-assessment of beliefs, values, skills,
personality and interests as it relates to career planning
Q. How to construct a tentative career action plan reflecting identified values,
beliefs, skills, personality traits and interests
R. Methods to develop psychosocial support for career selection and/or transition
S. Techniques to maintain psychosocial support throughout the career selection
and/or transition process
II. Occupational Information
A. Career literature and web resources.
B. Labor market
C. Economic Trends and their effects on career choice and mental/emotional
health and well-being
D. Research methods and evaluation criteria
E. Informational interviewing techniques as a resource for gathering career information
F. Relationship of majors to career planning
G. Education and training needed for potential careers
H. Educational planning
III. Career Planning and Decision Making
A. How to analyze career data in relation to personal values, interests, personality and
skills compatibility
B. Analytical decision making process
C. Psychological barriers and stressors related to decision making
D. Socioeconomic and cultural influences in the decision making process and on
life/career choices
E. Role of internships, volunteer experiences
F. Networking
G. Development of short and long term goals
IV. Employment Readiness Skills
A. Job search strategies
B. Job applications
C. Functional, chronological and electronic resumes
D. Cover letters
E. Pre-interview preparation and research
F. Job interview techniques
V. Workplace Behavior
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1. Weekly reading assignments of 10-50 pages.
2. 4-8 written assignments based on readings in text.
3. Papers (2-5 pages)/Written Reports
a. Summary of values clarification exercises assessing the influence of gender, family, culture, religion, health and stress on personal values.
b. Projected lifestyle.
c. Introspective paper examining individual psychological and biological influences on personality.
d. Analysis of personality type, interest inventory results, and skill sets.
e. Examination of decision-making process including potential barriers.
4. Development of a personal resume, cover letter, and interviewing techniques.
5. Reaction papers (2-4) to class discussions and videos.
6. Summarize results of informational interviews and evaluate in relationship to the career action plan.
7. Career research report that integrates the student's assessment results and the relationship to potential careers based on research gathered via the Career Development Center resources. (4-5 pages)
8. Midterm or final exam/quizzes
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The Career Fitness Program: Exercising Your Options, Sukiennik & Raufman, Pearson, 11th Edition, 2016
Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You Through the Secrets of Personality Type, Tieger, Barron, & Tieger, Little, Brown and Company, 2014
The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success, Lore, Touchstone, 2012
Instructor prepared materials