Career Options: Exploring a New Career (Coursera)

You will design a tactical career plan and identify pitfalls in behavior, communication and appearance that can derail a new career. You will also develop a targeted cover letter and resume using a proven business format. Your experiential learning can also be a valuable asset, linking your personal experiences with your chosen career. We will help you define your career objective statement and align this with your strengths and goals. Finally, you will be challenged to research and identify your personal values inventory, and evaluate how to best navigate the current job market by using an innovative approach called career rockclimbing.

Syllabus

WEEK 1
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.

WEEK 2
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.

WEEK 3
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.

WEEK 4
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.

WEEK 5
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.

WEEK 6
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.

WEEK 7
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.