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High
anxiety?
University workshop dispels myths, breaks career
selection process down to its parts
From the Spring 2000 Parent Newsletter
The only
career to consider is one that matches your skills. There is a perfect
career for you. If you find the right job, you're set for life.
Some of the myths that students believe about choosing a career can
cause high anxiety, said Jennifer Engler of University Counseling
& Consulting Services (UCCS). Often, students think that declaring
a major and setting their sights on a future job should be a basic,
easy step, and once they make the decision, everything will fall into
place. They are overwhelmed when they find themselves struggling with
their future plans or struggling against the decision they've made.
"Choosing a career is not as simple as 'here's the answer, this is
what you should be,'" Engler said. "A career choice is really a major
research project, and students should approach it in much the same
way. They should find out as much about themselves as they can and
really look into the jobs they think would be a good match."
UCCS recently introduced a two-hour workshop, Career Awareness Through
Self-Assessment. The workshop provides tools and ideas for "thinking
about the process of career selection," according to Engler. "We don't
give students the answers, but we give them strategies and resources
to explore possible careers."
The workshop encourages students to think not only about the title
of the job and the amount of money it will pay, but also about the
lifestyle that goes along with the job. "The reality of the work world
is that it matters what the actual tasks of the job are or in what
type of setting you work," Engler said. "What you're good at in the
classroom might not be what you want to do every day for the rest
of your life."
A student who is naturally good at math, for example, is likely to
think he or she should major in a field that requires math skills.
Sometimes, however, the student spends the most time studying a language
or music or history. Although the math grades might still be the highest,
another subject might be more gratifying. "We try to show students
that their self-confidence and enjoyment of a field can be more important
than those natural abilities," Engler said.
In the workshop, students begin to assess their skills, abilities,
values, and interests, and learn methods for exploring possible matches
with the range of tasks, settings, and rewards available in the world
of work. The workshop is conducted in the UCCS Career Development
Center, 302 Eddy Hall. In this setting, students can be introduced
to the variety of resources available to them, ranging from computer
software programs such as Discover to Internet sites like
www.iseek.org.
One of the techniques used during the workshop is a "career fantasy."
Students are asked to imagine themselves three years into the future,
getting up in the morning to go to work. They are asked to think about
where they live-are they in a big city, a small town, or in the country?
What clothes do they put on? When they go out the door, do they get
into their car, or go to a bus stop or subway stop, or maybe walk
to work? What does their workspace look like?
The idea is to help students see that work is part of a lifestyle,
Engler said. "We try to give students a way to think through the decision-making
process." On average, people change careers-not just jobs-at least
five times over their worklife, so students will likely make use of
these skills as they go through their professional lives.
Career selection can be an extremely anxiety-arousing process. The
goal of the UCCS workshop is break the process down into its parts.
"If they learn how and where to find the information they need, it
helps reduce the anxiety," Engler said. At the end of the session,
the workshop instructor helps each student sort through and integrate
the information he or she has learned. The instructor may recommend
follow-up with a career counselor if further questions remain.
Students are encouraged to begin the career selection process in their
first or second year at the University and use the workshop information
to make a thoughtful and careful career decision. Nevertheless, if
they find themselves as upperclassmen with doubts about the direction
they're headed, the workshop can still be helpful.
The workshop is free to all University of Minnesota undergraduate
students enrolled at least part-time. It is offered bi-weekly at varying
times and days of the week. A description of the workshop and a complete
schedule is available on line at www.ucs.umn.edu/cdc/workshops.htmlx.
The workshop is currently offered only on the Minneapolis campus at
302 Eddy Hall. However, requests to provide the workshop on the St.
Paul campus will be considered. Students are encouraged to sign up
for their preferred date and time for the workshop by calling 612-624-3323. |
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