Career Planning

If you haven’t thought much yet about a career, now is the time. Think of what you want to do with your life, and chose a career path you can have passion for. Also, be ready to have a backup plan in case your first idea doesn’t work out. Start by considering the following list of existing careers.

Bureau of Labor Statistics Careers List

Accountant

Actor

Actuary

Agricultural and food scientist

Architect

Artist

Automotive mechanic

Bookkeeper

Carpenter

Chemist

Childcare worker

Civil engineer

Coach

Computer hardware engineer

Computer software engineer

Computer support specialist

Cost estimator

Court reporter

Dancer

Database administrator

Designer

Disc jockey

Doctor

Drafter

Economist

Electrical engineer

Electrician

Engineering technician

Environmental scientist

Farmer

Financial analyst

Firefighter

Graphic designer

Human resources

Judge

Landscape architect

Lawyer

Librarian

Loan officer

Machinist

Musician

Nurse

Paralegal

Pharmacist

Photographer

Physicist

Pilot

Police officer

Politician

Professional athlete

Programmer

Psychologist

Real estate agent

Recreation and fitness worker

Recreational therapist

Reporter

Secretary

Social worker

Statistician

Surveyor

Systems analyst

Teacher

Urban planner

Veterinarian

Webmaster

Web developer

Writer

Zookeeper

Your Turn What career would you find most fulfilling? Go to http://www.bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm to find a career list. By clicking on any of the career categories, you can read all about that career. Also think about careers that are not on the list as well as entrepreneurial opportunities that you can create for yourself.

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Creating a Plan

A career plan is a document you create to explore a job you think you might like, consider the ways you are suited for it, and learn about the training and experience you need to prepare for it. Look over the following example career plan.

Career Plan

Page 1

Career Plan

Martha San Miguel

January 2013

The beginning states and explains the desired career.

Career: I want to be a medical assistant. In this job, I will provide administrative and clinical support to a doctor (or doctors). I will help the doctor’s office run smoothly and serve as a go-between for the patients and their doctor.

The middle reflects on job skills, employers, and duties.Interesting Job Skills: Three skills required in this career especially interest me.

I like being around people, and this job will give me many opportunities to work with the public and the staff.
I am detail oriented, which will help with scheduling, ordering, and filing.
I want to help others, and recording medical histories, taking blood pressures, drawing blood, giving vision exams, and other duties will help patients maintain or improve their health.

Potential Employers: Many clinics and urgent-care centers hire medical assistants.

Potential Duties:

Administrative responsibilities (schedule appointments, arrange lab services, fill out insurance forms, answer the phone, buy equipment, do bookkeeping, and keep files)
Clinical responsibilities (take pulse and blood pressure, explain procedures, perform lab tests, sterilize instruments, draw blood, change dressings)

Listing job requirements helps the person get the right training.

Job Requirements:

Graduate from a one-year medical-assistant program.
ake courses in anatomy, medical terminology, typing, accounting, record keeping, and insurance processing.
Be courteous, well groomed, and respectful.

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Page 2

The next sections focus on the qualifications the person already has and those she needs.

Other Helpful Qualifications: