In the face of an ever-changing job market for new graduates, and despite whatever
career counseling
they may have had earlier in life, recent grads and more experienced alumni
alike still come to crossroads in their careers that may seem to dictate
new career choices. Choosing or changing a career necessitates managing
a transition process that should feature foundations of self assessment
and work world knowledge as well as a grasp of how searches should be conducted
in specific fields - the "games" vary across professions and industries
- all three eventually yielding a strategy for attaining a new position.
Building information foundations and search know-how can take time, but
the pay-offs can be immense.
The Career Services Network has a committment to
helping alumni navigate the career choice/change process. Alumni
are encouraged to take advantage of the following:
Self Help Resources
Those living close enough to Syracuse are welcome to use print resources
in the career resource area of the Center for Career Services (235 Schine) that address career decision-making as well
as what makes up the vast world of work. Those living away from Syracuse
may find similar resources at colleges and public libraries nearby.
Alumni may email Chuck Reutlinger
, CCS' Associate Director for Information Resources and Services, for suggestions of titles to review.
Online resources that allow visitors to learn more about career fields
can be quite helpful and, accordingly, a web guide in the Web Links section
above, Exploringing Careers, connects to some of the best of these
sites. Alumni/ae wishing to identify specific sites for specific
fields may email
Chuck Reutlinger, CCS' Associate Director for Information Resources and
Services, for suggestions of sites that may help.
Staff Assistance
The above-mentioned staff will be happy to direct alumni to resources,
but sometimes it just helps to discuss one's situation with a trained and
experienced counselor. Alumni should check with their original home colleges to inquire about advising services.
The Center's staff of career consultants are
ready to play this role as well. In-person appointments are welcomed
for those who live close enough to Syracuse, and telephone appointments
can be scheduled for those residing beyond the Syracuse area; call 315-443-3616
to arrange either conversation. A summary of a current situation
and steps taken to-date with other resources can frequently be emailed,
faxed, or mailed before these appointments and helps make the conversation
more productive. What will be discussed during a conversation?
Consultants will generally try to focus on the person's skills, interests,
temperament and personality, and the work values, i.e. those satisfactions
one seeks and needs from working, that appear most critical for the near
future. Consultants have an array of print and online assessment
tools available to help in this stage of advisement, inventories which
frequently help the person to profile themselves and gain some insight
into types of work or work settings that may be good fits.
Getting Started
In addition to the steps suggested above, alumni may wish to read
more about the career choice/change process. We recommend the following:
Changing Careers. http://careerjournal.com/
jobhunting/change/
A collection of articles on the many aspects of career choice.
Surviving a Crisis. http://careerjournal.com/myc/
survive/
Another collection that addresses realities and strategies for dealing
with potential layoffs, job loss, and other related matters.
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