Career Planning is an on-going process. For the young and older adult population, it is important for you to assess where you are if you are to meet your needs and turn your dreams into reality. The unemployed and unskilled worker in transition with little experience in the workforce has different needs from the young adult student looking to launch a first time professional or technical career. The older adult, who has been recently affected by an employer's reorganization, faces a different set of issues. All populations can benefit from the career planning process of self-assessment, exploring career opportunities in the world of work and learning assertive job search strategies that produce results.

The Career Planning process is a continuous cycle divided into three parts. The picture below illustrates the process with a circle and three arrows.

1.) Self-Assessment/Knowing Yourself

In this 1st step, we learn about our personal qualities and characteristics.

2.) Career Exploration

In the 2nd step, we explore the world of work and assess that information with the previous knowledge about ourselves.

3.) Job Search

In the 3rd step, we learn job search strategies to locate opportunities in the careers we have found interesting to us. The process and cycle continues as we grow and develop through choice or circumstance to move to other occupations throughout our lifetime.

Other Resources:

Careers & Majors

NC State Career Center

North Carolina State Occupational Information Coordinating Committee - SOICC (Site which contains abundant information regarding career planning and the job search)