Lesson 1: Know Yourself

Career exploration and decision-making is the process of discovering who you are, identifying and exploring career options, and selecting an appropriate major or career based on your interests, abilities, values, and personality type.

The first step in career planning is to know yourself. Understanding all of the factors that make you unique will help you to plan a career that suits your own talents, skills, attributes, interests and circumstances.

Interests are things you like or even love to do. Everyone’s interests are a little bit different. When you are excited about something, chances are those activities are the things you like best. Most people also do well at the things they really enjoy. With good planning you can find work that really interests you. When you are paid to do a job you love, it may not even feel like “work.”

Abilities are things that you can do well. Sometimes people refer to these as “talents.” When abilities are used in the work place, they are referred to as “skills.”

Work values have to do with the reasons people receive satisfaction from their jobs.

Please watch the video, How to Choose a Career.

Assignment 1

Directions: After you have finished watching the video, list your interests, abilities, and values on the following worksheet: Who Am I?

When you have completed Assignment 1, you can continue to Lesson 2.