Week 2Transferable skills, work and career planning

Skills

• You have plenty of them! You just might not realize it…• Most people get hung up on ‘marketable’ or technical

skills• Transferable skills are just as valuable and come from a

variety of places and experiences including GE classes• Transferable skills allow you to succeed

Exercise

• Pick a partner to work with• Spend 10 minutes interviewing that person to figure out what

their transferable skills are• Questions to ask:• What activities over the last month required demonstration of a

skill—any skill?• What activities at home required use of a skill?• What activities at work required use of a skill?• What activities at school required use of a skill?• What activities with friends/family during leisure time required

use of a skill?

Work and Career Planning

• Is your future professional life a matter of planning or chance?

• How to ensure it’s the former not the latter?• Arm yourself with information and plan!

Careers are everywhere

Brainstorming Career Options

• Imagine• Create a definition of success• Look “back” on a successful career• Describe your career in detail• List the careers that interest you most

Plan!

• Timeline• Chart• List• Priorities• Whatever works for you; Make a mental picture of the

steps you’ll need to follow in order to be successful in the career chosen

Example

• Graduate top of class in a major that will help me with both qualitative and quantitative thinking

• Do well on LSAT • Get admitted to a top tier law school with a scholarship• Get on law review and graduate in top 10% of class• Work in a law firm briefly in order to gain corporate experience• Continue education in order to develop soft, transferable skills

(communication, critical thinking, problem solving)• Get hired by major media/technology company with stock options

and future high-growth model• Work for 15-20 years and retire

Self-Discovery Steps

• Career placement office counseling (talk to someone!)• Take an assessment (Good ones like Career Liftoff cost

money) • Explore websites like ONet (http://www.onetonline.org/)• Internships• Service learning