CAREER DECISION MAKINGCopyright © 2007

Robert Cullen

Career Decision Making Self Assessment: Skills, preferences, values, interests. Explore Options, activities, careers, jobs, dream job,

industries. Prioritize and Synthesize the Options and perhaps go

back to the previous step to explore more options if necessary.

Set Goals for your career and job search. Identify industries, companies, demographics, potential jobs.

Implement a Marketing Plan.

Your Career

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

job A

job B

Job C

Job D

Skills Job Environment Activities, Tasks, Roles

Interests

Job E

Job F

job G

job H

Job I

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

job B

Job C

Job D

SkillsJob Environment

Interests

Job E

Job F

job G

job H

Job I

job A

Activities Tasks, Roles

Your Career

Self Assessment What are your skills and talents? What are your interests? What are your values? Money? How much? Is it the most important priority? What is your passion? (maybe you can find this in a law job or any

job...Maybe you can’t) What area of law? What activities do you like-dislike? Research, oral advocacy, negotiation,

court room, conflict, interaction with clients. Talking to people, not talking to people, work by your self or with others? Conflict issues.

Where do you want to live? What environment? Dress up and be in a traditional law firm, dress down

in a small firm or start up? Casual? Out of the office? In the office? What kind of company or institution? Serving others, protecting rights,

corporations, underprivileged, non profits, for profits?

Myers Briggs

Myers Briggs - 4 Dichotomies of TypeHow you are Mentally Energized?

Extraversion (E) Introversion (I)

How you Perceive or Gather Information?Sensing (S) Intuition (N)

How you Judge or Decide?Thinking (T) Feeling (F)

How you Organize Your Environment?Judging (J) Perceiving (P)

Introvert v Extravert The terms Introvert and Extravert shows

how a person orients and receives their Energy. In the extraverted attitude the energy flow is outward, and the preferred focus is on other people and things, whereas in the introverted attitude the energy flow is inward, and the preferred focus is on one's own thoughts, ideas and impressions.

Most Lawyers are Introverts.

Sensing v Intuition Sensing and Intuition are the Perceiving Functions. These

are the nonrational functions, as a person does not necessarily have control over receiving data, but only how to process it once they have it.

Sensing people tend to focus on the present and on concrete information gained from their senses. Sensing prefers to receive data primarily from the five senses.

Intuitive people tend to focus on the future, with a view toward patterns and possibilities. These people prefer to receive data from the subconscious, or seeing relationships via insights.

Thinking v Feeling Thinking and Feeling are the Decision Making calculus

functions. They both strive to make rational choices, using the data received from their perceiving functions, above. Thinking tend to base their decisions on logic "true or false, if-then" connections and on objective analysis of cause and effect. Feeling tend to base their decisions primarily on values and on subjective evaluation of person centered concerns. Feelings use "more or less, better-worse" evaluations.

When Thinking or Feeling is Extraverted, decisions tend to rely on more objective external sources and the generally accepted rules. When Introverted, Thinking and Feeling decisions tend to be subjective, relying on internally generated ideas for logical organization and evaluation.

THINKING vs. FEELING Thinkers: value justice, rationality, truth, &

objectivity; decisions don’t reflect own personal values; can be cold & calculating; good analytical thinkers.

Feelers: value harmony, interpersonal relationships; apply their own personal values to make decisions; seek to do what’s right for self & others; sensitive to the effect of decisions on others.

What do you think most lawyers are?

Thinking-Feeling Preferences(Myers-Briggs Dimensions - Richard, 1994)

81%

19%

60%

40%ThinkingFeeling

35%

65%

66%

34%

Lawyers - Male Lawyers - Female

Most Males Most Females

Judging v Perceiving Judging and Perceiving reveals how you organize your environment.

People who prefer Judging tend to like a planned and organized approach to life and prefer to have things settled. People who prefer Perceiving tend to like a flexible and spontaneous approach to life and prefer to keep their options open. (The terminology may be misleading for some—the term "Judging" does not imply “Judgmental", and "Perceiving" does not imply "perceptive".)

J-types tend to prefer a step-by-step (left brain: parts to whole) approach to life, relying on external rules and procedures, and preferring quick closure.

In P-types, the subjects relying on subjective judgments, and a desire to leave all options open. (right brain: whole to parts),

Job Tasks Categorized Core Functions

NTDeveloping systems that contribute to the understanding of knowledgeStrategic planningDeveloping systems & modelsApplying theoretical principlesTeachingSolving theoretical problems without set guidelinesMastering knowledgeStarting from scratch to make things betterDoing researchUnderstandingFocusing on theoretical systemsDesigning systems

NFEncouraging others to grow and developCreating programs that enrich othersMotivating and inspiring othersFocusing on personal meaning & self-expressionMotivating others to use information to their own benefitSolving new and complex problems that will benefit the future of humanityChanging the way people do thingsHelping other resolve conflictMentoringDesigning projectsPerformingEmpowering others

STAnalyzing info in a detached, objective wayCollecting information & scheduling Managing projectsCreating budgets & overseeing themInstructingFinding more efficient ways of doing thingsControlling informationApplying principles consistentlyDoing cost-benefit analysesImprovingFocusing on what needs to be done nowGetting things right

SFProvide practical services for othersHelping people with informationPlanning social eventsBeing patient with othersCare-takingGetting answers for people nowFinding resources for peopleFollowing written proceduresMaking others feel comfortable and at easeServing Focusing on what people needMaking others happy

Profiles Keirsey adds four Temperaments:

SP - Artisan SJ - Guardian NF - Idealist NT - Rational

Lawyers and the Myers Briggs The majority of Lawyers are IN (introverts and

intuitive). The majority of Adults in the United States are ES

(extroverts and sensing). The top two among lawyers are INTJ; ISTJ

Introvert Intuitive or Sensing Thinking Judging

Some other Studies

Private Practice lawyers are more Introverted, Intuitive Thinking (NT); NT is often viewed as the most rational.

Administrative lawyers are more Intuition, Thinking, Judging (NTJ); INTJ, ENTJ.

Judges are more Sensing, Thinking, Judging (STJ); ---ISTJ, ESTJ (Lesser ISFP).

Lawyers just like corporate executives (TJ).

Career Decision Making Self Assessment: Skills, preferences, values, interests. Explore Options, activities, careers, jobs, dream job,

industries. Prioritize and Synthesize the Options and perhaps go

back to the previous step to explore more options if necessary.

Set Goals for your career and job search. Identify industries, companies, demographics, potential jobs.

Implement a Marketing Plan.

Field 1

Field 2

Field 3

job B

Job C

Job D

SkillsJob Environment

Interests

Job E

Job F

job G

job H

Job I

job A

Activities Tasks, Roles

Your Career

Career Decision Making Self Assessment: Skills, preferences, values, interests. Explore Options, activities, careers, jobs, dream job,

industries. Prioritize and Synthesize the Options and perhaps go

back to the previous step to explore more options if necessary.

Set Goals for your career and job search. Identify industries, companies, demographics, potential jobs.

Implement a Marketing Plan.

Self Assessments What are your skills and talents? What are your interests? What are your values? Money? How much? Is it the most important priority? What is your passion? (maybe you can find this in a law job or any

job...Maybe you can’t) What area of law? What activities do you like? dislike? Research, oral advocacy, negotiation,

court room, conflict, interaction with clients… Talking to people, not talking to people, work by your self or with others? Conflict issues.

Where do you want to live? What environment? Dress up and be in a traditional law firm, dress down

in a small firm or start up? Casual? Out of the office? In the office? What kind of company or institution? Serving others, protecting rights,

corporations, underprivileged, non profits, for profits?

Explore Options Informational interviewing Job postings Books on career options Work experience Different Industries Career Center Friends and Family Internships

Prioritize What’s most important? What is least important? What are you willing to compromise on? What are you not willing to compromise on? Be honest with yourself.

Make Decisions and Set Goals Develop a Plan A and a Plan B and perhaps more Plans and Goals. Make Goals Specific.

Long term: Over all career and find first job. Mid term: I need to look into internships, informational interviews. Short term: I will make 5 phone calls this week.

Write down the Goal: I would like to find a job in a law firm practicing construction law in San Jose making $80,000. I will try to get interviews with these 8 law firms. I will also interview in the LA area.

You can have several: I would like to find a job in a large corporation that does patent law.

Over time, your goals may change if the market place changes, your skills, preferences, values, or interests change.

New goals require new priorities and a new plan

Marketing Plan—Implement Specific Goals Implement the Goals Market Research Networking Know your audience & what they value Resume Cover Letter Elevator speech Lead list