This LinkedIn course was a brief yet comprehensive introduction to career planning. It very helpfully broke down the process into digestible steps. First, the instructor had us write a list of values/adjectives that we feel would be important in a career or job. I wrote down: valued, impactful, creative, connected, growth, empathy, and balanced as ideals that I value in a future career. Then she had us write a list of anything that we feels we’re good at. I wrote: knitting, writing, close reading, exploring new ideas, learning, solving problems, and team work. Next, we wrote of dream careers. For me that list included: publishing, special needs lawyer/consultant, consulting, baker, novelists/essayist, and collection manager. I have no doubt that this list is incomplete but it was a helpful foray into the practice.
The instructor also gave several helpful pieces of information. Some of her best advice was to trust your intuition. It seems obvious but it was helpful to hear from an authority figure and someone whose specialty is both career development and recruitment. Two other helpful notes were to seek out a mentor and to talk to a variety of people to investigate your own interests and learn from their experiences. I have several people who might fit these roles. On campus, I usually use my French professor as a mentor because he knows me in a variety of capactities. His expertise in Wesleyan academics and French/Medieval studies means that makes him an important on-campus mentor. In addition, I frequently ask my senior friends for advice; one, in particular, has connected me with industry professionals in consulting.
In addition to these more qualitative pieces of advice, the instructor broke down career development and career-oriented learning into three sections: 10% formal learning, 20% peer discussion/mentorship, and 70% on-the-job learning. This is a helpful way to reconceptualize the work that I’m doing in this class. I see formal learn as these type of courses (i.e. LinkedIn). Peer discussion is an area that I’d like to focus on more and an area in which I think that this program can improve. As for on-the-job learning, some of that occurs in my campus employment position and some I’m preparing for by applying for internships for the summer.
Lastly, in the development of a comprehensive Personal Development Plan (PDP), the instructor recommends forming smaller, SMART goals as nodes on the ultimate road to the career goal. The acronym SMART, which stand for specific, measurable, attainable, relevant, and time-bound, contains the all of the criteria for setting effective goals. In continuing this course, and moving into the new semester, I am looking to practice this method of goal-setting in both my coursework and career development.
