STEP 1. I NEED TO MAKE A CHOICE. Whether the choice involves education, occupations, interpersonal relationships, or job offers, the first step is recognizing that it's time to make a decision!

STEP 2. I UNDERSTAND MYSELF AND MY OPTIONS. This stage is an information-gathering stage. You need to understand who you are and what you bring to the education course, occupation, or relationship, etc. (Basic to this step is to take an interest inventory and an aptitude test.) You also need to understand all your options - a whole world of possibilities!

STEP 3. I WILL ADD TO AND SUBTRACT FROM MY LIST OF OPTIONS. As you begin to look closer at your list of options, it is likely that you will discover new options, and then take others off your list. You might go through several expanded and then narrowed lists before you have a final list.

STEP 4. I'M READY TO MAKE A CHOICE! At this point, you've actually made a series of "small" decisions in order to narrow your list down to the most attractive options available. All the information you've gathered along the way should help you feel ready to make a choice.

STEP 5. I WILL MAKE MY DECISION AND PUT IT INTO ACTION. In some ways this step is the most difficult, as it involves actually making and living with your decision. Always remember, however, that if your choice is not equal to your expectation, you can make a new one. And this time, you may recognize that you need to make a new choice a little more quickly, and may even be enthusiastic about the prospect.

Also, the following Links are good resources to help you with your planning:

 Choices Planner

It is recommended that you use the internet-based Choices Planner to take personal assessments on interests, personality type, work values, transferable skills, etc. This information about yourself can then be used to look at the career and educational world. The Choices Planner will help you to do this with its large data base of careers and colleges/tech schools.

Click on Utah Mentor below and find the link that says “Choices”. If you have already created a personal portfolio in the Choices Planner program you can enter your user name and password to continue using the program. If you have not done this before, click on Create a new portfolio and follow these directions:

•  Select your city (Salt Lake City)

•  Select your school or Site (Olympus High School)

•  Fill in the rest of the required information and then click on Create Your Portfolio

 

Take some time to become familiar with the different parts of the program (Home, Work Learn, Porfolio) and then begin to take the personal assessments. As you continue to use the program you will become more familiar with it and more skillful in using it as a tool to create a clear career and educational plan.

 

 

 

 

Personality inventory and information resource

 

Scans Pre-Assessment Early in the 1990's the Secretary of Labor organized a study group of respected educators and employers whose task it was to identify the vital skills that were necessary for success in today's changing career world. The results of that study were published in the SCANS (Secretary's Commission of Achieving Necessary Skills) Report. This site identifies those skills and provides a self-rating assessment instrument to help you estimate where you are in your development of each skill.

 

 

Richard Bolles, author of career planning guide, WHAT COLOR IS YOUR PARACHUTE?