"Ready…Fire!… Aim"
Selecting a Target Career
Following is a guide to career planning that is geared toward the "Ready…Fire!…Aim" approach of taking action early in the planning process.
Career Planning
The first step to conducting a successful job search is to develop a good plan:
- to ensure that the job search objectives and goals are clear and achievable,
- to identify what steps have the best chance of resulting in a successful job search,
- to avoid wasting time pursuing non-productive avenues.
Job seekers vary significantly in the amount of planning that needs to be done, before undertaking an active job search. Some job seekers have a fairly clear idea of what type of job they are looking for, based on their past experience, education, skills and personal preferences. Others need to spend substantial amount of time in preparation and planning, to determine what direction makes the most sense, and possibly doing some significant soul searching, before moving ahead in the job search process. Job seekers with disabilities are no different.
Like other individuals, some people with disabilities (but not all) need to undertake a substantial and deliberate planning process, before actively seeking a job. The reality for many people with disabilities, is that they have had limited work and life experience on which to base their job search decisions, and also have limited expectations for themselves. Some people with disabilities have also had limited experience in making decisions for themselves, and are used to deferring to others. The bottom line is that some job seekers with disabilities:
- may not be sure of what type of job to pursue,
- may have abstract ideas about the type of job they may enjoy based on limited information, or
- may be interested in a field only because others have told them that’s what they would be good at doing.
A good planning process for people with disabilities (and anyone else) must be empowering to the individual, and promote self-reflection, personal insight, creativity and a wide range of possibilities. A useful approach is "person-centered" planning, which develops individual solutions through collaboration, creative thought, and group problem solving. This planning process is not very different than that used by many other job seekers. Some key elements are:
- Initial focus on helping a person identify needs, interests, choices and dreams
- Identify career options that fit well with the job seeker’s personal vision
- The professional’s role is to guide and support the job seeker, not be an "expert" who makes decisions on the person’s behalf
- Family, friends and community resources help generate career directions, employment contacts, and supports
- Consideration of relevant multicultural issues.
Suggested Steps in the Planning Process
1. Determine what needs to be decided
Does the job seeker have a general idea of what they want, and just needs to narrow it down? Or is the person at square one, and need to do some significant planning and assessment before moving forward?
2. Decide whom else to involve
Job development is far more effective and efficient when a variety of ideas, perspectives, and business contacts are contributed. Essentially, the job seeker needs three things from others: assistance in developing a clear vision about the type of job to pursue; information about the needs of the job market; and contacts for job leads and career exploration. Potential participants include:
Job seeker contacts: Taking advantage of personal networks is often key for many people, with and without disabilities. Worksource staff should help the job seeker generate contacts (people who can help with their job search), such as family, friends, housemates, proprietors of places they do business with, organizations in which they are involved, former co-workers, school contacts, other professionals in their life, etc. Particularly for people who are struggling in determining a direction to go in a job search, it can be extremely helpful to involve others who can provide different perspectives, share some of their positive experiences they have had with the individual, and help move beyond the self-reporting of the individual as the only source of information.
Note: Individuals vary significantly in their comfort level concerning others’ involvement in their career planning and job search. Worksource staff should discuss the advantages of such involvement, try to minimize the job seeker’s uncertainties, but proceed with this approach only if the individual is comfortable.
Worksource contacts: As an organization dedicated to meeting the employment and training needs of job seekers, Worksource centers obviously have many contacts that can be utilized, including staff members, businesses with which the Worksource has existing relationships, other job seekers, etc.
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3. Decide what the job seeker needs from others
Before involving others, the job seeker and Worksource staff should clarify what they need:
- Contacts for job leads?
- Help to determine a direction for the job search?
4. Decide the method(s) for involving others
The involvement of others can happen in many ways. The job seeker or Worksource staff can make personal contact to gather ideas, information, and contacts. However, the dynamics and energy of a group "brainstorming" session can offer significant benefits if the job seeker is comfortable with this type of meeting. Successful placement of people with disabilities in community jobs requires a never-ending supply of creativity. Brainstorming, especially in a large group, can be a very effective way to create the energy and enthusiasm needed to generate ideas and maximize creativity in the job search.
| Note: Monthly disability training sessions provided through the Employ-ABIILTY Partnership feature brainstorming sessions where participants offer suggested placement strategies for people with various types of disabilities. For information on these trainings, or to learn how to conduct your own brainstorming sessions, call the DISABILITY HOTLINE at 1-866-LA1-STOP. |
Guidelines for Brainstorming
Pick the Right Setting & Time
It’s usually better to hold brainstorming sessions away from typical settings (such as agency offices), and during the evening to involve personal contacts who aren’t available during traditional business hours. It’s also best to do it at the person’s home, a restaurant, or other relaxed social setting where the job seeker feels more in control.
There are no wrong answers!
Rule # 1 of any brainstorming session is there are no bad ideas! Ideas that initially seem off-the-wall and unrealistic can often lead to real solutions.
Generate lots of ideas!
The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible concerning possible jobs, careers, contacts for job leads, etc.
Get different perspectives!
Involve as many people as possible. Avoid having most or all participants from the same group or background. Involve people who know the job seeker from a variety of settings, and people who bring a variety of life experiences to the table.
Search for different questions!
Different questions can lead to new and different ideas. For example, answers to the question "What jobs is Lisa qualified for?", may lead to a limited set of ideas. However, asking the question "What does Lisa really love to do?" may lead to new and creative ideas.
Have Fun!
Brainstorming sessions should avoid any pretext of a formal meeting. While the intent is serious, keep the atmosphere casual and relaxed, so people can let their minds roam freely, and feel comfortable with lots of different ideas.
Important tip: refreshments help!
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5. Do some exploring
The typical job planning process gathers information such as education and work experiences. However, to be effective, it’s important to delve beyond these basic facts. Help the job seeker really explore their life:
Explore past and present experiences, in all aspects of the individual’s life (school, home, community, work), find answers to these questions:
When, where, and in what kinds of environments have they:
- Had the most success
- Been happiest
- Enjoyed themselves the most
- Found fulfillment
NOT enjoyed or liked what they were doing
What do they do with their free time?
- What types of hobbies do they enjoy?
- Is the person part of any clubs or organizations?
Explore underlying reasons why the job seeker has felt either
positively or negatively about experiences and activities.
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6. Develop a Job Search Profile
From the information generated, develop
- a job exploration or job search goal
- a list of the important criteria for the type of positions that would be a good match
The primary criteria in developing this list should be the job seeker’s own interests and preferences, not what others consider appropriate for the individual. The profile can have a specific goal such as "working in an office doing clerical work," or more general such as "work involving music," or "a position requiring no customer contact." The profile can include a number of options. For each criterion, note whether it is absolutely essential/required or somewhat optional.
7. Develop a Plan of Action
Questions that need to be considered at this point:
Is there enough information available to begin the job search?
Does the job seeker need to undertake some career exploration activities to assess potential ideas and generate more information before beginning the actual job search? Career exploration activities include such things as: community and business research, informational interviewing, job tours, job shadowing, volunteer work, and situational assessment.
Develop a step-by-step action plan by considering:
- What would it take to accomplish...?
- What are the next steps towards these goals?
- Who is the most logical person to take each step?
- Who else do we need to get involved? Who are the experts? Who knows them?
- What can each person commit to?
Be sure to specify:
- tasks to be completed by the job seeker
- tasks to be completed by Worksource staff
- tasks to be completed by other individuals who are part of the career exploration and job development process
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8. Revise the Plan of Action as Needed
If the plan’s goal is further career exploration, clearly this plan will need to be revised once enough information has been generated to begin the actual job search. It is also a good rule of thumb to revisit and possibly revise a plan every 30 to 45 days if an individual is still not employed.
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