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Getting from Major to Career

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Melissa Sprouse
Melissa Sprouse

Based on the book "You Majored in What" by Katharine Brooks, this will help walk you through the process of creating a wandering map.

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Getting from Major to Career Based on the book: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career by Katharine Brooks, Ed.d. NMU Career Services Melissa Sprouse, Assistant Director
The QUESTION Whats your major? What are you going to do with that??
The Linear Path Hard to break this kind of thinking its ingrained in our culture! At Two: Oh cute, you like firetrucks? I bet youll be a firefighter. High School Graduation: Whats next? Have you decided what youre going to school for? Junior Year: Youre an art major? What are you going to do with that??
its a lie. The problem is a few things. The roots of this come from a method of career analysis developed in 1909. Todays workforce isnt clearly defined by majors Often its based in a desire to be financially successful. Studies have shown a weak correlation between your major and your income its much more closely linked to your location, your field of work, and your job title.
Consider Chaos Theory Ask real alums how they got their jobs. Most stories have some element of the unpredictable. Butterfly Effect an unplanned event that ends up significantly influencing the outcome Consider this story
Quick Overview of Chaos Theory Originally developed to help predict weather. Helps us understand that too many variables in a complex system make them outcome hard to predict. Assess what we currently know, what we cannot know, and what we can learn. Abductive reasoning is important cant base decisions on single factors/traits Change occurs constantly, and the unpredicted/unexpected will occur. The system will ultimately reveal an order. Sometimes youre just too close to see it.
Take a minute to think - What variables might affect your career path? Family Level of education Skills & talents Job market Where you want to live What you know : Have a variety of interests Unsure of decisions What you dont know: What you can learn:
Chaos Theory & Behavior Several types of attractors help control behaviors: Point attractors (move us to or away from something drawn to a party, getting a raise), Pendulum attractors (two or more points we move between like choosing between grad school or working??), Strange attractors (random events that dont repeat) Torus attractors (cycles of behavior we repeat like procrastination)
Any butterfly moments in your life? Day you chose NMU? Day someone gave you valuable advice? Day you learned a new skill? Decision your parents made? Unexpected Event: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Result: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________
Wandering Map What? Why are we doing this?? Brainstorm new ways of viewing/understanding your past. Identify themes and threads Break out of linear thinking Order in chaos Vision for planning future Get excited! Okay. Keep this in mind: 1. It WILL be a work in progress 2. No rules. You dont have to finish today, you dont have the know the answers today, you dont have to make something perfect, you dont need to include things that your parents think are important.
Lets take 15 minutes. Think about all the interesting and significant things youve done, or have happened to you. Go as far back as feels important to you. Unique jobs? Classes? Summer experiences? What are you most proud of? Hobbies? Awards or honors? Particularly valuable lesson? Knowledge you rely on, developed from your education and/or experience? Write them down. Not just what you think is career- related, but whatever comes to mind. KEYWORDS not sentences. Dont try to organize them, just get them out of your head. 10 or 40 or 400
Objects you use and/or enjoy: Computers Musical instruments Books Binoculars Skateboards Telescopes or microscopes Sailboats Paintbrushes Journals Events in your life: Jobs youve held, wonderful or awful Taking a fantastic class Tutoring a child Baking cookies for holidays Designing a web site Acting in a school play Running for office Playing sports Creative projects Adventures/risks youve taken Assignments/papers youre proud of Family heritage/culture Hobbies Ideas you developed Internships Places youve traveled Summer activities or vacations Volunteer activities Think about:
Getting from Major to Career
Getting from Major to Career
Objects you use and/or enjoy: Computers Musical instruments Books Binoculars Skateboards Telescopes or microscopes Sailboats Paintbrushes Journals Events in your life: Jobs youve held, wonderful or awful Taking a fantastic class Tutoring a child Baking cookies for holidays Designing a web site Acting in a school play Running for office Playing sports Creative projects Adventures/risks youve taken Assignments/papers youre proud of Family heritage/culture Hobbies Ideas you developed Internships Places youve traveled Summer activities or vacations Volunteer activities
1. Identify Categories (5 mins) Are you surprised by any? Are there categories you werent expecting to see? Is there a pattern? Does any one category have a lot of items?
2. Identify Themes and Threads (5 mins) Does anything follow you from elementary school to college? Is there a pattern to the types of jobs youve held? What might your experiences have in common? What did you learn/strengths did you gain
Ideas for Themes & Threads Achievement/Awards Alone or with others Animals Art Computers Creative ideas Doing or Thinking Drama Family Fun Hobbies Learning Internal or external motivated Indoors or outdoors Risky or safe Roles youve played Solving problems Reading Research Analytic Communication Counseling Detail/follow-through Interpersonal Presentation/Perform Serving/Helping Thinking Strategically Challenge Leadership Justice Harmony Power Spirituality Variety Wealth Friendship Expertise Diversity Health
Share your map with your neighbor, to see if they can identify themes or connections you might have missed. Consider showing this to others who might help you make some connections about yourself friends, roommates, parents, adviser, etc. Show and Tell
Think about the following questions: 1. If youre having trouble seeing your themes, ask yourself If a miracle occurred tonight and I could suddenly see my themes, what do I think theyd be? 2. What 2 or 3 items are you most proud of? What skills/behaviors did you use to accomplish them? How might you apply those in a work-type setting? 3. On a scale of 1-10, which theme do you rank as most important and why? 4. If you knew you couldnt fail, which one of these themes would you keep pursuing? 5. What theme would you like to take a step toward pursuing in the next 24 hours? What step would you take?
Thats great but what do I do with it?? The map process is designed to help you identify key themes, skills, interests, values, and other important aspects of your life, but isnt meant to point you directly at a career. Part of that Assess what you know and dont know part of chaos theory.
Mapping Your Major Lets take a quick look at your major, what youre getting out of it, and how you can use what youre learning to set yourself apart in the job search (whatever that looks like!) Hooray, another map!
1. Put your major in the center, draw a circle around it. 2. Scatter the following words on your paper, drawing a circle around each one. 1. Courses 2. Skills 3. Theories or ideas 4. Interesting items 5. Knowledge 6. Related courses from other departments 7. Future 3. Jot down ideas related to each of the categories and draw circles around them as well. 4. If youre stuck, find a major- buddy who can help you fill in some blanks.
Getting from Major to Career
Afterwards: 5. Take a step back What pops out? Whats the most interesting part? What speaks to you? How have you done something unique with your major? How have you tailored it to fit your interests? Series of courses on a specific aspect of your major (concentration?) What skills did you learn? 6. Pull it together List three characteristics youve developed or acquired from your major
Quick review Pull out your Wandering map. Do you have a point attractor a field, job, or activity that seems to call you? Do you have a bunch of attractors, so many that you dont know where to start? Do you have no attractors? Nothing interests you because you dont know whats out there? Is your attractor something that seems unattainable? Why? Are you being advised by your parents, professors or others to pursue a particular path? Do you agree with them? Is it YOUR attractor or theirs? Do you have those pesky pendulum attractors pulling you in disparate directions with no middle ground to be seen?
Getting from Major to Career
The Last Map
Mapping Your Possible Lives 1. Write your current status in the center. 2. Write down 2-10 possible lives all over the paper, in no particular order. Include one blank circle for the yet undiscovered career Dont censor your ideas No limitations (other than the laws of physics or physiology) Dont consider education or talent Dont consider the salary Jot them down, even if you know theyre unrealistic
How many would you seriously pursue? One? Thats where you start your planning. On the line connecting your first choice to you, list some step youd need to take before you can start doing that activity or job. Good resources for research include the Occupational Outlook Handbook and CareerOneStop Two or Three? Star your top choices. Start thinking about how you could begin pursuing each of them now, and write those ideas on the lines. If any of your choices require a particular skill, can you look for opportunities to develop that skill? Can you think of a creative way to combine opposing ideas (pendulum attractors)?
How many. More than three? You dont necessarily have to choose. Pick one at a time, enjoy it, then move on. Pick several and try each by pursuing several avenues at once creatively combine interests Bounce back and forth, choosing one as your consistent option. Pursue one as a hobby or volunteer option
How many None? Dont quit. You just dont have an idea right now. You just figured out the part of chaos theory that you dont know! Be honest with yourself are you not sure because youre too afraid? Do you not have the energy or the interest? Is there something blocking you? Take your maps to someone else and talk to them about it!
Explore!
Resources for Exploration: Occupational Outlook Handbook: www.bls.gov/ooh O*Net (also has skills profiler and other assessments): www.onetonline.org LinkedIn Find Alumni tool: www.linkedin.com (informational interviewing) My Next Move: www.mynextmove.org Riley Guide www.rileyguide.com NMU CAREER SERVICES 3302.3 Hedgcock * 227-2800

More Related Content

Getting from Major to Career

  • 1. Getting from Major to Career Based on the book: You Majored in What? Mapping Your Path from Chaos to Career by Katharine Brooks, Ed.d. NMU Career Services Melissa Sprouse, Assistant Director
  • 2. The QUESTION Whats your major? What are you going to do with that??
  • 3. The Linear Path Hard to break this kind of thinking its ingrained in our culture! At Two: Oh cute, you like firetrucks? I bet youll be a firefighter. High School Graduation: Whats next? Have you decided what youre going to school for? Junior Year: Youre an art major? What are you going to do with that??
  • 4. its a lie. The problem is a few things. The roots of this come from a method of career analysis developed in 1909. Todays workforce isnt clearly defined by majors Often its based in a desire to be financially successful. Studies have shown a weak correlation between your major and your income its much more closely linked to your location, your field of work, and your job title.
  • 5. Consider Chaos Theory Ask real alums how they got their jobs. Most stories have some element of the unpredictable. Butterfly Effect an unplanned event that ends up significantly influencing the outcome Consider this story
  • 6. Quick Overview of Chaos Theory Originally developed to help predict weather. Helps us understand that too many variables in a complex system make them outcome hard to predict. Assess what we currently know, what we cannot know, and what we can learn. Abductive reasoning is important cant base decisions on single factors/traits Change occurs constantly, and the unpredicted/unexpected will occur. The system will ultimately reveal an order. Sometimes youre just too close to see it.
  • 7. Take a minute to think - What variables might affect your career path? Family Level of education Skills & talents Job market Where you want to live What you know : Have a variety of interests Unsure of decisions What you dont know: What you can learn:
  • 8. Chaos Theory & Behavior Several types of attractors help control behaviors: Point attractors (move us to or away from something drawn to a party, getting a raise), Pendulum attractors (two or more points we move between like choosing between grad school or working??), Strange attractors (random events that dont repeat) Torus attractors (cycles of behavior we repeat like procrastination)
  • 9. Any butterfly moments in your life? Day you chose NMU? Day someone gave you valuable advice? Day you learned a new skill? Decision your parents made? Unexpected Event: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ Result: _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________ _____________________________________
  • 10. Wandering Map What? Why are we doing this?? Brainstorm new ways of viewing/understanding your past. Identify themes and threads Break out of linear thinking Order in chaos Vision for planning future Get excited! Okay. Keep this in mind: 1. It WILL be a work in progress 2. No rules. You dont have to finish today, you dont have the know the answers today, you dont have to make something perfect, you dont need to include things that your parents think are important.
  • 11. Lets take 15 minutes. Think about all the interesting and significant things youve done, or have happened to you. Go as far back as feels important to you. Unique jobs? Classes? Summer experiences? What are you most proud of? Hobbies? Awards or honors? Particularly valuable lesson? Knowledge you rely on, developed from your education and/or experience? Write them down. Not just what you think is career- related, but whatever comes to mind. KEYWORDS not sentences. Dont try to organize them, just get them out of your head. 10 or 40 or 400
  • 12. Objects you use and/or enjoy: Computers Musical instruments Books Binoculars Skateboards Telescopes or microscopes Sailboats Paintbrushes Journals Events in your life: Jobs youve held, wonderful or awful Taking a fantastic class Tutoring a child Baking cookies for holidays Designing a web site Acting in a school play Running for office Playing sports Creative projects Adventures/risks youve taken Assignments/papers youre proud of Family heritage/culture Hobbies Ideas you developed Internships Places youve traveled Summer activities or vacations Volunteer activities Think about:
  • 15. Objects you use and/or enjoy: Computers Musical instruments Books Binoculars Skateboards Telescopes or microscopes Sailboats Paintbrushes Journals Events in your life: Jobs youve held, wonderful or awful Taking a fantastic class Tutoring a child Baking cookies for holidays Designing a web site Acting in a school play Running for office Playing sports Creative projects Adventures/risks youve taken Assignments/papers youre proud of Family heritage/culture Hobbies Ideas you developed Internships Places youve traveled Summer activities or vacations Volunteer activities
  • 16. 1. Identify Categories (5 mins) Are you surprised by any? Are there categories you werent expecting to see? Is there a pattern? Does any one category have a lot of items?
  • 17. 2. Identify Themes and Threads (5 mins) Does anything follow you from elementary school to college? Is there a pattern to the types of jobs youve held? What might your experiences have in common? What did you learn/strengths did you gain
  • 18. Ideas for Themes & Threads Achievement/Awards Alone or with others Animals Art Computers Creative ideas Doing or Thinking Drama Family Fun Hobbies Learning Internal or external motivated Indoors or outdoors Risky or safe Roles youve played Solving problems Reading Research Analytic Communication Counseling Detail/follow-through Interpersonal Presentation/Perform Serving/Helping Thinking Strategically Challenge Leadership Justice Harmony Power Spirituality Variety Wealth Friendship Expertise Diversity Health
  • 19. Share your map with your neighbor, to see if they can identify themes or connections you might have missed. Consider showing this to others who might help you make some connections about yourself friends, roommates, parents, adviser, etc. Show and Tell
  • 20. Think about the following questions: 1. If youre having trouble seeing your themes, ask yourself If a miracle occurred tonight and I could suddenly see my themes, what do I think theyd be? 2. What 2 or 3 items are you most proud of? What skills/behaviors did you use to accomplish them? How might you apply those in a work-type setting? 3. On a scale of 1-10, which theme do you rank as most important and why? 4. If you knew you couldnt fail, which one of these themes would you keep pursuing? 5. What theme would you like to take a step toward pursuing in the next 24 hours? What step would you take?
  • 21. Thats great but what do I do with it?? The map process is designed to help you identify key themes, skills, interests, values, and other important aspects of your life, but isnt meant to point you directly at a career. Part of that Assess what you know and dont know part of chaos theory.
  • 22. Mapping Your Major Lets take a quick look at your major, what youre getting out of it, and how you can use what youre learning to set yourself apart in the job search (whatever that looks like!) Hooray, another map!
  • 23. 1. Put your major in the center, draw a circle around it. 2. Scatter the following words on your paper, drawing a circle around each one. 1. Courses 2. Skills 3. Theories or ideas 4. Interesting items 5. Knowledge 6. Related courses from other departments 7. Future 3. Jot down ideas related to each of the categories and draw circles around them as well. 4. If youre stuck, find a major- buddy who can help you fill in some blanks.
  • 25. Afterwards: 5. Take a step back What pops out? Whats the most interesting part? What speaks to you? How have you done something unique with your major? How have you tailored it to fit your interests? Series of courses on a specific aspect of your major (concentration?) What skills did you learn? 6. Pull it together List three characteristics youve developed or acquired from your major
  • 26. Quick review Pull out your Wandering map. Do you have a point attractor a field, job, or activity that seems to call you? Do you have a bunch of attractors, so many that you dont know where to start? Do you have no attractors? Nothing interests you because you dont know whats out there? Is your attractor something that seems unattainable? Why? Are you being advised by your parents, professors or others to pursue a particular path? Do you agree with them? Is it YOUR attractor or theirs? Do you have those pesky pendulum attractors pulling you in disparate directions with no middle ground to be seen?
  • 29. Mapping Your Possible Lives 1. Write your current status in the center. 2. Write down 2-10 possible lives all over the paper, in no particular order. Include one blank circle for the yet undiscovered career Dont censor your ideas No limitations (other than the laws of physics or physiology) Dont consider education or talent Dont consider the salary Jot them down, even if you know theyre unrealistic
  • 30. How many would you seriously pursue? One? Thats where you start your planning. On the line connecting your first choice to you, list some step youd need to take before you can start doing that activity or job. Good resources for research include the Occupational Outlook Handbook and CareerOneStop Two or Three? Star your top choices. Start thinking about how you could begin pursuing each of them now, and write those ideas on the lines. If any of your choices require a particular skill, can you look for opportunities to develop that skill? Can you think of a creative way to combine opposing ideas (pendulum attractors)?
  • 31. How many. More than three? You dont necessarily have to choose. Pick one at a time, enjoy it, then move on. Pick several and try each by pursuing several avenues at once creatively combine interests Bounce back and forth, choosing one as your consistent option. Pursue one as a hobby or volunteer option
  • 32. How many None? Dont quit. You just dont have an idea right now. You just figured out the part of chaos theory that you dont know! Be honest with yourself are you not sure because youre too afraid? Do you not have the energy or the interest? Is there something blocking you? Take your maps to someone else and talk to them about it!
  • 34. Resources for Exploration: Occupational Outlook Handbook: www.bls.gov/ooh O*Net (also has skills profiler and other assessments): www.onetonline.org LinkedIn Find Alumni tool: www.linkedin.com (informational interviewing) My Next Move: www.mynextmove.org Riley Guide www.rileyguide.com NMU CAREER SERVICES 3302.3 Hedgcock * 227-2800