Parent's Guide to Career Planning

Career Development Services

What is “career development” anyway?

It can be broadly categorized into the following areas: • Career planning (involves major/career exploration and

selection, experiential education planning, graduate school planning)

• Job search assistance (involves training and guidance on job search activities such as resume writing and interviewing, connection to employers and employment opportunities, and professional development.)

• On-campus job search process through College Central Network.

Let’s meet your students…

Your student’s decision status and satisfaction

Decided and satisfied Decided and dissatisfied

Your student’s decision status and satisfaction

Undecided and satisfied Undecided and dissatisfied

Your student’s decision status and satisfaction

Undecided, indecisive

and satisfiedUndecided, indecisive

and dissatisfied

What you can do - Understand career decision-making process

• Be patient by giving them the time and space to better understand themselves.

• Be supportive by encouraging open discussion. Ask questions to help them think through their decision, without being too judgmental.

• Help them be practical. It can be helpful to have them set goals and create a timeline.

What you can do - familiarize yourself with our services

MyPlan.com

What you can do - encourage your student to attend events

Fall • Majors Fair• Law School Fair • Part-Time Job Fair

Spring• Career and Internship

Expo• Etiquette Dinner• Dress for Success• Statewide Job Fair at UCF

What you can do - Encourage your students to compare their perceptions of fields and occupations with reality using Informational Interviews and Job Shadowing

Job search assistance through training and skill development

One of the primary contributing factors to underemployment of new college grads is … an

inability to effectively market themselves to prospective employers.

We offer:

Individual consultation

Workshops and events

Department website/College Central Network

Future Employment Prospects

• Information is available from U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (www.bls.gov)

• “Tomorrow’s Jobs” Report is good, but makes projections for the period 2006-2016.

• What’s missing from this report if data collection ended by 2006?

Future Employment Prospects: Econ 101: Supply and Demand

Demand is impacted by various factors, for example:• Business cycles and the “vagaries” of the economy• Migration patterns of population• Other factors – Innovation, legislation, globalization,

cultural shifts, productivity gains…• Demographics

– According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the total number of persons aged 65 years and older is projected to increase from 35.6 million in 2006 to nearly 46.4 million in 2016, and will represent 18.5% of the population (as compared to 15.6% in 2006.)

– Total spending on health care was $2.7 trillion in 2007 (17% of the GDP) and some expect it to increase to $4.3 trillion by 2017.

– Result: Expected to drive growth in health care services, residential care facilities/senior centers, and home health care services.

Let’s talk about supply…“The Mismatch” according to the Collegiate Employment

Research Institute (2006) - Bachelor Degrees produced by US Colleges

• 83,297 visual/performing arts

• 88,134 psychology

• 25,490 recreation/fitness

• 161,485 social sciences

“STEM”Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics

• 20,382 physical sciences

• 47,480 computer/info sciences

• 67,045 engineering

• 14,770 math/statistics

My advice to students

• Pursue what you think you are going to enjoy

and do well

• Make an informed decision that incorporates the occupational dynamics of that field

• Get the best preparation you can

• Be flexible and ambitious

FGCU Graduates

2007-2008 Bachelors graduates

72% employed in Florida as of Fall 2008.

(State University System average is 62%.)

Of those students that were employed full-time, the mean annual earnings of above group was $36,800

(Average among State University System schools was $37,320.)

Information about employment rates and salaries can be found at: www.fldoe.org/fetpip/sus.asp

Thank you!!