Unit 12 – Career Planning

Chapter 41 – Careers in Marketing

Objectives 41.1

Careers in marketing include all the activities required to develop, promote, and distribute goods and services to consumers. Marketing activities account for about one in every three American jobs. Most jobs in marketing, especially those beyond entry-level positions, have fringe benefits, are interesting and varied and many involve a great deal of contact with people, and this in itself is often enjoyable and growth-producing.

Terms 41.1

  • Fringe Benefits – Benefits, privileges, or monetary payments beyond salary or wages that go with a job.

Objectives 41.2

Dividing occupations into areas makes it easier to see the thousands of jobs available in marketing. If you focus on one or two career areas that most interests you, it is much easier to find information about that career. Many jobs exist within each of the occupational areas of marketing. Jobs in each of the marketing areas can be categorized by five skill levels, which are, entry level, career sustaining, marketing specialist, Marketing supervisor, and Manager/Owner. It is valuable to take advantage of the marketing education programs offered in high school before entering a marketing career.

Terms 41.2

  • Occupational Area – A category of jobs that involves similar interests and skills.
  • Management Training Program – Closely supervised on-the-job management training.

Chapter 42 – Making Your Career Decision

Objectives 42.1

Choosing a career requires careful thought and preparation. The following procedure will help guide you in making important career choices: 1) Conduct a self-assessment, 2) Identify possible career choices, 3) Gather information on each choice, 4) Evaluate your choices, 5) Make your decision, 6) Plan how you will reach your goal. A self-assessment will help you assess your values, lifestyle goals, interests, skills and aptitudes, describe your personality, and describe your work environment and relationship preferences.

Terms 42.1

  • Values – Things that are important to you.
  • Lifestyle Goals – Your vision of how you see yourself living in the future.
  • Aptitude – A knack, or potential for learning a certain skill.
  • Dictionary of Occupational Titles (DOT) – A book describing about 20,000 jobs in terms of their relationship with data, people, and things.

Objectives 42.2

Even if you have already chosen a career goal, select two or three other careers to research and assess. By learning about several careers now, you will save time later if your first choice turns out to be inappropriate. List the career goal you have in mind first, then, add any others you think might be possibilities.

Terms 42.2

  • Career Outlook – The availability of jobs.
  • Occupational Outlook Handbook (OOH) – A book updated every two years that provides detailed information on more than two hundred occupations.
  • Guide for Occupational Exploration – A reference that organizes the world of work into 12 interest areas, which it then further subdivides into work groups and subgroups.
  • Career Consultation – An informational interview with someone who works in a career that interests you.

Objectives 42.3

Create a personal career profile, which is an evaluation format that allows you to compare your self-assessment side by side with a particular career assessment. Your career may be the most important decisions you will every make. However, don’t wait until you are absolutely certain about a career choice before you make your decision. Just make the best choice you can now, even if you think it may change later.

Terms 42.3

  • Planning Goals – The small steps you take to get from where you are now to where you want to be.
  • Specific Goal – The type of planning goal that moves you along toward your ultimate goal.
  • Realistic Goal – A goal that you have a reasonable chance of achieving.

Chapter 43 – Finding and Applying for a Job

Objectives 43.1

There are several places you can turn to help you find a job. You can go to your school counselor, participate in your high school cooperative education program in which students work part-time on a job related to one of their classes. You may ask a family member or friend, search through the newspaper ads, go through an employment agency, or contact businesses directly.

Terms 43.1

  • Job Lead – Information about a job opening.
  • Public Employment Agencies – Employment agencies that are supported by state or federal taxes and offer services free to both job applicants and employers.
  • Private Employment Agencies – Agencies which charge a fee either to the job applicant or the employer, and are not supported by taxes and must earn a profit to stay in business.
  • Direct Calling – The process of contacting potential employers in person or on the telephone.

Objectives 43.2

Employers look for the most qualified person to fill a job. To gather this information, employers ask you to fill out a job application or resume. Your job application and resume is an opportunity for you to sell yourself to prospective employers. Employers may also administer one or more employment tests to applicants.

Terms 43.2

  • Standard English –The format style of writing and speaking that you have learned in school.
  • References – People who know your work habits and personal traits so well that they will recommend you for the job.
  • Resume – A brief summary of personal information, education, skills, work experience, activities, and interests.
  • Cover Letter – A letter of application without the information on education and experience.

Objectives 43.3

Once you’ve made it past the screening process and the employer is interested in you, you need to be prepared for the interview. Make a good first impression! Your dress and grooming is very important, as this is this is the first thing that the prospective employer will see.

Be prepared. You will be asked questions during your interview, which may include 1)Why you want to work for this company, 2) If you want permanent or temporary work, 3) Why you think you can do the job, 4) What jobs you have had and why you left, 5) What classes you liked best in school, 6) Why should they hire you.

Always go alone for a job interview. Plan to arrive about five to fifteen minutes early. Be courteous and polite to other office personnel. Interviewers typically start by asking specific questions. Answer each question honestly. You should also prepare a few questions to ask the interviewer. Follow up the interview with a thank-you letter.