"The best way to not feel hopeless is to get up and do something. Don't wait for good things to happen to you. If you go out and make some good things happen, you will fill the world with hope, you will fill yourself with hope."
-- Barack Obama
Career Development Process
The 6-STEP Career Development Model provides a comprehensive framework for assessing skills and establishing learning outcomes that demonstrate knowledge of self, career paths, and academic and career opportunities. Career decision-making is a process, and you can set your own pace in pursuing career development accordingly. If you work with a career coach and take advantage of the Transfer and Career Center programs and resources you will be better prepared to make informed and meaningful career decisions.
Step 1A: Self-Assessment
At the San Diego City College Career Center we offer services that can help you find your career path. Your journey begins with discovering who you are, and what special interest and skills you have to offer. We advise that students begin by assessing their V.I.P.S: Values, Interest, Personality and Skills.
VISIT THE Transfer AND CAREER CENTER IN A-301 OR SEE A COUNSELOR IN ORDER TO ACCESS ASSESSMENTS FOR FREE
IMPORTANT POINTS IN THE SELF EXPLORATION PHASE
- Access to the various career assessments we offer, are free only to ENROLLED San Diego City College students.
- For FREE access, students must FIRST be referred by our career counselors.
- To reap the maximum benefit of your self exploration phase, all assessments should be conducted by an experienced professional career counselor.
- Visit our Career Counseling link for more details on making a career counseling appointment.
- Take Personal Growth 130 Career and Life Planning class.
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What are your value, needs, and motivations when seeking a job? |
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Understanding how your interests relate to the world of work. |
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MBTI personality assessment |
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A self-assessment instrument created to assist you in developing a profile of your own skills. |
Step 1B: Career Assessments
Decide on a tool or offer at least free ones here!
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Your ideal career is one that you enjoy every day. Measuring your interests lets you accurately match your preferences with careers that let you do what you love. Get a full inventory of your career interests plus a bonus personality assessment for personalized career advice. |
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The O*NET Interest Profiler can help you find out what your interests are and how they relate to the world of work. You can find out what you like to do. |
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Get a profile of who you are and careers to consider. It’s fun and takes only about 10 minutes to complete. |
Step 2: Career Exploration and Resource Identification
Gathering occupational information is an important step in the career planning process. This information includes employment outlook, salary, related occupations, education and training, and job duties. Students are expected and encouraged to identify resources that can assist with the following:
- Learn about majors and careers related to one's interests
- Learn about academic and career entrance requirements
- Investigate education and/or training requirements
- Plan academic and career alternatives
- Learn job market trends
Once you have gathered sufficient information, you should make an appointment with one of our amazing career counselors.
Step 3: Career Preparation
Career and major field research is the third phase of the career planning process. This consists of information gathering through online and hard copy research, career networking, informational interviewing, volunteering and interning. See below for a list of professional associations for great networking opportunities.
| Reality Check Zone |
Get a reality check when making plans about your future, click the explore button to learn about yourself, the employment options available to you and the training that will prepare you for them. |
| My Next Move |
Access current statistics and other information on various occupations. This website hosts an interactive tool for job seekers and students to learn more about their career options. My Next Move has tasks, skills, salary information, and more for over 900 different careers. Find careers through keyword search; by browsing industries that employ different types of workers; or through the O*NET Interest Profiler, a tool that offers personalized career suggestions based on a person's interests and level of work experience. |
| Career Zone |
Explore, Decide, and Grow with our career zone by reviewing Review additional information on various careers (Job Families). |
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Explore these Occupational Summary Reports which include updated standardized and occupation-specific descriptors. |
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| What Can I Do with this Major? |
Are you in the right major for the job you want? Use this link to research your major and how well it fits with your career goals. |
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There are hundreds of job search sites on the web, but they're not all created equally. maximize your chances of finding a position, and don't waste your time with old job listings or functionalities that are less than user friendly. Follow the link to find 15 of the best job boards around. |
Step 4: Career Implementation
GAIN EXPERIENCE
At this phase you are strongly suggested to work with the job placement coordinator to develop a plan for internship, placement or suggested practices to help you gain experience in your desired employment opportunity.
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Informational Interviewing |
Tips and questions for an informational interview session |
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Career Networking |
Learn strategies for developing networking contacts |
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Volunteer Experience |
Volunteering is work experience even when you are not paid |
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Interning Strategies |
Interning can help gain you valuable work experience |
Step 5: Job Readiness
There is no better way to appreciate a career field until you have actually begun working in the industry. However first you must get the job. The last step in the career planning process is refining and polishing the tools you need to secure a job, internship or volunteer opportunity in your field of interest.
JOB READINESS SERVICES BY APPOINTMENT
The Center offers one on one resume and cover letter review appointments to San Diego City College Students. For an appointment with a career counselor call (619) 388-3722 or visit the Career Center in person Rm. A-301.
- You must bring a copy with you when requesting a resume review appointment.
- Email it to yourself so that the career counselor can access it electronically during your session
JOB PLACEMENT SERVICES BY APPOINTMENT
Once you have determined your interest, gathered your documents, and you are ready to start your employment opportunities’ reach out to our job development coordinator for one-on-one appointment to help connect you to employment.
For an appointment with a career counselor call (619) 388-3722 or visit the Career Center in person Rm. A-301.
JOB SEARCH ON OUR ONLINE JOB BOARD
San Diego City College uses College Central Network as its official job resource and resume system. The site is available 24/7 to students, alumni, and employers at
Visit: http://www.collegecentral.com/sdcity
Download our app on your app store!
- Students, quickly apply to jobs and internship opportunities posted exclusively for you, and search other opportunities via Jobs Central and Intern Central, national job boards.
- Create and upload your resume and career portfolio to make available to employers.
- Access our events calendar, and career/job search advice documents, podcasts, videos and more.
- Review career fair information and company recruitment visits
Interested in hiring our talented students?
Hire a Knight! Employers create a free profile to post unlimited jobs, search our talented student, alumni and much more!
Step 6: Career Maintenance
Remember you are the captain of your own destiny. As you get settled in your career don’t stop assessing. In this stage you are surveying the industry for career advancement opportunities, ways to learn and grow professionally in your field, and developing resiliency.