Your Dream Career for Dummies (Paperback)--by Carol L. McClelland [2005 Edition] ISBN: 9780764597954

From identifying your needs to exploring your options -- make the right career move Changing careers by choice or due to circumstances beyond your control? Have no fear -- this hands-on guide focuses on helping you find a new job, start a business, or return to school in a detailed, step-by-step manner. With concise, eye-opening self-assessments, you'll understand how to assess your current situation, explore various career ideas, and identify ways to utilize your talents and skills in jobs that suit your lifestyle. You'll see how to build a career that lets you express who you are, fulfill your needs and desires, and live the life you want! Discover Detailed, to-the-point explanations on outlining your action plan The inside scoop on transforming your passions into career options A wealth of tips, tricks, and warnings How to blend your ideal career with the realities of your life Your Dream Career For Dummies 5 About the Author 7 Dedication 9 Author’s Acknowledgments 9 Contents at a Glance 11 Table of Contents 13 Foreword 19 Introduction 21 About This Book 21 Conventions Used in This Book 22 Foolish Assumptions 22 How This Book Is Organized 23 Icons Used in This Book 24 Where to Go from Here 24 Part I: Setting the Stage for Your Career Change 25 Chapter 1: Evaluating Your Current Situation 27 Making the Worksheets Work for You 27 Looking at Your Personal Life 28 Sizing Up Your Current Work Arrangement 30 What’s Working and Not Working about the Work You Do 33 Recording Your Key Needs 34 Chapter 2: Opening Yourself to Discovery 35 Appreciating the Benefits of Thinking Ideally 35 Identifying What Attracts and What Repels You 36 Spotting Clues to Your Future 38 Making the Most of Being Stuck 39 Chapter 3: Uncovering the Real You 45 Discovering Traits That Best Describe You 45 Finding the Values That Mean the Most to You 47 Deciding What Success Means to You 48 Tapping into Your Dreams and Longings 49 Assessing Whether Your Health Impacts Your Career Choices 51 Determining What Makes Work Meaningful to You 52 Recording What’s Uniquely You 54 Chapter 4: Envisioning Your Dream Lifestyle 55 Looking at How Important Relationships Impact Your Work 55 Describing Your Desired Lifestyle 59 Considering Where You Live 60 Recording What’s Most Important to You at Home 62 Chapter 5: Figuring Out How to Structure Your Work 65 Making the Worksheets Work for You 65 Determining Your Ideal Work Schedule 66 Getting Paid on Your Terms 69 Matching Benefits to Your Needs 70 Recording Your Ideal Work Arrangement 72 Chapter 6: Defining Your Preferred Workplace 73 The Kind of Company 73 The Company Size 74 The Company Culture 75 The Purpose of the Company 77 The Company’s Reach 78 The Location 78 The Work Area 80 The Dress Code 81 Working with the Right People 81 Recording Aspects of Your Preferred Workplace 84 Part II: Finding Your Passions 87 Chapter 7: Uncovering Skills That Make Time Fly 89 Determining Your Innate Areas of Intelligence 89 Expanding Your List of Favorite Skills 96 Considering the Processes You Enjoy Most 99 Recording Your Favorite Skills and Intelligences 104 Chapter 8: Discovering Topics That Make You Sizzle with Excitement 107 Finding the Topics That Always Draw Your Attention 107 Listing Tools, Equipment, and Raw Materials That Make Your Work Play 110 Identifying Industries That Light Your Fire 111 Recording Your Favorite Interests 112 Chapter 9: Brainstorming Intriguing Career Ideas 115 Preparing the Way for New Ideas 115 Recording Career Ideas Already on Your Mind 116 Dreaming Up New Career Ideas 116 Expanding Your Career Horizons 120 Recording Your Top Ten Intriguing Careers 122 Chapter 10: Sifting Out Your Most Intriguing Dream Careers 125 Making the Most of This Chapter 125 Exploring Your Career Ideas in Depth 126 Searching for Themes 129 Isolating Your Key Career Criteria 134 Contemplating Various Career Forms 135 Choosing Your Top Two Career Ideas 136 Part III: Exploring Possible Career Directions 139 Chapter 11: Considering Communicating Careers 141 Making the Most of This Chapter 141 If You Thrive on Words 142 If You Connect Well with Others 149 Chapter 12: Exploring Scientific/Logical Careers 155 Making the Most of This Chapter 155 If You Think in a Logical, Organized Fashion 156 If You Love Nature and Its Creatures 163 Chapter 13: Thinking Outside the Box with Creative Careers 169 Making the Most of This Chapter 169 If You Have a Good Eye 170 If You Want Your Work to Be Physical 175 If You Have an Ear for the Sound of Music 179 Part IV: Bringing Your Dream Career to Life 185 Chapter 14: Researching Your Top Two Career Ideas 187 Keeping Your Eye on the Prize 188 Jotting Down Your Unanswered Questions 189 Creating Job Profiles for Your Top Career Ideas 190 Creating Your Industry Profiles 199 Paying Attention to Your Gut Reaction 202 Chapter 15: Asking the Right Questions about Your Top Two Careers 205 Building Your List of Questions 206 Creating a List of Contacts 208 Staying Objective in Your Quest 210 Stepping into Your First Round of Informational Interviews 210 Moving on to Your Second Round of Informational Interviews 213 Recording Your Discoveries about Each Career 216 Synthesizing What You Know So Far 218 Shifting Gears Midstream 219 Chapter 16: Merging Your Personal Life with Your Dream Career 221 Updating Your Personal Must-Haves 222 Refining Your Ideal Work Needs 223 Finding Compatibility and Conflicts between Your Needs and Your Dream Career 224 Homing In on the Right Career Format for You 227 Trying Your Career On for Size 228 Spotting Potential Conflicts 229 Describing Your Dream Career . . . to Date 230 Chapter 17: Reconciling Differences between Your Life and Your Dream Career 233 Focusing on the Pieces That Appear to Clash 233 Stepping Back to Focus on the Big Picture 235 Having a Brainstorming Blitz 236 Spotting Creative Solutions 237 Reconciling True Differences 238 Dealing with What Can’t Be Reconciled 239 Chapter 18: Moving Ever Closer to Your Immediate Goal 241 Path One: Expanding Your Research 242 Path Two: Taking a Test-Drive 243 Path Three: Assessing Your Need for More Training 243 Path Four: Gaining Work Experience 246 Path Five: Preparing Your Job Search 246 Path Six: Refining Your Business Idea 250 Preparing Your Personalized Action Plan 252 Chapter 19: Turning Your Dream Career into a Reality 255 Goal One: Heading Back to School 255 Goal Two: Going for Your Dream Job 259 Goal Three: Launching Your Dream Business 266 Ensuring a Smooth Transition into Your Next Career 269 Part V: The Part of Tens 273 Chapter 20: Ten Ways to Confirm Your Dream Career Won’t Be a Nightmare 275 Paying Attention to How You Feel 275 Taking a Relevant Class or Two 276 Searching for Online Sources of Information 276 Immersing Yourself in Trade Journals 277 Interacting with People in the Field 277 Attending a Professional Conference 278 Observing Someone on the Job 278 Talking to People Outside the Field 279 Getting Hands-On Experience 279 Assessing the Impact on Your Lifestyle 279 Chapter 21: Ten Creative Ways to Make the Leap to Your Dream Career 281 Using Your Current Income Wisely 281 Supplementing Your Full-Time Position with Part-Time Work 282 Doing Contract Work 282 Helping a Friend While Bringing In a Paycheck 283 Adding a Part-Time Business to Your Full-Time Job 284 Running Your Own Business with a Well-Paying Part-Time Job 285 Adding a Second Business 285 Strengthening Your Position through Consulting 285 Working Full Time While Attending School Part Time 286 Attending School with a Part-Time Job on the Side 286 Index 287

from Identifying Your Needs To Exploring Your Options — Make The Right Career Move

changing Careers By Choice Or Due To Circumstances Beyond Your Control? Have No Fear — This Hands-on Guide Focuses On Helping You Find A New Job, Start A Business, Or Return To School In A Detailed, Step-by-step Manner. With Concise, Eye-opening Self-assessments, You'll Understand How To Assess Your Current Situation, Explore Various Career Ideas, And Identify Ways To Utilize Your Talents And Skills In Jobs That Suit Your Lifestyle. You'll See How To Build A Career That Lets You Express Who You Are, Fulfill Your Needs And Desires, And Live The Life You Want!

discover

• detailed, To-the-point Explanations On Outlining Your Action Plan
• the Inside Scoop On Transforming Your Passions Into Career Options
• a Wealth Of Tips, Tricks, And Warnings
• how To Blend Your Ideal Career With The Realities Of Your Life