The Career Decision-Making Process
Selecting a career is not an isolated, one-time event. It is a work in progress. This is true whether you are a brand new graduate, a mid-life career changer, or someone approaching retirement. Good career decision-making is based on a five-step process, which can be learned and utilized over your lifetime. These steps include:
Step 1: Learning about Yourself (Self-Assessment)
Step 2: Exploring and Researching Careers
Step 3: Conducting an Effective Job Search
All of these steps are important, but perhaps the key to making good career decisions
rests most firmly on step one: getting to know yourself. Understanding who you are,
what you like and dislike, what motivates and challenges you, and what is frustrating
to you, will lead you toward some occupations and away from others.
QUESTIONS
Karen James, Assistant Director, at jamesk@middlesex.mass.edu or (781)-280-3639 Bedford