Develop Preliminary Career Goals

Summarize the results of your self-assessment in a prioritized list or statement to serve as a reference as you begin to identify and research employers. Include the skills and knowledge you would like to use in your work, and consider how your values may relate to other special needs.

For example, you may prefer a job helping others, but have a greater need for a high salary to repay education loans. Think about work setting (nonprofit, corporate, government, etc.) and size of the organization. Develop a geographic focus for your job search by specifying one or more cities or regions of interest to you. Also include other considerations that are particularly meaningful to you, such as lifestyle.

These are the kinds of issues that career counselors and advisors can help you deal with. There are also dozens of websites, many of them listed on the Resources page, with useful information.