1. Ready for a change
2. Forced into a different situation due to economic changes or downsizing
3. Ready for upward mobility within your current profession

Therefore, is it important to realize that Self Reflection is crucial in the career development process and can occur at any given time whether intentional or forced due to unforeseen circumstances. This section of the GOALS program can assist you with the resources and the process, and entice you to consider the following areas:

• Evaluating current employment status
• Family considerations
• Career transition
• Career path clarification and options
• Economic changes

In many careers, it is both expected and required that you keep up with your education. Certain states have laws that make it necessary for lawyers, doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, and various other professions to continue their education past college, or even post-graduate degree. Often times, this type of continuing education does not require gaining an additional degree but completing online classes in order to gain a certificate. Other career fields, e.g. the computer field, simply evolve and change so fast that continuing education is necessary to keep up with the growth in technology. Programmers typically gain the solid foundation they need to work in college and keep themselves up-to-date through seminars or self-teaching. In cases such as these, it may not be necessary to go to a typical grad school to acquire another degree.

For those interested in changing their career path, graduate school often seems like a requirement. Depending on your prior education and experience, you may or may not need an additional degree. Often times, you will have accrued valuable work experience and transferable skills that will help you apply your previous degree in another seemingly unrelated field. Still, obtaining a graduate degree in your desired field will help you to fine-tune your knowledge and build other valuable skills that relate directly to the new field. In this case, enrolling in a master’s or doctoral degree program will allow you to gain the credentials you need to be considered for such a position. Examples of fields where a specialized graduate degree is required are law, medicine, pharmacy, dentistry, psychology, upper level business, and many more. On the other hand, certain job fields require certifications and technical skills that do not necessitate degrees. Journalism, computer programming, and computer networking are great examples of this. These sorts of transitions can be made by simply taking advantage of a few classes or seminars offered through your company or at a local graduate school or even just enrolling in a program that offers a certificate.

Transitions between careers can bring great excitement, as well as great stress. A mentor that will guide and advise you as you make the important decisions during this time will prove to be a valuable asset. The UIS Career Development Center offers a wide variety of resources to assist you in these decisions and can help find a trustworthy mentor to support and inspire you as you move forward along your career path.

Career Planning Worksheet 
College Requirements Worksheet 

• UIS Center for Online Learning, Research and Service
• Grad School or Not?

Some people feel content to continue working in the same job position until they retire. This group of individuals has no desire for advancement or change and they feel comfortable in their current position. For these people, a forced career change can be a very stressful event.

The loss of a job may be due to factors beyond our control. At a time when the economy is constantly fluctuating; companies are merging, downsizing, or out-sourcing; and employers are adopting new technologies among other changes; the concept of job security seems idealistic. Although we hope a lay off will never happen, if it does, it’s important to be aware of the resources and possible benefits of making a career transition.

The day you receive a lay off notice or “pink slip” may seem like the worst day of your life. Whether it was anticipated or came unexpectedly, it can still be a stressful situation. You may react with mixed emotions: anger, anxiety, resentment, fear, and a multitude of other emotions. You may either feel the need to step back to assess and recover from your situation, or you may need to jump in and tackle the problem head on. Another option might be you are the type of person who sees the lay off as an opportunity to move forward and pursue the career of your dreams.

• The Employee’s Guide to Career Transition
• Career Transition: Stress Management
• Prepare for Career Change Resource
• Six Career Change Options

• Managing Your Career – Make Yourself Valuable
• Staying Current
• Career Improvement

Some employers assume stressful working conditions are a necessary mechanism to pressure workers to remain productive and profitable in today’s economy, regardless of employee health concerns. But, research findings challenge this belief. Studies show stressful working conditions are actually associated with increased absenteeism, tardiness, and cause workers to their jobs. All of which have a negative effect on the bottom line.

Recent studies of healthy organizations suggest policies benefiting worker health also benefit the bottom line. A healthy organization is defined as one that has low rates of illness, injury, and disability in its workforce and is also competitive in the marketplace. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) research has identified organizational characteristics associated with both healthy, low-stress work and high levels of productivity.

Examples of these characteristics include the following:

• Recognition of employees for good work performance
• Opportunities for career development
• An organizational culture that values the individual worker
• Management actions that are consistent with organizational values

• Job Stress and Health
• Getting Over a Difficult Situation

oud and does not pursue a mentor for help. Not only are you benefiting from your mentor, but the mentor is also gaining a great deal from you. Rather than falling behind or not advancing by avoiding the process of finding a mentor on your own, realize how simple it is to go about choosing your own!

Qualities to Look for In Your Mentor

• Someone you admire and look up to, as well as respect
• Trustworthiness and capable in maintaining confidence in the relationship
• Sense of humor and good listening skills
• Comfortable in providing feedback and discussing a range of issues
• A drive to learn from others throughout life and gain knowledge from you as well
• An upbeat personality and wants you to benefit from this experience

Your mentor can be a person in the workplace or an outside individual from an organization in the same functional area. Depending on what you prefer, your mentor can be someone who is older, more experienced, and at a higher level or an individual on the same level, such as a peer mentor. If you do not have a person in mind, ask for referrals. Tap into friend and family networks to try and expand yours. Be clear in what you are looking for in order to save everyone’s time. Look towards local businesses, professional networks, and online communities.

When in search for your mentor, there are certain qualities that you may want to avoid. It is wise to steer clear of people who are in a state of extreme anxiety or helplessness. Many people also believe that a mentor should never be your supervisor, because it is likely that a conflict of interest would arise due to the fact that it is imperative that you are able to openly discuss your career and what is occurring in the workplace with this individual. It is also common for a minority to choose a mentor who is also a minority in order to first handedly identify with the success of someone who has done well and succeeded in a diverse taskforce.

Whether you have known your possible mentor for years or are in the process of communicating with them for the first time, it is important to remain professional. Don’t be afraid to search the internet for organizations leading you to find a person who is in a career that you may enjoy. It is okay to send people an e-mail asking them about their career paths, which may lead to further conversation about mentoring! If an individual declines your request to serve as a mentor, do not be discouraged. Realize that they probably have responsibilities that will affect their role as a mentor. Simply, thank them for their time and continue your pursuit for a mentor!

When you serve as a mentor, you share knowledge and abilities with others while also gaining awareness and understanding from others. It is very beneficial to have a mentee as well as a mentor that is open, honest, and has realistic expectations; also, one must be able to admit mistakes and share their failures in order to have an open and successful relationship.

Hands-On

See Networking for techniques and tools to assist you in finding a mentor or mentee

Additional Resources

• QuintCareers: The Value of a Mentor
• Inc.com: 7 Tips for Finding a Great Mentor
• IMDiversity.com: How to Find a Mentor

• Career counseling services are available either face-to-face or online through distance secured methods
• Licensed Professional Counselors assist individuals and groups with the decision-making process and the development of career action plans as it relates to life and career directions
• Career counselors tailor services according to your individual needs in order to clarify life/career aspirations.
• Learn more about Career Counseling.

• Career assessment will assist in identifying your career attributes and help target compatible careers of interests
• Licensed Professional Counselors and counseling interns can administer and interpret a variety of career assessments for a fee
• Take the free FOCUS self-assessments (online career planning system) to begin reflecting on you and your career
  -CDC encourages students and alumni to consult with a career counselor about interpretation to clarify results
• Learn more about Career Assessments.

• Understanding how to make informed decisions about whether or not to attend graduate school is imperative
• The Career Development Staff can assist you in exploring the option to attend graduate school
• Just thinking about graduate school? Start with “Options to Explore for Graduate School”of GOALS to get started
• Know the Graduate Programs wanting to pursue?  Go to “Launch to Grad School”  for application strategies

• CDC Resource Library is comprised of up-to-date books, videos, handouts, worksheets, company literature, internship sources, computer kiosks, and career information files available during regular office hours