Career Planning and Exploration

What this page covers

This unit sits in the Career Planning and Further Education strand of Personal and career development. Most of what is listed is mind maps, with a smaller set of quizzes, flashcard decks, notes, flowcharts and slide sets. All of it was made by GoConqr users.

The topics fall into a few groups: planning a career, exploring jobs, learning the theory, and getting ready to apply.

Where to start

Begin with the mind map Planning for a Career. It looks at what career planning involves, finding out about different occupations, creating an action plan and practical tips. Then open Transferable Skills, which covers communication, leadership and managing conflict.

Next, try Career Exploration and Possible Career Paths in Science to see how people look at options. For specific jobs, there are maps such as Police Officer and Occupational Therapy.

Career theory

If your course covers theory, read Super's Life-Career Rainbow. It sets out six life roles and five stages of development. The flashcard deck Super's Career Development Theory and the deck on Holland's Career Choice Theory and Parsons' Trait and Factor Approach help you learn the key terms. The map Careers & Counselling As Practice looks at different ways of seeing a career.

Using quizzes and maps together

1. Read one mind map slowly and note the branches you can't explain.
2. Take a quiz on the same theme, such as Career Counseling or Career Development.
3. Return to the map for any question you missed.
4. Use flashcards for the terms that keep slipping.

There are also several Career Management review quizzes, which suit a step-by-step run through a course. The many Job Seeking Skills maps are worth comparing, since each one organizes the topic its own way.

Next step

Pick one map that matches where you are today, then try a quiz to see what stuck. When you're ready, make a map or deck of your own career plan.