What is Career Management?

Career management is more than just what you do to find a job it is about how you approach your work and your life.

How do you manage your career?

• Do you learn to flow with the changes that occur at work and in life?
• Do you commit to lifelong learning?
• Every now and then do you reevaluate your skills and interests?
• Do you have a “can do” attitude?
• Do you take charge of your career?

If you answered ‘yes’ to all of these questions you have qualities that will help you manage your career and find success in what you choose to do.
Sometimes people think that the terms "job," "occupation," and "career" mean the same thing. In fact, they have very different meanings. We will be using them to mean the following:

• A job is a specific position or work for which you get paid. For example, Maria’s job is as a math teacher at Central Middle School.
• An occupation is a collection of job titles that share job duties, skills, and training. People who work in an occupation do similar tasks and need similar training. For example, Maria and every teacher in all the high schools share the same occupation: secondary school instructor. Occupations also fall under specific industries. An industry is a broad term describing a workplace where many different occupations can be found. An example of an industry is healthcare.
• A career is a lifelong journey that includes your education, interests, jobs, occupations, recreational activities and volunteer work. Throughout your career you will gain many different skills, work in many different jobs representing many different occupations, and have changing interests including recreational activities.

Why should you manage your career?
The job market is not the same as it used to be. Today's economy is global; this means that local jobs and occupations are affected by the economy of other countries, not just locally. This impacts what employers want from workers. The types of work and training that were available to you in the past may have changed as well.
 

New World of Work

Sometimes people expect that they will get one job and stay there for their entire work life. Or they expect their employers to take care of them. Be prepared for the new world of work.

The Job Market

• More jobs call for a degree or training past high school.
• In order to remain competitive, everyone needs to keep his or her job search skills up to date.
• Job seekers compete for jobs with people all over the world. Employers can move to another country. More workers can/are willing to live away from their work.

Relationship between Employers and Employees

• Employees tend to change jobs every few years. Each move offers more skills and opportunities.
• Layoffs are more common during a recession and/or when a business is in trouble financially. Workers see employers as customers. Full time employees act as contractors. Part-time positions are more common.
• Employees take their retirement plans with them when they change jobs. Employees are in charge of their own retirement plans.

Employment Realities

• Workers have many jobs in many occupations throughout their lifetime.
• Workers create their own career paths.
• Job duties change more often or match projects. Employers want workers who think for themselves, are flexible, and participate in continuous learning.
• More jobs are in the service or knowledge industries. Workers need to be creative. They need to provide good customer service and technical skills.
• Employees might work full time or part time. They might be short-term or contract workers. They may work for more than one company at once.
• Employees need to work hard and take charge of their own career goals. They get pay and training from many employers. Employees expand their field of knowledge from various sources.
• A successful job search is more dependent on the use of online job listings and finding hidden jobs using your network of personal contacts.
• During a recession be prepared to accept a job that offers less pay and/or limited opportunities for growth and advancement. 

Take Care of Yourself

How serious are you about being successful? Successful people know the importance of taking care of themselves. This means taking care of your personal life. Get enough exercise and sleep. Eat healthy foods. Belong to a social or faith-based group. Spend time with your family or friends. Set a regular schedule. Get regular health checkups. Below is a list of resources that can help you take care of yourself during this transition.

Deal with Changes

Transitions in life can be stressful for anyone. The information here can help you with work changes to lower the stress.

Job security is not certain in this new world of work. You may lose your job through no fault of your own, and with little or no warning. Other life events like losing a loved one, a growing family, or having to move to a new city can cause a lot of stress and affect your career.

You may have things in your life that you are not sure how to handle. Support services can help you with child care, health care, transportation, and other needs. It's a good thing that you do not have to face these changes alone. There are many resources available to help you.

Use the resources listed in this guide to help you:

• Find services for the recently unemployed.
• Get immediate help from employment and training resources.
• Join employment programs that fit your unique needs.
• Learn ways to stay emotionally and physically healthy during a job transition.
• Find local, state, or federal social services near you.
• Connect with family and community services.

Don't be afraid to ask for help by using the resources below.

Online job search support services

• Jewish Family Service 
• Texas Work Force Commission
• Workforce Solutions
• Mental Health Mental Retardation Association of Harris County

Manage Your Finances

Do you know how to make good choices with your money? Do you have the skills needed to save or make a budget?

No matter how much money you have, you should keep track of how much money you have coming in and where you spend your money. It is also important to know how much you need to save for the future.

Tips for staying financially healthy while looking for work:

• Create a personal or family budget and stick to it. You can use the worksheet provided in How to Create a Personal Budget or talk to a financial counselor. Doing this will help you plan for today and the future. Use calculators and online tools.
• Learn how to manage your credit and debt.
• Save part of your money for emergencies and long-term goals.
• Think about which of your career choices will pay you enough money. You need to pay for housing, car payments, health care and other bills. Use a budget tool to match your job choices to your budget.

How to create a personal budget
Make plans for your money that fit your needs today and in the future. If you are not working, make a budget anyway.

See how your money plans change when you add or cut expenses. You can also change your income to make a different budget.

Look at your current budget
If you have a partner or children, plan your money together.

• Do you have enough for savings and the things you need?
• Can you spend less on the things that are “nice to have” but not needed?
• Where can you cut costs?

Budgeting Tips & Resources

• My Money
• Smart About Money