Introduction with Student Profile
PROFILE
Rebecca Hall, 25
English Major, Tidewater Community College
“Choose a career that you will love for the rest of your life.”
Rebecca Hall grew up all over the world, moving with her parents, who were in the military, from state to state and even to countries like France before settling in Virginia. She graduated from high school in 2010 and decided to take time off from academics before heading to college. She began working as a waitress, but after realizing she was losing sight of her career goals, she decided to enroll at Tidewater Community College and study English. She knew she would need a degree to provide for herself, but why English? “My favorite classes so far have been English classes,” Rebecca explains. “I love the critical thinking aspects and the ability to write analytically on the topics that are presented in class.”
Rebecca has since taken that love of English and writing and transformed the passion into a career goal. She wants to teach English at the high school level. She plans to finish her two-year degree at Tidewater Community College and then transfer to the University of Virginia.
When she is not in school, Rebecca takes a little time out to enjoy hiking and art. She also finds time to work eight hours a week as a peer tutor in the writing center on campus, where she helps students with editing and proofreading their papers.
Her advice to first-year students is, “Choose a career that you will love for the rest of your life. If you are not happy doing it now, you will most likely not be happy doing it twenty years from now.”
12.1Careers and the New Economy
12.2Self-Exploration in Career Planning
12.3Planning for Your Career
12.4Getting Experience
12.5Job-Search Strategies
12.6Skills Employers Seek
12.7Staying on the Path to Success
Your decision to attend college increases your possibilities for employment and will likely contribute to a great career path. College is a time for gaining academic knowledge and exploring career opportunities to help you grow from a student into a productive member of the global economy.
Some students know what career paths they want to follow before they even begin college. Others enter college to explore career options by taking courses in different subject areas. Even when students choose a major, they may not be clear on how their selected majors relates to their future careers. This chapter provides you with tips and resources for career planning. Visiting your college career center can help you to build on the material in this chapter, so be sure to use these valuable resources.