Building the Right Mind-set for the Future

• A college degree does not guarantee employment. Consider what it will be like competing with hundreds of other two-year college graduates earning the same degree as you and graduating at the same time! With a college degree, however, more opportunities will be available, financially and otherwise, than if you did not have a degree. For those who start an associate’s degree and complete it, the reward is considerable. If you transfer to a four-year college or university after you graduate from your two-year college, the payoff is even greater. Just because you want to work for a certain organization or in a certain field, though, doesn’t mean that a job will always be available for you there.
• You are more or less solely responsible for your career. Career development is a lifelong process, controlled only by you! Although employees at all levels require some degree of training, they might assist you with information on available positions in the industry. However, the ultimate task of creating a career path is yours. Students who realize they are responsible for managing their careers actively throughout their lifetime will be more successful and more satisfied than those who think someone else will come along to manage things for them.
  

  Thinking Things Through

  When you’re asked about your plans for employment after college, do you feel clueless? If so, you’re not alone. Many students come to college without firm career plans. This chapter will give you some new ways to think about your career choices. Your experiences in college will help you make thoughtful decisions about your future.

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• To advance your career, you must accept the risks that accompany employment and plan for the future. As organizations grow or downsize in response to economic conditions, you must do your best to prepare for the unexpected. As we have stated at several points in this book, perhaps the most vital skill you can gain in college is learning how to learn. Lifelong learning will help keep you employable and can provide you with many opportunities regardless of the economy.
• Career choice is not permanent. College students often view the choice of a career as a big and permanent decision. This is not correct. A career is based on your professional development decisions over a lifetime. In fact, many students with jobs attend two-year colleges to change their careers because of professional or personal reasons. There is no one right occupation just waiting to be discovered. Rather, there are many career choices you might find satisfying. The question to consider is this: What is the best choice for me now?