Once you have drafted action items that are impor- tant for your future, you can start writing your actual career plan. There is no right or wrong way to format this document. Figure 1-4 shows an example of a tem- plate you could use to get started. Before creating a career plan, it is helpful to first con- duct a self-assessment and skills assessment, and then set SMART goals. You will continue revising the career plan as you achieve your goals and set new ones. Complete 1-2 Career Plan, pg 20 CONNECT TO YOUR CAREER Self-Assessment One of the first tasks in the creation of a career plan is to complete a self-assessment. A self-assessment is a mea- surement of an individual’s actions or attitudes as they relate to student and career performance. Conducting a self-assessment enables a person to focus on career direction and provides information about his or her natural aptitudes, abilities, personal- ity, and values. Discovering this information can help identify job opportunities that result in successful and gainful employment. Aptitudes An aptitude is a characteristic that an individual has developed naturally. When a person has an aptitude for something, he or she learns it easily and performs it well. Some aptitudes are cognitive, or mental. Other aptitudes are physical. For example, some college stu- dents have an aptitude for math, while others have an aptitude for ballet. Within both the cognitive and physical categories, aptitudes manifest themselves in familiar areas, such as art, computers, logic, mechanics, music, socialization, or writing. Different jobs require different aptitudes. Read the job posting in Figure 1-5. In this job posting, the employer is looking for a candidate with a strong mechanical aptitude. At times, employers ask for a spe- cific aptitude as opposed to formal training. One key to job success is to find work in an area that matches your aptitudes. Understanding your aptitudes can provide clues regarding how to begin the job-search process. In order to plan a career, experts suggest select- ing opportunities that match your strongest charac- teristics. Natural interests often match career goals. For example, aptitudes for one or more of the following are common: • drawing • mathematics • repairing machines • sports • writing Successful professionals who are experts in their fields likely found work that matched their natural tendencies or aptitudes. Various tests can help identify your aptitudes and natural interests. An informal aptitude test helps distin- guish your personality and skill set. These tests are usu- ally available online through a simple Internet search. The results of these tests, while informal, can often point a person in the direction in which he or she will likely find interesting and rewarding work. They can also be excellent practice for formal aptitude tests. Formal aptitude placement tests are used to measure overall achievement and compare performance to others. The CFAT (Canadian Forces Aptitude Test) is an example of an aptitude test. In this situation, the Canadian Armed Forces administers the exam to students who are enlist- ing. They use the results to classify enlistees for training opportunities. Career Plan: Year 1 Career Item Specific Action to Take Target Completion Date Actual Completion Date Goodheart-Willcox Publisher FIGURE 1-4 A career plan template can be used to gain a head start on the development of a career plan. Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc. 6 Chapter 1 Preparing for Your Career