Copyright Goodheart-Willcox Co., Inc.
Section 1-2 Career Planning 15
Knowing Your Aptitudes
and Abilities
Most people have more than one aptitude or natural talent. These
are areas in which you excel, develop your greatest skills, and generally
fi nd satisfaction. Aptitudes often relate to job success. For example,
people with an aptitude for singing do it well even without practice.
Because they enjoy singing, they also enjoy practicing. With more
practice, they sing even better.
A person without an aptitude for singing may still be able to develop
singing ability. An ability is a skill a person learns through practice.
Someone without singing talent who practices often may achieve some
success. That person is unlikely, however, to be as successful as one with
natural singing aptitude.
The same is true in employment. People who perform a job using
a natural talent often do it better and quicker than others. When you
match yourself against your peers, in what areas do you excel? The
activities you most enjoy are probably those you do best.
Your school counselor can identify your natural talents through
aptitude and ability assessments. Keep in mind, however, the results will
not give defi nite answers to career questions. The results will simply
indicate your strong areas. That information will give you an idea of the
kinds of careers that offer you the best chances for success.
Learning About Careers
Perhaps you thought a certain career was right for you, but learned
more about it and changed your mind. That happens to many people.
Learning that specifi c careers are wrong for you is valuable. That
knowledge moves you closer to fi nding the right career. When researching
careers, consider the industry, required education and training, and other
factors to determine which career might be right for you.
The Career Clusters
An easy way to investigate careers is by exploring the career clusters,
which are 16 groups of career specialties, 1-5. Occupations within each
cluster are similar or related to one another. The occupations within
a cluster, therefore, require a set of common knowledge and skills for
career success. These are called the essential knowledge and skills.
To fi nd occupations relating to Family and Consumer Sciences, look
in these career clusters:
•
Agriculture, Food & Natural Resources
•
Arts, Audio/Video Technology & Communications
•
Education & Training
•
Health Science