Career Services
Visit AUA Career Services and start getting the right answers!
Schedule an appointment via the Career Services Scheduling System
- Discover your Personality Type as the career choices that combine your skills, interests, values, and personality are likely to be a good fit.
- Complete the Values Assessment Test to explore work values and determine what is important for your everyday work life.
- Highlight your current skills on the Transferable Skills List to identify what skills you enjoy using and would like to further develop.
AUA Career Services include:
- Guiding students in determining their interests and abilities
- Providing one-on-one consultations on job finding tools and career change
- Connecting students and alumni with employers, providing job and internship opportunities
- Planning and organizing career-related events: workshops on job finding tools, career fairs, employer days, etc
Your Goal
Making a career goal is about deciding where you want to go in your career.
First, figure out the smaller steps needed to reach that goal.
Think about where you would like to be in a year.
Then, think about where you would like to be in five years.
How to Set Goals?
Use the SMART system: Specific — Have a specific, clear focus. Measurable — Make sure you have a way to measure your progress. Attainable — Goals should be attainable, or possible to reach. Relevant — A relevant goal is one that really matters to you and is important. Timely — A goal should have a clear timeline. Tips for reaching your SMART goal:
- Make a List
Write down your goal. Then write down the steps you will take to get there. This will help you remember and accomplish each step. Put your list where you will see it.
- Set Deadlines
Give yourself a date to complete your goals. Set a deadline for each step. Write down the date when you finish each step.
- Reward Yourself
Working toward goals is hard. Think of small rewards to give yourself when you complete each step. The rewards will help you stay motivated.
- Have a Goal Partner
Find someone to help you. The person can be a friend, co-worker, job coach or anyone else. Discuss your goals together, and meet up when you complete each step. If possible, do the same for your partner. Common career goals are:
- Increase Professional Knowledge and Training
Learning new things is a common goal for many people. Those who are looking for work want to make sure they have the right skills. People who have a job can use new skills to grow in their roles. One way to increase your knowledge is to take a college class. You can also think about attending workshops offered on the job. Earning a new certification is another idea.
- Increase Salary
Being underpaid can make people less interested in their work. Taking steps to earn more money can make you more excited about your job. Wanting to earn more can also motivate you to find a new job. With this goal in mind, you might feel more excited about the job search.
- Improve a Difficult Relationship
Are you dealing with a difficult situation at work? Make changes to improve it. Improving a process or relationship that is frustrating you will make your work experience happier. This goal can lead to more rewarding work life.
- Have New Experiences
Trying something new can mean volunteering in your town or at work. It can also mean joining a professional group to meet people in your field. Another idea is to introduce yourself to people you see often, but have never met. A new experience can help spark your interest in your job. It can also lead to new opportunities.
- Be a Leader
Many people want to be a leader in their career. Figure out the steps you need to take to qualify for a leadership position. Determining these steps will help make it possible.
Career Planning Steps
Career is no longer a term used to refer to specialists or someone climbing the corporate ladder. The term “career” has broadened to reflect all the changes we have in our life. So, your career now includes all of your life, work, learning and leisure activities. Career development is a lifelong process that is unique to each person. Knowing what you value in your work and your life as you move through your career will help you manage your work in your life. Career Planning
- think about your interests, values, skills, and preferences;
- explore the life, work and learning options available to you;
- ensure that your work fits with your personal circumstances; and
- continuously try to manage the changes in your life and the world of work.
4 Steps for Career Planning
Step 1: Knowing Yourself Begin by thinking about where you are now, where you want to be and how you’re going to get there. Once you have thought about where you are at now and where you want to be, you can work on getting to know your skills, interests, and values. Begin by asking yourself the following questions:
- Where am I now?
- Where do I want to be?
- What do I like to do?
- What are my strengths?
- What is important to me?
At the end of this step, you will have a clearer idea of your work or learning goal and your individual preferences. Step 2: Finding Out This step is about exploring the occupations and learning areas that interest you. Once you have some idea of your occupational preferences you can research the specific skills and qualifications required for those occupations.
- Explore occupations that interest you and ask yourself how do my skills and interests match up with these occupations?
- What options do I have to gain these skills or qualify for these occupations?
- What skills do I need?
- Where is the work?
At the end of this step, you will have a list of preferred occupations and/or learning options. Step 3: Making Decisions This step involves comparing your options, narrowing down your choices and thinking about what suits you best at this point.
- What are my best work/training options?
- How do they match my skills, interests, and values?
- How do they fit with the current labor market?
- How do they fit with my current situation and responsibilities?
- What are the advantages and disadvantages of each option?
- What can I do about it?
At the end of this step, you will have narrowed down your options and have more of an idea of what you need to do next to help you achieve your goals. Step 4: Taking Action Here you plan the steps you need to take to put your plan into action. Use all you have learned about your skills, interests, and values together with the information you have gathered about the world of work to create your plan. Begin by asking yourself:
- What actions/steps will help me achieve my work, training and career goals?
- Where can I get help?
Try basing your plan on a specific occupation.
- Identify a key occupation;
- Set yourself a key task like arranging work experience or speaking to someone that works in the field;
- Find out about study or training pathways that would help you achieve a specific qualification for a preferred occupation.
In all of this, you need to remember that your career doesn’t happen in isolation to other aspects of your life. As you work your way through the model ensure that you’re taking your entire life circumstance into any decisions you make.