Food for thought Session 1

Our class discussion confirms that many of you are unsure of your future career path. You all know I would love for that path to lead down the IT pathway. However if IT is not your area I will at least be satisfied if you can at least identify an area any area. With this in mind I want you to answer the following questions.

Remember to structure your responses and express yourself clearly. These questions are structured to probe your thought and hopefully inspire your future actions. How you benefit from the exercise depends on your input into the analysis of these questions. Do not shortchange yourself.

1. What is your idea of a career plan or career planning?

2. Research the definition of a career: Does that broaden your understanding or idea of a career? How does this understanding help you build your career?

3. IT as an industry is maturing. How does this affect your career planning?

4. Research Careers in the field of Information Technology. Why do positions in the highly-specialized areas of IT seem difficult to achieve?

5. Of the options listed that make IT a great career, which is most appealing to you?

6. What additional factors make IT a great career choice for you?

7. How important are personal satisfaction and interest to you when selecting IT as a career choice?

8. As you look at the factors for selecting a particular job, which is most important to you? Which is least important? Are there others you have or would consider important?

9. Why is it important to not be defined by the title you hold or your current role/position?

10. Discuss the importance of knowing the roles and responsibilities of various careers and why it is important to career development?

11. What is a working plan? It is said that a working plan makes tedious and unrewarding jobs bearable. What does this mean and how does it help you grow your career?

12. What additional factors make IT a great career choice for you?

13. What is outsourcing? How critical a factor is outsourcing for those pursuing an IT career?

14. Do you feel your answers reflect a positive self-assessment? If not, what can you do to change that?

15. Do you think this exercise has been beneficial to your career planning? Explain why or why not.