Career planning: Your career, your life from Coursera

What's inside

Syllabus

Career planning and philosophy for the future

What are the most influential factors shaping contemporary careers, and why is individual adaptability critical to succeeding in a rapidly evolving career landscape? This week you will be introduced to a range of economic and technological issues redefining the future of work and its implications to contemporary career management. You will also review how to proactively think about your career that will help you not to lose focus even in the light of the fundamental shifts in work and also learn about career competencies related to successful adaptation.

Career exploration: Boundaryless pathways

This week you will explore and collect career information from diverse sources to inform your professional awareness about different career paths and help you become more adaptable and flexible in your approach to career management. You will be guided to begin exploring “possible selves”, identify your favourite / best skills, and think about them in the context of different professional behaviours / roles.

Matching careers : Aligning values, vision and goals

What is the link between your values, vision, goals, and careers you’re interested to explore? This week you will apply elements of the design thinking approach to career planning to further help you identify what defines your professional identity even if you don’t exactly know what your career goals should be. These activities will help you to imagine alternative career trajectories in relation to the future of work. You will learn strategies to achieve better alignment between your skills and job description / job specification documents and be invited to create an unconventional (but effective) career game plan.

Proactive career management

How will you navigate a career path in order to ensure that it is going / developing in the direction you want? This week you will review several critical areas that can orient you to develop important skills to manage and improve your career prospects (networking, self-awareness) and the ability to proactively manage difficult situations (e.g. career crisis).

Practical skills for job search and getting what you want

How will you navigate a career path that is evolving to be boundaryless, are you confident to create and direct your own path? This week you will focus on creating or polishing your digital profile, updating your cv or creating a new one from scratch and and practice or further refine your professional communications skills for ongoing development.

Building career capital in light of contemporary issues

Good to know

Know what's good

, what to watch for

, and possible dealbreakers

Builds a strong foundation for beginners

Develops professional skills or deep expertise in a particular topic or set of topics

Strengthens an existing foundation for intermediate learners

Reviews summary

Career plan launchpad

Learners say this remarkable course provides a solid foundation for career exploration. Its in-depth content is relevant, engaging, and delivered in a manner that's easy to understand. Students highlight the course's practical advice and up-to-date content that can be immediately applied to real-world scenarios.

Focuses on developing a wide range of skills.

"This course not only helps you figure that part out, it starts with the depth of what skills are needed in the world and why. Very insightful information! "

"Very insightful and up-to-date, leading to reflections over career and life and providing very useful tips on how to make yourself a professional people would like to work with."

"Very clear and comprehensive content delivered in an engaging approach. A clear structure filled with concrete examples to teach different skills and concepts, also has a good diversity and inclusion perspective. This lays the foundation for my ongoing career exploration, will definitely recommend this to people."

Content is in-depth, insightful, and actionable.

"The knowledge acquired in this course has given me great insights, it's really never too late to build a successful career path as long as one is ready to learn and adapt to changes in life"

"Very insightful, with up-to-date content and practical approach. I don't feel I spent time studying lot's of theory that I wouldn't use on real-work situation."

"Most career development courses seem to have an emphasis on resume writing and personal branding which requires you to know what you want. This course not only helps you figure that part out, it starts with the depth of what skills are needed in the world and why. Very insightful information! "

Advice and knowledge can be immediately applied.

"Very insightful and up-to-date, leading to reflections over career and life and providing very useful tips on how to make yourself a professional people would like to work with."

"Some nice advices about career management, mostly within the corporate world. A lot of good recommendations and ideas. If you want to learn how to differentiate yourself with some simple advices (from job search to promotion in a workplace), this course is for you."

Provides a holistic view of career planning.

"Good but very basic introduction to career planning you could get from most books on the market."

"It's a holistic course that incorporates modules on career planning, networking, applying for jobs and how to fit into work culture, which are all important to to getting and keeping a job."

"However, given the title I was hoping to get a more in-depth lesson at just the career planning stage."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Career planning: Your career, your life with these activities:

Review the book 'What Color Is Your Parachute?'

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Reading this career planning book provides insights into career exploration.

View What Color Is Your Parachute? Job-Hunter's... on Amazon

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Read the book.
Take notes on key concepts.

Explore online resources on career development and management

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Taking a career path involves continuous learning on your own. Familiarizing yourself with online learning platforms will help you explore future career paths continuously after the course.

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Review Coursera’s catalog of career-related courses.
Explore the offerings of LinkedIn Learning.
Consult the MIT OpenCourseWare catalog for career development courses.

Review interpreting financial statements

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Warming up by reviewing how to interpret financial statements will prime you for better decision making on career path.

Browse courses on Financial Statement Analysis

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Re-read the principles of financial statement analysis.
Solve related homework exercises or problems.

Four other activities

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Practice networking skills

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Networking is a crucial soft skill for advancing your career opportunities. Practicing with online forums helps you prepare for future interactions with employers and colleagues.

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Join relevant online forums related to your field.
Start conversations and engage with other members.

Form a study group

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Collaborating with peers can help you better understand through group discussions.

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Reach out to classmates and schedule a virtual study session.
Review the course material in more depth.
Discuss and summarize key concepts.

Create a resume and cover letter

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Crafting your resume and cover letter will give you practical experience in putting theory into practice.

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Create a draft resume.
Write a cover letter.
Seek feedback and revise.

Contribute to an open-source career development project

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Contributing to open-source resources aligns with one of the course themes of ongoing career development.

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Identify an open-source project.
Explore the project's documentation and code.
Contribute to the project.

Career center

Learners who complete Career planning: Your career, your life will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Career Counselor

As a Career Counselor, you will be responsible for providing guidance and support to individuals who are seeking to plan and manage their careers. You will be able to use the knowledge and skills you gain in this course to help your clients identify their strengths, interests, and values; develop career goals; and create a plan to achieve their objectives. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in career development, which you can use to inform your work with clients. Overall, this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a successful Career Counselor.

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Human Resources Manager

Human Resources Managers are responsible for planning, developing, and implementing human resources policies and programs. They also oversee the recruitment, hiring, training, and development of employees. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective human resources programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in human resources management, which you can use to inform your work. Overall, this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a successful Human Resources Manager.

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Organizational Development Specialist

Organizational Development Specialists are responsible for helping organizations to improve their performance and achieve their goals. They do this by working with leaders and employees to identify and address organizational challenges, develop and implement change initiatives, and build a culture of continuous improvement. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective organizational development programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in organizational development, which you can use to inform your work. Overall, this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a successful Organizational Development Specialist.

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Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor

As a Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor, you will be helping people with disabilities to find and keep jobs. You will be able to use the knowledge and skills you gain in this course to help your clients identify their strengths, interests, and values; develop career goals; and create a plan to achieve their objectives. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in vocational rehabilitation, which you can use to inform your work with clients. Overall, this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a successful Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor.

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Career Coach

As a Career Coach, you will be working with clients to help them identify and achieve their career goals. You will be able to use the knowledge and skills you gain in this course to help your clients develop a strong career foundation, explore different career paths, and prepare for job interviews. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in career coaching, which you can use to inform your work with clients. Overall, this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a successful Career Coach.

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Recruiter

Recruiters are responsible for finding and hiring qualified candidates for open positions. They work with hiring managers to identify the skills and experience needed for each position, and then they source and screen candidates to find the best match. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective recruiting strategies. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in recruiting, which you can use to inform your work. Overall, this course will help you develop the skills and knowledge you need to be a successful Recruiter.

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Talent Acquisition Manager

Talent Acquisition Managers are responsible for managing the recruitment and hiring process for an organization. They work with hiring managers to develop and implement recruiting strategies, and they oversee the recruitment and hiring of new employees. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective talent acquisition programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in talent acquisition, which you can use to inform your work.

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Job Analyst

Job Analysts are responsible for conducting job analyses to determine the duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required for each job in an organization. They use this information to develop job descriptions and specifications, which are used to recruit and hire new employees. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and conduct effective job analyses. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in job analysis, which you can use to inform your work.

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Compensation and Benefits Manager

Compensation and Benefits Managers are responsible for developing and managing compensation and benefits programs for an organization. They work with employees to determine their compensation and benefits needs, and they develop and implement programs to meet those needs. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and manage effective compensation and benefits programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in compensation and benefits, which you can use to inform your work.

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Training and Development Manager

Training and Development Managers are responsible for developing and delivering training programs for employees. They work with employees and managers to identify training needs, and they develop and implement programs to meet those needs. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and deliver effective training programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in training and development, which you can use to inform your work.

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Industrial-Organizational Psychologist

Industrial-Organizational Psychologists apply psychological principles and research methods to improve the effectiveness of organizations. As an Industrial-Organizational Psychologist, you will use the knowledge and skills you gain in this course to help organizations improve their performance and achieve their goals. You will typically work with leaders and employees to identify and address organizational challenges, develop and implement change initiatives, and build a culture of continuous improvement.

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Organizational Psychologist

Organizational Psychologists apply psychological principles and research methods to improve the effectiveness of organizations. As an Organizational Psychologist, you will use the knowledge and skills you gain in this course to help organizations improve their performance and achieve their goals. You will typically work with leaders and employees to identify and address organizational challenges, develop and implement change initiatives, and build a culture of continuous improvement.

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Social Worker

Social Workers help people to cope with personal and social problems. They work with individuals, families, groups, and communities to provide support and assistance. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective social work programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in social work, which you can use to inform your work.

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Counselor

Counselors provide guidance and support to people who are struggling with personal or emotional problems. They work with individuals, families, groups, and communities to provide support and assistance. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective counseling programs. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in counseling, which you can use to inform your work.

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Teacher

Teachers provide instruction to students in a variety of subjects. They work with students to develop their knowledge, skills, and abilities. The knowledge and skills you gain in this course will be valuable in helping you to develop and implement effective teaching methods. The course will also provide you with the opportunity to learn about the latest trends in education, which you can use to inform your work.

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