CAREER VALUES WHAT ARE VALUES? WHY VALUES? Values are beliefs held in high regard by people and apply to all aspects of a person s life.

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1 PROFESSIONAL IDENTITY SELF-ASSESSMENTS WHAT ARE VALUES? Values are beliefs held in high regard by people and apply to all aspects of a person s life. Values can also be ideals that guide your actions and can support your decision making process. Work values are ideals that are important to a person s motivation and job satisfaction. It is important to understand your values as they help you set purposeful goals, make decisions, and focus on what supports job satisfaction for you. Overall your core work values can continue to build a foundation of what is important to you in the world of work and what contributes to your definition of impact, meaning, and success. WHY VALUES? The Importance of Work Values in Your Career Exploration They help us understand what is important to us in terms of job satisfaction They help us evaluate work roles, job opportunities, and how we see them as a fit They give us a framework for assessing and evaluating options They help us see how a job and organization align with our definition of career satisfaction and motivation They help us see how career options incorporate what you think will be important to you in the work that you do and where you work

2 PART I PUTTING IT IN PERSPECTIVE: REFLECTIVE EXERCISE Take a moment to respond to the following questions: How do you define success? How does your 4 definition differ from others vision of success? How do your family values contribute to how you define success? Can you think of an experience in which the work or setting went against the grain for you? What contributed to it not being a fit? What activities bring purpose and impact to your life? 5 Can you think of a time that you felt a sense of achievement? What contributed to this situation feeling like an accomplishment? Think of a time that you felt motivated in a job/ internship/volunteer experience. What contributed to feeling energized in this experience? REVIEW YOUR THOUGHTS Identify keywords that stand out that you feel are important to you and your work.

3 PART II VALUES SORT ACTIVITY Review each value and consider if it is: E Essential A Acceptable NI Not Important Achievement To reach your goals Advancement To move forward quickly and gain opportunities for growth through seniority Adventure Work duties that involve risk taking Affiliation Be recognized as a member of a part of an organization Altruism Contribute to greater good and well-being of others Balance Job that allows for a balance between family, social, and work commitments Challenge Work with complex questions and problem solving Change/Variety Wide range of changing tasks Community Work connected with service, politics, or community affairs Competence Being highly proficient and skilled in an area; expert in a field Competition Activities that can compare abilities with others Creative Expression Express new ideas, programs, systems, etc. Diversity Working with people of different religions, ethnicities, social, and racial backgrounds Excitement Experience high degree of stimulation on the job Fast Pace Quick pace of activity with quick outcomes Financial Reward Earn larger than average amount of income Growth Opportunity to strengthen skills and roles Health Circumstances conducive to physical, mental, and emotional health Help Others Assist others in a direct way in groups or individually Help Society Contribute to the common good; making a difference in society Harmony Avoid pressure and stress in role, people, and setting Independence Work without constant supervision and ability to direct without consult Influence Others Significant impact on others to change attitude or opinion Integrity Work in a setting in which honesty, authenticity, and commitment is strong Knowledge/Learning Gather new information and ideas Leadership Inspire, motivate, or direct others Location Live somewhere conducive to lifestyle Personal Growth Work that enables growth as a person Public Contact Much day to day contact is with people Precision Work tasks that require specific measures and attention to detail Recognition Acknowledged for quality of work Security Stable work environment and financial compensation Spiritual Fulfillment Work that is consistent with ideals or morals Stability Consistent duties that are predictable and do not change over time Time Freedom Complete tasks on own schedule Status/Prestige Gain respect of others given nature and level of work Travel Job has opportunity to travel Teamwork Close working collaborations with group Work Alone Work on projects individually with little contact with others Working Conditions Comfortable work environment, dress code, amenities, protection from injury

4 PART II CONTINUED Review your list of Essential values and choose your top five to list below (in no particular order) 4 5 PLOT IT OUT: APPLICATION OF VALUES Can you describe an experience in which your essential values were present? How can you see these five essential values demonstrated in your future work and work setting? 4

5 PART III MAKING MORE CONNECTIONS: WORK VALUES & OCCUPATIONS Ready to apply your values further? ONET Online has defined data descriptors that are clusters of occupational information that represented work values linked to various occupations. Consider some of your Essential values above and then click on the ONET link to read the data descriptors and rate from a scale of (High) to 6 (Low) in order of importance for you. After review, jot down a few occupations that are interesting to you: What stands out in these occupations that support your work values? PART IV FOOD FOR THOUGHT: NEXT STEPS TO CONSIDER How do your work values align with your educational goals? What values from your list would you not compromise or discard regardless of your career interests? Are there any values from other areas of your life (family, community, social, academic, etc.) that you would want to add to your core values? Do any conflict with your essential list of values? Think about how you can use your work values in your research when exploring internships and volunteer experiences; how would you investigate these further? How do you plan to use your values to help set your professional goals? ONET Work Values: 5