This course is for you if you are interested in researching a new career and acquiring the skills necessary to succeed in it. You will be asked to reflect on your experiences and critically evaluate what you currently know, what you need to acquire, and how to go about getting it. You will then identify groups and individuals that can serve and support you in exploring a new career. During this course, you will identify the elements of a well-structured career plan and evaluate career options by individual fit to determine how to effectively engage your network in your career journey.
Career Options: Exploring a New Career
This course is part of Career Discovery Specialization
Instructors: Ana T. Baida, Ed.D.
11,452 already enrolled
Included with
(50 reviews)
Details to know
Add to your LinkedIn profile
14 assignments
See how employees at top companies are mastering in-demand skills
Build your subject-matter expertise
- Learn new concepts from industry experts
- Gain a foundational understanding of a subject or tool
- Develop job-relevant skills with hands-on projects
- Earn a shareable career certificate
Earn a career certificate
Add this credential to your LinkedIn profile, resume, or CV
Share it on social media and in your performance review
There are 7 modules in this course
Welcome! You are beginning a very important journey on your path to a meaningful and successful career. This course is designed to help you shape a career plan that can launch a new career, establish the beginning phases of an early career, or re-invent your existing career. This course, and your team of instructors, will ask you think deeply about your professional values. You will research hot careers and the skills necessary to succeed in them. We will ask you to reflect on your experiences, critically evaluate what you know, and determine what you still need to know. We will ask you to identify groups and individuals that can serve you in your career decisions and from whom you can learn about options within a career. Career Planning can be a deeply enriching experience. We are very pleased to join you in your journey. Module One introduces you to the course, explores the scope of career planning and discovers the different expectations people have of a career.
What's included
3 videos5 readings2 assignments1 peer review1 discussion prompt
In this module, you will research trends in careers and describe the potential job market, areas of demand, salary potential, and entry requirements. This module will provide you with the tools necessary to identify and describe the different career tracks in your chosen field. You will connect with a Bridge Person (an individual who is already a professional in your chosen career field) and schedule a meeting with that person to complete a career conversation. The module includes instructions on how to identify and connect with a bridge person using LinkedIn.com, alumni networks, or a professional/business association along with information about how to schedule the meeting and how to select appropriate questions. At the end of this module you will be able to consider trends for deciding on a college major or training program, and for help choosing a new career.
What's included
1 video7 readings2 assignments2 discussion prompts
In this module, you will explore who you are relative to the job search, and your industry of choice. You will examine issues related to career choices and career planning, as well as learn which jobs have the greatest and least employment potential. Research careers and see the growth rate for each, view earnings at different levels of experience, and compare different regions. Research employment rates for people with your skills in different locations.
What's included
1 video6 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
In this module, you will learn how to think about career planning as both a lifelong and "whole-life" activity. You will learn about whole-life career planning by watching Rachel, a 20-year old college student, discover her unique talents and interests using the RightPathing Your Future approach. At the end of this module, you will learn the importance of assessing and understanding your hard-wired behaviors, work values, skills and passions, and then aligning them with both your personal and professional goals.
What's included
7 videos4 readings2 assignments1 peer review3 discussion prompts
In this module, you will learn about the importance of a Career Objective Statement and the elements that it contains. You will differentiate and describe the career field categories and the organizational category with which your interests align. You will reflect on your general and specific skills to create a skills inventory that matches the industry, organization, and/or field that you choose. You will be asked to explain potential careers associated with your interest including requirements, outlook, salary, and benefits. At the end of this module, you will be able to create a Career Objective statement for your unique professional level that does what a career objective is supposed to do while avoiding what it is not supposed to do. You will evaluate your objective statement according to your Career Exploration Infographic to ensure alignment with your strengths and talents.
What's included
2 videos7 readings2 assignments1 peer review2 discussion prompts
In this module, you will explore different types of research sources and approaches. You will begin to consider your own research approach on your given career choice. You will share the results of your search and examine any questions unanswered. You will explore personal and workplace values, and align your personal work and cultural values with your research results.
What's included
2 videos7 readings2 assignments1 discussion prompt
In this module, you will be introduced to the concept of "career rock climbing" which has replaced the traditional idea of "climbing the corporate ladder." In today's world, the career ladder has become a rock wall. Career success, no matter how you define it, requires you to be more creative and nimble as you develop and implement your career plan. This module will show you how to be more innovative and creative as you explore and prepare for your career.
What's included
1 video7 readings2 assignments2 discussion prompts
Instructors
Offered by
Recommended if you're interested in Personal Development
Queen Mary University of London
University of Colorado Boulder
Coursera Instructor Network
Why people choose Coursera for their career
New to Personal Development? Start here.
Open new doors with Coursera Plus
Unlimited access to 7,000+ world-class courses, hands-on projects, and job-ready certificate programs - all included in your subscription
Advance your career with an online degree
Earn a degree from world-class universities - 100% online
Join over 3,400 global companies that choose Coursera for Business
Upskill your employees to excel in the digital economy
Frequently asked questions
Access to lectures and assignments depends on your type of enrollment. If you take a course in audit mode, you will be able to see most course materials for free. To access graded assignments and to earn a Certificate, you will need to purchase the Certificate experience, during or after your audit. If you don't see the audit option:
The course may not offer an audit option. You can try a Free Trial instead, or apply for Financial Aid.
The course may offer 'Full Course, No Certificate' instead. This option lets you see all course materials, submit required assessments, and get a final grade. This also means that you will not be able to purchase a Certificate experience.
When you enroll in the course, you get access to all of the courses in the Specialization, and you earn a certificate when you complete the work. Your electronic Certificate will be added to your Accomplishments page - from there, you can print your Certificate or add it to your LinkedIn profile. If you only want to read and view the course content, you can audit the course for free.
If you subscribed, you get a 7-day free trial during which you can cancel at no penalty. After that, we don’t give refunds, but you can cancel your subscription at any time. See our full refund policy.