Making Career Decisions Through Enterprising Ideas

1. Making Career DecisionsThroughEnterprising Ideas Stephen J. Swain, ATP Rural Rehabilitation Specialist Breaking New Ground Outreach Program

2. Session Overview • The Professional’s Responsibilities • Career Decision Map • Decision Process • Personal Information • Self-Assessment • Action Plan • Identifying Resources • Alternative Enterprises

3. The Professional’s Role • Explain the process • Assist in the evaluation process • Provide support during the process • Accountability – help set a time-table and hold accountable to times – challenge clients answers and provide input

4. Career Decision Roadmap Past Work Experience skills, abilities, training, interest, & values Transitions college, economy, family... Change farming enterprise expand, new, different... Crossroads Continue current farming or career path Take part-time job Begin new enterprise Additional training or education Lifelong learning Begin career with new skills and qualifications

5. Personal Information • Name:_______________________________ County:_____________ • Address:_____________________________ Phone:_____________ • City:_____________________ State:_____ Zip Code:________ • Social Security Number:___________________________ • Cell Phone:_____________ • E-Mail address:_______________________________________ • Sex: M___ F___ Birthday:_____/_____/____ Veteran: Y__ N____ • Beside yourself, how many wage earners are in you household?_______ • Do you own or rent where you live now? Own____ rent____ other_____ • How many years have you been farming? ________________

6. Personal Information • Off-farm work experience: • Employer/Job Title Dates Salary Duties/Responsibilities • Education and training: • What is the highest grade completed? • List any additional training or education received since high school:

7. Personal Information • Military service (including technical training received) and approximate dates: • List any other formal non-farm skill training (vocational technical school, apprenticeship classes, etc.): • Leadership skills: • List organizational involvement and indicate any offices held: (e.g. Farm Bureau, Grange, Extension, 4-H, leadership programs):

8. Personal Information Job interests: Circle the jobs that interest you: ___Agribusiness ___Communication and Media ___Construction ___Recreation/Forestry ___Health Manufacturing ___Marketing ___Personnel Services ___Public Service/Self Employed ___Other

9. Personal Information • Explain your disability and its significance in your job search and future employment. • What types of skills, tools, or resources do you need to accomplish the type of job you are seeking?

10. Personal Information Overcoming barriers – what do you think you need help with? ___Deciding what to do ___Obtaining job leads ___Improving my skills ___Earning my diploma ___Dealing with medical problems ___Obtaining other training ___Improving my job search skills ___Overcoming my disability ___Securing a job ___Other

11. Personal Information • Do you have transportation available? Yes ____ No ____ • Involvement with other agencies (Placement, Workforce Development, VR, SS, etc.). Please list. • Benefits received from other agencies:

12. Personal Information Check any of the following that you need more information on: ___Government programs ___Handling utility bills ___Food stamps ___Veteran’s benefits ___FHA, VR, or other mortgage information ___Social Security benefits ___Retirement planning ___Investment counseling ___Medical counseling ___Stress counseling ___Family counseling ___Legal counseling ___Other________________________________

13. Self Assessment • Agricultural Skills – Grade your proficiency • Farm Management • Record Keeping – records, budgets, cash flow • Financial Management – profit/loss statement,loan application, sources of credit • Marketing – store vs. sell, futures marketing, commodity contracting • Computers – report generation • Labor – payroll, communication, economical/efficient us of labor • Estate Planning – is there a plan?

14. Self Assessment • Crop Production • Plant Nutrition and Growth – soil analysis, cropping system • Fertilization – selection of system • Preparation – method of ground preparation: no-till, ridge-till, conventional • Diseases and Pests – identification, control methods • Planting and Harvesting – equipment, field loss, maturity

20. Self Assessment • Livestock Production • Production and management systems – pasture, confinement, organic, • Feeding – feed ingredients, complete, pelletted, micro-packs, wheat, corn, milo, dried distillers grain • Housing and Handling – system, age of facilities, ventilation control • Disease and Pests – identification, treatment

23. Self Assessment • Agricultural Mechanics • Agricultural Equipment Maintenance • Small Engines • Buildings • Concrete • Electricity • Hand Tools • Miscellaneous Tools

26. Financial Analysis • Sales and Inventory values • Variable costs to each enterprise • Fixed costs to each enterprise • Cash flow projections • Outstanding loans and obligations • What would happen if changes were made?

30. Career Awareness • Background: • Father’s occupation • Father’s highest level of education • Mother’s occupation • Mother’s highest level of education • Number of moves your family made • Types of communities in which you lived. ___Rural ___Suburban ___Metropolitan

31. Career Awareness • Accomplishments: • High School and College (academic or extra-curricular) • Other Training Accomplishments (academic or extra-curricular) • Volunteer Accomplishments • Work Accomplishments • Other Accomplishments

32. Career Awareness • Activities: • High School and College (academic or extra-curricular) • Other Training Activities (academic or extra-curricular) • Volunteer Activities • Work Related Activities • Any Other Areas (hobbies, recreation, clubs, etc

33. Career Awareness • Skills: • Used in High School and College Accomplishments • Used in Other Training Accomplishments • Used in Volunteer Accomplishments • Used in Work Related Accomplishments • Used in Other Areas (hobbies, recreation, clubs) • Used in Past Work Experiences

34. Self Assessment • Transferrable Skills • Leadership • Organization • Sales and Marketing • Decision-making • Self directed – will work independently • Teamwork • Take responsibility

35. Career Awareness • Interests: Likes/Dislikes of Accomplishments • School Accomplishments – Likes/Dislikes • Other Training Accomplishments –Likes/Dislikes • Volunteer Accomplishments – Likes/Dislikes • Work Related Accomplishments – Likes/Dislikes • Any Other Areas – Likes/Dislikes

36. Career Awareness • Values – List/Rank Top 5 in Importance • Such as: dependability, trustworthy, independence, rural setting, remain on farm • Review and List Top 5 Skills • Review and List the Top 5 Likes and Dislikes • What do you want to do?

37. Career Action Plan • Rank 5 most important factors related to the job. • Challenge • Opportunity for advancement • Training program • Salary • Security • Initial job assignment

38. Career Action Plan • Hours per week • Size of the company • Type of industry • Independence of action • Travel • Educational opportunity

39. Career Action Plan • Prestige • Work Environment • Co-Workers • Type of boss • Frequency of moves • Job location • Seeing results of job • Others

40. Career Action Plan • 5 Most Important Non-Job Factors • Climate • Proximity • Cultural activities • Recreational activities • Spouse’s career opportunity • Type of community

41. Career Action Plan • Commuting distance • Frequency of moves • Cost of living • Adult education activities • Public schools • Other (list)

42. Career Action Plan • Describe your ideal non-job environment • Your ideal job and ideal non-job environment make up your desired lifestyle. From here, you can make more intelligent decisions for where you want to go and how to get there.

43. Family Resources • Is there effective communication? • Does the family work and play together? • Is positive self-esteem encouraged? • Is there pride in the family and priority for family activities? • Does the family act as a support network? • Is there a willingness to accept temporary help from outsiders? • Is there flexibility in family roles? • How are the problem-solving skills of the family?

44. Family Resources

45. Assessing Farm Resources • Resource Inventory • Capital Resources – accumulated goods and assets devoted to the production of other goods • Earning capacity • Debt ratio • Cash flow • Labor and Management Resources

50. Assessing Farm Resources • Sources of budget information: • Agricultural Marketing Resource Center: http://www.agmrc.org/ • Business Development<Enterprise Budgeting Tools • Crop Conversion Calculator (link is on above web site): http://www.tritrainingcenter.org/code/farmselect/