Career Planning

CORE BUSINESS INTERESTS

The purpose of this exercise is to quickly indicate the activities that interest youand then relate your interests to broad career areas that you might explore.

1. Read quickly through the activities in the left column and circle those that you enjoy.
Activity Engineering Computer programming Production and systems planning Product and process design Process analysis Production planning Systems analysis Mechanical crafting/manufacturing Research Market-research analysis Forecasting Computer-model building Production scheduling Cash-flow and investment analysis Accounting Economic-theory developing Business-model developing Competition analysis Designing "big-picture" strategy Process design Teaching business theory New-product design Marketing and advertising New-idea generation Developing innovative approaches and solutions Event planning Conducting public relations Entertaining Writing Illustrating Business Function Application of Technology Category Application of Expertise

Quantitative Analysis

Theory Development and Conceptual Thinking

Creative Production

Activity Coaching Training Teaching Helping Drawing people out Supporting Providing feedback and advice Managing others to accomplish the goals of the business Directing Supervising Leading and inspiring others Selling Negotiating Motivating Controlling resources to actualize a business vision Setting strategic direction for a company, business unit, work team, or division Having ultimate decision-making authority Making deals Holding ultimate responsibility for business transactions, such as trades, sales, etc. Negotiating Deal-making Conducting public relations Selling Persuading Designing advertising campaigns Communicating ideas through writing or speaking

Business Function Counseling and Mentoring

Category

Managing People and Relationships

Enterprise Control

Influence Through Language and Ideas

2. Now go back through the list above and cross out those activities on the left that you really cant stand!

Results:
After you complete steps 1 and 2, look for areas where you have a number of circled activities. Those represent the Business Functions (in column 2) that you should explore. You should avoid the Business Functions for those areas where you have a number of activities crossed out. If your circles fall across functions, you may be a well-rounded generalistbut you still should try to narrow in on what you truly enjoy. On the following page the eight core business interests or functions, divided into three categories, are described.

EIGHT CORE BUSINESS INTERESTS

The following three categories illustrate one way to describe core business interests. This method represents interests as eight business functions sorted into three groups.

Category I: Application of Expertise

1. Application of Technology (an interest in the inner workings of things; curiosity about

better ways of using technology to solve business problems; and comfort with mathematics, computer programming, and physical models of reality)
2. Quantitative Analysis (interest in problem solving that relies on mathematical analysis) 3. Theory Development and Conceptual Thinking (broadly conceptual approaches to

problem solving; interest in and comfort with ideas, imagination, theory, plans, scenarios, and forecasts)
4. Creative Production (interest in highly creative activities)

Category II: Working with People

5. Counseling and Mentoring (interest in helping others and developing relationships as

an integral part of business work)

6. Managing People and Relationships (interest in dealing with people and interpersonal

issues daily)

Category III: Control and Influence

7. Enterprise Control (interest in having ultimate decision-making authority for an

enterprise, division, or project)

8. Influence through Language and Ideas (interest in influencing others through the

skilled use of written and spoken language)