Internships & Jobs

Careers are the patterns of work and work-related activities that people develop throughout a lifetime. A career includes the job or series of jobs a person has until retirement. Careers vary greatly in the type of work involved and in the ways they influence a person's life.

Almost every adult has a career of some kind. Most people build a career to help them satisfy certain goals. Such goals might include earning a living or helping society. The best-known career pattern develops around work for pay. Most workers in such a career hold a job to support themselves and their family. However, some people build a career around activities for which they receive no money. For example, many people's careers are caring for their families and their homes. Others volunteer their time to help others.

The kind of career you have can affect your life in many ways. For example, it can determine where you live, the friends you make, and the amount of money you earn. Your career can also affect how you feel about yourself and the way other people act toward you. By making wise decisions concerning your career, you can help yourself build the life you want.

Important career decisions include choosing a career field and deciding how you want your career to develop. Other decisions involve selecting the educational and job opportunities that will advance your career. Knowing your abilities, interests, values, and goals gives you a foundation on which to base your career decisions. Also, a broad knowledge of the world of work can help you discover career possibilities that you did not know existed.