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  3. Employment: How to Prepare for Getting a Job
  4. Figuring out your goals

Write down your strengths, interests, and goals

Write down your strengths, interests, and goals

 

Here's what you can do: 1, Write down your strengths, 2, do practice interviews with a friend or family member: describe what you do well, and practice being polite and respectful, and 3, include examples of times when you showed these skills.

 

Now that you’ve thought about your strengths and interests, practice telling people about them!

 

When you apply for a job, you will have to explain what you can do well.  You will need to do this in interviews and if you write cover letters when applying for a job.

 

Now write down your goals:

  • Short-term Goals —What do you want or need right away?

  • Long-term Goals —What do you see yourself doing 3 years from now? Or 5 or 10 years from now?

What kind of training or experience do you need to meet your long-term goals?

If you have something written down, it can help guide your search, find the training you need, and look for jobs. It also helps you explore what you want.

Thinking about what you want might even help you create a job for yourself somewhere. For example, if you are really good with animals and can be responsible, you could be a pet sitter in your neighborhood.