Planning Process

There are three essential parts of the career planning process - the What, the Where and the How. 

1. What- What do I want to do? What are my skills? In what ways do I most enjoy using them? What are my skill priorities?

2. Where- In what kinds of organizations do I want to work? What kinds of working conditions? What would be the purposes and goals of the organization? What kinds of special knowledge would I use in this position? In what geographic region do I want to live?

3. How- How do I write resumes and cover letters? How do I successfully participate in interviews?

Most people want to enter the career planning process and the job search at the "how" stage - writing resumes and cover letters without seeking sufficient information about themselves or the type of work in which they hope to be engaged. Understanding the process is crucial to finding the best career fit.

What Do I Want to Do?

Here are some things to consider when trying to determine your job interests:

History
- What have I done in the past (education, specialized training, leisure activities, volunteer experience)?
- What did I most enjoy? What was I best at?
- What messages did I receive about work from my family?

Skills
Skills are the most essential aspect of determining what you want to do.
- What are you best at and enjoy most?
- What are you good at but don’t enjoy?
- What skills would you like to develop?
Any attempt to short circuit this part of the process will result in an incomplete job search!

Rewards
- What intrinsic and extrinsic rewards do you want to get from your work?
Your law admissions essay might talk about these things. 

Life Priorities
- What factors in your life do you need to consider as a priority (family responsibilities, need for flexibility, making work your top priority)?
These may change at different stages of your career.

Dreams and Passions
- What are the things that you dream of doing? What are the activities that make you lose track of time?
These may provide excellent clues that will assist you in thinking about your plans for the future.

Location/Geography
- Where do you want to live? This might mean geography or setting. Big city, small town. You need to remember that as a law student where you work the summer after your second year can have a big impact on your location after graduation. 
- Perform a constraints analysis. What circumstances make certain options unlikely for you?

The "WHERE" of the Job Hunt

Where has to do with more than geography. It might include:

-The kind of knowledge you would like to use
-The types of people in the organization
-The salary or level at which you would begin working
-The purpose of the position or organization
-The working conditions in the position

If you are using the skills you enjoy most, but are still unhappy in your position, it is likely that you are working in a problem “where” area.