Use 'Print preview' to check the number of pages and printer settings.
Print functionality varies between browsers.
Printable page generated Friday, 26 April 2024, 6:18 PM
Life and career planning for women
Welcome
Welcome to Life and career planning. We are really pleased that you have chosen to study this course. We hope you find it useful.
To begin, please watch the video below.
Learning outcomes
At the end of this course, you will:
- know more about different careers
- be able to see how your experiences influence your career and your goals
- understand the importance of life–work balance in career planning. This means choosing a career which does not cause any difficulties in other parts of your life and which you have the right education and training to do
- know more about what you look for in your work or job, and how these things can influence your goals
- have made a career plan for the next two years.
How you can study this course
This course should take you about 1 hour. Each section has a video that is the main focus of your study. Some sections contain activity sheets. These are files for you to download and use outside of the course. We hope they will further help you to reflect on the course material and support you in your career planning.
Digital badge information
By studying this course, you will have the option of gaining a digital badge as a certificate of achievement.
What is a badged course?
Badges recognise the skills and achievements acquired through informal study and are entirely optional. They do not carry any formal credit as they are not subject to the same rigour as formal assessment. The badge is proof that you have studied this course and is a useful means of demonstrating participation and recognising your learning.
Now we will start the course properly, with Section 1.
1. What is a career?
In this section, we are going to look at what a career is and hear about the kinds of careers women have and how these have developed over time. The experiences of the women in the video will give you some ideas as you start thinking about yourself.
Now that you have heard from other women, perhaps you have started to think about the next step in your working life.
Maybe you are looking for paid work for the first time or want to move into a different job.
Perhaps you want to set up your own business or grow the business you already have.
Or maybe you’re thinking about more education or training.
If you work through the text, the videos and the activities in this course, you should come out at the end with a clearer idea of what you want to do in the future.
In Section 2, we look at your life so far and the experiences that have led you to where you are now.
2. Your life so far
You bring a lot of life experience with you to this course. Often, we take this for granted. Or perhaps we don’t really think about how it affects the decisions we make. So, it is helpful to bring this experience to the surface.
To do this, we are going to introduce you to the process of drawing a rich picture of your life so far.
Producing a rich life picture helps to record the important parts of your past and to make sense of them. This is a useful next step in moving forward in your career because your experiences influence the career you have or the career you want, things that you look for in a job and what is important to you in your working life.
While you watch the video below, think about the life events that appear in the rich pictures, how these have shaped these women’s careers and whether these events might apply to you as well. You can take notes if you like.
Your rich life picture
Now draw your own rich life picture. It should cover key events in your life. Only include events that you feel comfortable thinking about.
Depending on your age, you may have a lot of or not very much life experience to draw on.
Draw the events that seem important to you regarding your working life in particular. For instance, if you have recently left full-time education or training and don’t have much or any work experience, you could think about which subjects you enjoyed or the teachers or tutors you admired.
After you’ve drawn your picture, look at it as a whole. Use the questions at the end of the video to help you understand what it might be showing you.
Your picture and your answers to these questions will be very personal to you. They will be different from other people’s.
Also, you might think of something after you have finished, so you can go back and add to the picture or your answers at any point.
The activity sheet tells you more about how you draw and learn from your own rich life picture.
In Section 3, we look at the balance between your life and your work.
3. Life–work balance
We always need to be aware of how we balance life outside of work with life at work. There are times when you have to prioritise work. That is why you will hear some women in the videos using the term ‘work-life balance’. However, it is important to be realistic about other things we love doing which might limit our career choices. That is why we use the term ‘life–work balance’, because life should come before work.
While you watch the video that comes next, think about what each woman says about her own life–work balance and the people, things and limits in her personal situation. How did each woman choose a career which fitted into her life? Did she do anything to change the limits she faced?
Think about whether any of these issues apply to you. You can take notes if you like.
Your life–work balance
The stories and experiences of the women in the video should help you to think what you can do and what you can’t do in your life at the moment. They should also help you to see how you might change some of the limits.
Having a realistic idea about your own situation allows you to make good career choices. Also, it can help you to see where you can make changes to follow a career which really interests you.
Use the questions from the video to think about the factors in your life–work balance. Then think about how you can take them into account in choosing a career, but also whether you can change any of them. You can also download this table to help.
In Section 4, we move to looking at you as a person and what kind of career you might enjoy the most.
4. Getting to know yourself better
In this section of the course, we look at what you like doing and what you look for in work. This is another important way to think about careers that would suit you.
While you watch the video that comes next, think about what each woman says about why she likes her work. Do any of these things apply to you as well? You can take notes if you like.
The next activity will help you to think about this topic in more detail.
What should you look for in a job?
If you decide to do a particular kind of work, then you need to know that it suits you, personally and practically, and that you can find opportunities to do it.
How do you know what kind of work is going to suit you, though? Think about what you saw in the last video. Another good place to start is by thinking about what you like about the work you are doing now or have done in the past.
The activity sheet below gives you a range of things that people enjoy about work. Some of these were mentioned in the video. You will find the activity sheet useful in helping you to think about the things that are important to you.
In Section 5, you will do an activity to plan your career.
5. Planning your career
Below are three steps for making a plan for developing your career. There is also a simple career planning guide, which you can download and complete.
Career planning steps
Step 1 – Reflection
Think back on what you have completed so far.
In Section 2, you thought about how your life has developed so far and how this has influenced your career or the kind of career you want.
In Section 3, you thought about the life–work balance you need to achieve.
In Section 4, you thought about the kind of work you enjoy and what your interests are.
Put all these thoughts together and ask yourself: what would you like to be doing in two years’ time?
Step 2 – Prepare a plan for your career.
Use our simple career planning guide to put together your own plan which will help you to achieve the goal/s you set in step 1.
The plan requires you to write a date, a career goal, why your chosen career is right for you, steps to take to achieve your career goal, and dates to look back at the plan and see how much you have achieved.
Step 3 – Now move forward!
Take your first step towards achieving your career goal as soon as possible, today if you can. Best of luck!
Summary
Congratulations on reaching the end of the course!
Now have a go at the quiz, which you need to do to get the digital badge.
We wish you all the very best for the future!
End-of-course quiz
In this short quiz, you will review what you have learned about life and career planning. It tests your understanding of the course and counts towards your badge. You must get a score of at least 50% to qualify for the badge.
- If you get less than 50%, you will need to do the quiz again if you want to earn your badge.
- There is no limit to the number of attempts at the whole quiz. If you are not successful after consecutive attempts, you can return at a later time to complete the quiz and claim your digital badge
When you have finished the quiz, click on ‘Finish attempt’ to review your ‘Summary of attempt’. Once you are happy with your answers, click ‘Submit all and finish’.
You need to enrol in this course before you can attempt this quiz.
Acknowledgements
Some of the material used to produce this course has been inspired by the 8-week The Open University course Succeed in the Workplace (https://www.open.edu/ openlearn/ education-development/ succeed-the-workplace/ content-section-overview?active-tab=description-tab) and the Career Planning and Job-Seeking Workbook, produced by The Open University Careers Service.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to the production of this course. Particular thanks go to the women who gave up their time to participate in the filming, and to staff from the following organisations who, in difficult Covid-restricted circumstances, alongside the demands of their day jobs and with only remote support, turned into film-makers over the five months of the project and delivered the footage for the course:
Real Futures in Australia
MINPROFF in Cameroon
INFOCAP in Chile
PRADAN in India
AWO and ANHRE in Jordan
Cemex, ProSociedad and ProMéxico in Mexico.
We gratefully acknowledge the support of Servicios Creativos CVA Limitada in the production of the videos in Chile. Thanks also to staff in the UN Women country offices in Australia, Cameroon, Chile, India, Jordan and Mexico for their input and support, and to the SCE global team in UN Women Geneva.
We also acknowledge the commitment and expertise of the Cobra Collective’s participatory video facilitators, Claudia Nuzzo and Luca Rea, who contributed so much more to this project than the videos alone.
Videos
Scripted by: The Open University in collaboration with Cobra Collective, Real Futures, MINPROFF, INFOCAP, PRADAN, AWO, ANHRE, Cemex, ProMéxico, ProSociedad
Filmed by: Australia: Renee Hawkins, Nakoa Pitt, Karen Taylor, Jaymie-Lea Thaidy, Oneeva Tuuhetoka (Real Futures); Cameroon: Josephine Awounfac, Magoumaz Benjamen, Yollande Djoulde, Cha Nyincho Jevis, Serge Nyankoue (MINPROFF); Chile: Servicios Creativos CVA Limitada. India: Arindom Dutta, Amit Thakur (PRADAN); Jordan: Tasneem Al-Homouze, Tamara Al-Omari, Suhaib Khamaiseh, Fotouh Younes (AWO and ANHRE); Mexico: Michelle Franco and Estefania Sánchez (Cemex and ProSociedad). Additional B-roll footage from India accessed from short films that focused on individual journeys of Second Chance Education (SCE) participants and beneficiaries from India. Footage Courtesy: UN Women's ongoing Second Chance Education and Vocational Learning (SCE) Programme in India.
Edited by: Claudia Nuzzo, Luca Francesco Rea and Caterina Marotta (Cobra Collective)
Editing assistant - French language: Antonietta Esposito
Editing assistant - Arabic language: Manaa Boutheina
Executive production and direction by: Claudia Nuzzo and Luca Francesco Rea (Cobra Collective)
Participants: Australia: Joselyn Andersons, Kelly Bradshaw, Shaina Donavan, Brianna Dunn, Gabbi Edwards, Joseph Haunga, Selafusi Haunga, Elaine Hickey, Tammy Hickey, Daniel Jopp, Mick Mundine, Darian Preece, Mackenzie Stone, Ana Toseni, Debra Toseni, Alisi Tutuila, Ashleigh Warrington; Cameroon: Fadimatou Damdam Alioum, Waidoma Adele, Hawa Adoulai, Abba Saidou Mariam Ahmet, Adoularma Alioum, Hanatou Alioum, Nadja Alioum, Dabagai Anne Marie, Missodi Cecile Antoinette, Kade Ariane, Aissatou Asta, Nguizaye Bernadette, Mairamou Yaya Bouba, Fanta Boubakary, Ndege Celine, Yamagai Colletté, Hawa Dali, Mairamou Dali, Ramatou Daranda, Kodji Dian, Wadia Eleine, Goizam Esther, Gotchek Fabyiola, Yapang Christelle Falone, Hadja Fanna, Faouzia, Massa Flonrge, Haidamai Francoise, Nguizaya Francoise, Fanta Furka, Aicha Hamadou, Matassai Jacqueline, Douwalay Jenevieve, Ndoh Celestin Joanis, Haniaou Pissang Keller, Aissatou Kodji, Bissa Mvondo Sylvie Laure, Tagaya Louise, Nganawa Maiceline, Douvgai Marceline, Djanabou Matakwan, Agnes Adjeuh Mbane, Josephine Carine Bondong Mvondo, Adjimi Ndanga Nathalie, Rita Ebude Ayeba Ngole, Lady Diane Noeline, Azam Veronique Rolande, Bazzama Romanie, Hecheme Ruthe, Halimatou Sadia, Abba Saidon, Salamatou Souleymanou, Goedjek Veronique, Kadina Kabaria Vincent, Djenabou Matakwan Violette, Soukainatou Yaya, Christelle Jeanette Zambo Eloundou, Zambo Luc, Zambo Philippe, Zambo Princesse, Djanabou Zel; Chile: Belén Aguilera, Sofía Guzmán, Eugenia Pennacchio, Nohemí Alcamán, Florence Alssaint, Claudia Cornejo, Manuela Ferrer, Hortensia Flores, Úrsula Galvez, Sofía Gallardo Garrido, Thaís González, Lidua Guala, María Landaeta Guerra, Jeanette Salazar, Belkis Vásquez, Constanza Pedraza Vásquez. India: Anuradha Kumari, Sumin Kumari, Begam Munsabi; Jordan: Belqis Rawashdeh, Doa’a Al-Awabdeh, Huda Al-Hakeem, Iman Al-Qrarrah, Islam Al-Faqra, Rawan Al-Marafi, Rawan Sabbah, Asia Al-Hawamleh, Bushra Al-Khamaiseh, Asma Al-Qrarrah, Bayan Al-Qrarrah, Rayan Al Domaghah, Muntaha Al-Amreyin, Anfal Al-Drous, Samar Al-Awabdeh, Samah Al-Awabdeh, Reema Al-Qatameen, Fatima Al-Qatameen, Rawan Sabbah; Mexico: Angélica González, Bertha Anaya, Livier Berenice, Astrid Castolo, Alicia Correa, Claudia Figueroa, Lidia Garcia, Teresa Gutiérrez, Laura Elena Gonzalez Lopez, Griselda Martínez, Mariela Mendoza, Ana Montes.
Music by: https://www.bensound.com/ licensing
Images:
UN Women
Welcome: UN Women / Priya Naresh and Aniket Kolarkar
Activity sheets: The Open University