ABSTRACT
This chapter takes a pragmatic look at career exploration, the driving force of the model. It identifies the underlying principles of career exploration, discusses self- and environmental exploration activities, provides the reader with opportunities to participate in career exploration activities, and offers guidelines for successful career exploration. The chapter discusses the goals of self-exploration and highlights three steps that are central to effective self-exploration: collecting data, organizing the data into consistent themes, and developing an understanding of the authors "preferred work environment." Career planning programs encourage individuals to examine their values carefully. People can learn about their values by analyzing their life history, identifying the kinds of career decisions they have made, and examining the reasons behind these decisions. One's basic personality is another area of self-exploration that can influence career choices. A person's abilities are another significant component to be taken into account in career management.
