A career is the accumulation of your professional experiences. Many people start a profession because they believe it will help them reach their goals, such as gaining more knowledge and experience, taking on more responsibility, or earning greater pay.
However, finding the right career for you takes time and your career will change throughout your working life. As your interests, motivations, and needs change, you may find yourself changing roles or industries.
According to one US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) survey, people born between 1957 and 1964 worked an average of 12.4 jobs between the ages of 18 and 54. According to data from a different 2020 poll, people currently stay in each occupation for about four years. These facts, together with the rise of automation, gig work, and even underemployment, show that jobs vary with time.
We’ve prepared four ideas to get you thinking about your greatest job alternatives. These are tools and questions designed to help you arrange your thought process to evaluate which jobs would suit you best—and help you reach your goals.
Because the average person spends roughly one-third of their life at work, it’s no surprise that many people want to find a job that is a good fit for them. Choosing a career first requires you to learn as much as possible about yourself, your ambitions, and the greater environment of employment. Use the items below to help you get started.
- Identify your skill & Interest
Choosing a career is an important decision. You’ll spend a major amount of your life at work, so make good career choices if you want to enjoy your job, stay engaged, and reach your full potential.
You must first understand yourself. This entails examining your talents as well as your interests and values. It’s critical to understand your variety of talents and knowledge so you can determine whether they’re a suitable fit for the career you want to undertake. Being aware of your skills allows you to identify any gaps that may need to be filled to attain your goals.
Make a list of all your transferable and special talents, along with examples of when you’ve proven them. An honest appraisal of your talents, values, and interests can help you limit your alternatives in the next step. You can also evaluate how you compare to the abilities that employers are seeking.
- Think about your long-term goal
Make a list of your long-term personal and professional goals to assist you understand what it will take to achieve them.
Your list might also help you approach a job search more specifically. For example, if you wish to work in the same business in ten years, research which industries are expected to develop over the next decade and which to avoid due to increased automation or other considerations.
- Make a decision
You are now ready to make decisions. Combine your knowledge of yourself with your knowledge of your possibilities and the graduate employment market.
If you’re having trouble coming to a choice, there are a few exercises you may attempt to help you out. Listing the benefits and drawbacks of a given job or vocation is frequently beneficial, as is conducting a personal SWOT analysis:
- Strengths – What talents, attributes, credentials, and connections do you have that no one else does? What distinguishes you?
- Weaknesses – Where could you make improvements? Do you lack any talents that prevent you from flourishing in the role you want to pursue?
- Opportunity – Are there new opportunities in your industry? Could you profit from your competitors’ mistakes or market gaps?
- Threats – Could your vulnerabilities impede your advancement at work? Is there anything else that could stymie your growth, such as technological advancements?
- Explore Industries
Along with sectors, researching various industries may assist you in identifying a few that may be a good fit. Look at existing industries to see if any appear worth further investigation. Common industries in the United States include energy, consumer products, and media and entertainment. Make a list of any that sound interesting and do more study to learn about important responsibilities, career paths, and predicted growth.
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Writer,
Mobina Mostary
Intern, Content Writing Department
YSSE