How to choose a career

ambikajha

Jun 30

To select the right career path, it's important to first assess one's skills and interests keeping in mind what you enjoy, what you are good at, what kind of personality you are and the values you hold. After taking a good look at yourself it becomes easier for you to decide on the direction you wish to take. Finding out what kinds of occupations there are would be the natural next step. The world offers a plethora of opportunities. Once the decision is made regarding one's choice of career it is important to develop a career plan. Information about the kind of training, education and skills needed to achieve the career goal can be easily gathered with some assistance. Speaking to career advisers and recruitment specialists and employers are all ways to find out job market information. It would also do well to check out resources on the internet and in career centers. There are plenty of books that can provide useful information on choosing a career. These often help to get one thinking about the issues one needs to consider. Obtaining marketable skills like computer skills(eg, programming, word processing, spreadsheets, database management, e-mail, internet), quantitative skills(eg, accounting, statistics, economics), communication skills(eg, oral and written), marketing/selling skills(eg, sales/publicity, fundraising), scientific skills(eg, lab skills, scientific research), foreign language skills(eg, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese), leadership skills(eg, supervisory, extracurricular, leadership roles, teamwork/team leader) can be considered in this category. Parents play a vital role in preparing their child to make a sound career decision. Several studies indicate that parents are ranked as the number one influence over their child's career choices. With the vast majority of choices and opportunities available today it certainly does make it difficult for students to decide on the best career to follow. As a parent one would do well to leave the final decision to the child. Of course one may mention factors to be considered such as, job market demand, salary ranges, long-term opportunities, skills required. When one comes to making the decision about which career to embark upon these would be some of the issues to be reflected upon. The career is not just for himself but also his family, community and his country. Various factors to be considered are whether the job in question is appealing, interesting, satisfying-emotionally and financially and whether i`t can contribute substantially to his general wellbeing. One would also do well to introspect upon one's competence level, weaknesses and strengths in the backdrop of a highly competitive milieu and the pressures and demands of the chosen career. One can gain knowledge by attending career exhibitions and talking to people in one's area of interest. Some jobs and careers may appear to be more attractive than others. However these prestigious jobs may not be an ideal choice. Counseling may be sought from qualified counselors on various career choices suitable to one's aptitude. A career which is compatible with one's interest and aptitude should also provide one with a comfortable living. Dead-end careers should be avoided at all costs. One should ferret out information about the different career choices available that have good future prospects. Therefore in order to be fully satisfied in one's workplace the field work starts right from the school days. While choosing subjects make sure that they are going to be helpful in shaping one's future. Schools and colleges unfortunately rarely afford an opportunity to show one what the work world is like. One has to take initiative to explore it oneself. Most students try out careers by shadowing, taking internships or part-time jobs. This is extremely useful in deciding finally whether this is where they want to be. The process of integrating the information one collects about oneself and career options can certainly be a challenge. Once you've identified your strong preferences you will be able to strike off from your list of jobs which seem uninteresting to you. Whatever it is that you learn about yourself, remember that you are making important discoveries that will help you choose the right career when the time comes.