Taking the Time to Reflect on Career Possibilities is an Important Step
Deciding what career you want to enter can be an intimidating prospect. If you are like many others, you'll likely be wondering whether or not you even know with all certainty what you want to do professionally.
Many people often find they ask themselves questions such as "What if I change my mind?" or "What happens if it turns out I'm not good at what I've chosen?"
These are valid questions and definitely ones to consider when determining what you want to choose as a career. Before you enter college and invest your time and financial resources into a degree program, it's a good idea to ask yourself several questions before taking this significant step.
A good place to start is to go back to the beginning and ask yourself the big question — what's the best career for me? Next is to break it down from there.
• Consider interests vs. skills
In order to find the best career match, ideally you want to choose a direction that equates to be a good mix of both your interest and skills.
For instance, there is no point in pursuing a computer science degree if you struggle with basic programming, do not enjoy calculations, and the idea of spending your day in front of a computer screen isn't appealing. Consequently, even if you are a wiz at mathematics, you may not enjoy it much, but instead may have a passion for art or photography.
Taking a career aptitude test can help you best identify what the best career matches are for you. Many school guidance departments offer these either automatically or on request. For individuals who might be returning to school, or for those have a need to change careers and aren't sure what direction to take, there arefree online career aptitude quizzes.
Additionally, many state labor departments may offer more formalized aptitude tests, theU.S. Dept. of Laboris a great resource.
• Opportunities in job market
After determining what you're good at, and would also enjoy, the next step is to see if the selected careers are in demand in the job market. As technology progresses, some jobs become obsolete while others become higher in demand. Markets are rarely static, however predicted trends can provide some level of stability in helping to pinpoint where future opportunities will lie.
The U.S.Bureau of Labor Statisticsissues its Occupational Outlook Handbook, and this is a useful tool to examine the job market and see where the current need is, and what industries the agency projects will offer employment opportunities in the future.
• Education
After you've examined all your options, the final step is choosing a college that is a good fit that will help you attain the knowledge and skills you'll need for your chosen career. Depending upon your chosen career, you may need additional education. Finding the right educational facility and degree program is the component that bridges dreams to realization of careers.
It is important to keep in mind, not all schools are created equal, taking the time to find the right college match that offers the right educational needs is an important step.
However, before you can take this step it is important to first try and narrow down and figure out what it is you want to do professionally. You don't want to waste your time and money on the wrong degree program. Examination and reflection of your skills, interests and opportunities will help you reach your ultimate destination in landing the type of employment you want.
Determining the right career path for you is not a decision that should be taken lightly. Ideally, the end choice should be a job that can be enjoyed, fulfills job market demands and meets your own financial needs. It is important not to weigh too much in any of these factors as you don't want to end up in a career that bores you or has short-term stability and security, however a good balance can lead to a fulfilling professional life.
