Career choices have become more difficult today than at any other time in all of man’s history; and this may very well be attributed to a few obvious reasons. Firstly, there are infinitely more options to choose from; then, career descriptions are changing and becoming more flexible. And of course, the level of expectation in various careers is constantly rising. Many young people however, think they know the right way to go about choosing a career or occupation; but more often than not, they end up choosing one that is totally inappropriate and most unsatisfying. You muyou on. Your values are the emotional anchor of all you do. So begin your career choices by sorting out your values, and writing them down a s clearly and as succinctly as you can. You’d need to refer to them sometime or another. Then, identify your skills and talents: a skill is something you’ve learned to do; a talent is something you have been born with, or that you seem naturally endowed to do. You are more apt to enjoy doing what you do well naturally than what you have simply been taught to do. Try experimenting: the more the experience, the better. If you are committed about a certain career, you may consider volunteering in some way in that area in order to gain some work experience. And that way, you’d be able to test whether it fits your values and preferences. Identify your preferences: do you regard yourself as highly intuitive, creative or innovative? Are you outgoing or reserved? When faced with a decision, do you rely primarily on facts or feelings? Do you love team work or you’d rather work alone? Your answers to these questions can tell you much about the kinds of work you will find interesting and challenging. Become vastly literate and knowledgeable: there’s an incredible pressure in today’s world to know more and more about less and less. Be careful about that lest you become immensely obsolete. Learn as much as you can about what interests you and about the jobs and careers you might be considering. More so, dig deeper and learn, not just the status quo, but where the profession or industry of your interest is headed. And finally, some interesting myth busters to keep in mind on your quest of choosing a life-long career: Myth #1 choosing a career is simple. All I have to do is pick one, and everything will fall in place. Not really. It’s an all involving process, and you must give it the time it deserves. Making an informed decision will require learning about yourself and about the occupations you are considering. And more so, you’d need a career action plan that will take you from choosing a career to becoming employed in that field, and ultimately lead to fulfilling your long term goals in it. Myth #2 I can’t make a living from my hobby. Who says? If you so desire, you can very well choose a career that is linked to what you love doing in your spare time like writing, painting, singing and even fishing; and make a huge success of it. Myth #3 a career counselor can tell me what occupation to pick Although a career counselor may be of benefit to guide and facilitate your decision, the real choice depends on so much that’s got to do with you. Don’t try to pass the buck; the responsibility of making the choice is actually yours in the end. Myth #3 if mum or dad (an uncle, sibling or even my best friend) is happy in a particular field Chances are that I will be too. Come on now! You can’t to leave your future to chance. Remember, everyone is different. If someone you know has a career that interests you, check it out. But you need to realize it may not work for you the same way it did that other person. So seek out your unique path, and walk in it. Myth #4 making a lot of money in my career will make me happy. Not always so. Money, an important factor as it is, doesn’t always lead to job satisfaction. Enjoying what you do at work may be of even greater importance in being satisfied, and therefore worthy of deep consideration in choosing one’s career. Myth #5 my skills will waste if I change careers That’s absolutely untrue. Your skills are yours to keep. As you move, you take them with you. Most often you’d be using them on your new job, perhaps not in the exact same way as before. But they will sure come in handy; and will hardly waste Myth #6 I should choose a career from a ‘Best careers list’ Be careful with that. It may not hurt to look at those lists to see if any of the careers appeal to you; however, it shouldn’t dictate you choice. The outlook of an occupation may be good; but doesn’t mean it’s the right one for you. Your interests, values and skills must be high on your list of priority factors. Myth #7 I have to work in that occupation to learn something of it. Of course not. There are lots of other ways to explore an occupation aside of first hand experience. Try reading a book about it, surfing the net or perhaps chatting with folks already working the job. And you’d be utterly amazed at what you will find.
Posted on: Sat, 01 Jun 2013 10:51:11 +0000
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