Choosing Your Career
Posted on 2007/05/09 15:55
Any choice of career can only be described as an “optimal choice”- the best choice that you could make at that stage with the information that you had available and your circumstances. In order to make an effective career decision today, you need to:
1. Know your skills, interests and values
2. Investigate which options are available and how they relate to different careers
3. Think about how you make decisions and also reflect on how the decisions you have made so far influenced your life, and
4. Be willing to seek help if you feel that you need either to extend, or shorten your list of options
Self Evaluation
The first step in developing career goals is to assess your own personal characteristics- your skills and interests, your likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. You can then match your profile to a specific job or career goal. You may also want to identify aspects of your present and past jobs (if you worked before) that will assist you determine your career goals such as:
* Skills that are required
* Aspects of the previous jobs you liked and disliked
* Skills you have developed through education, jobs, hobbies, volunteer work and so forth.
* Training you have had that can be applied to future jobs
* Specific areas of your performance appraisals that have been rated above or below satisfactory
* Your willingness to relocate or work other than a normal work shift
* Personal time and effort you are willing to commit to preparing for career developing
Career Exploration
Once you have determined you skills, strengths and interests, you can now use various tools to explore and identify the career areas that fit well with your personal profile.People in the fields that interest you can be very instrumental. The best way to research about a career field that interest you is to network with people who are working in that field. Most people are keen to talk about the kind of work they do, and can provide you with a more realistic description of what the job is like.
Your Career Growth Plan
It is important that you craft your own career goals and objectives, since you are the only person knowing what career or job environment interests you. Even though developing this plan is your accountability, you must enlist the guidance and assistance of other people.
Setting Your Career Goal
When you set a career goal, you must take into account your skills and interests, your likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. Your goal should be represent what you ultimately hope to achieve. You career goal may include a job that you are already qualified for as well a job that you would like to qualify for in the prospective future. However, bear in mind that your career goal should be realistic and achievable through your ongoing personal growth and developmental efforts in the industry.
Developing a Plan of Action
Develop a plan of activities to attain your career objective. Think of this plan as a step-by-step statement of specific activities needed to reach your goal in the order in which they should be completed.
For further information:
http://www.iccweb.com/jhunt/jhunt2.htm
http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.aspCmd=ViewContent&ContentID=15136
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/jobsearchhelp/a/10tips.htm
I know which career I wish to follow, but I am not sure which qualifications would be suitable?
Some occupations require specific qualifications (for example, to become a doctor you need a medical degree). Other occupations do not need any specific qualifications, but studies in a certain field would best equip you for work in these fields.
Informational interviewing is a technique that you could use to find out information regarding occupation and/ or career
For further information on informational interviewing:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&Contentid=15705
1. Know your skills, interests and values
2. Investigate which options are available and how they relate to different careers
3. Think about how you make decisions and also reflect on how the decisions you have made so far influenced your life, and
4. Be willing to seek help if you feel that you need either to extend, or shorten your list of options
Self Evaluation
The first step in developing career goals is to assess your own personal characteristics- your skills and interests, your likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. You can then match your profile to a specific job or career goal. You may also want to identify aspects of your present and past jobs (if you worked before) that will assist you determine your career goals such as:
* Skills that are required
* Aspects of the previous jobs you liked and disliked
* Skills you have developed through education, jobs, hobbies, volunteer work and so forth.
* Training you have had that can be applied to future jobs
* Specific areas of your performance appraisals that have been rated above or below satisfactory
* Your willingness to relocate or work other than a normal work shift
* Personal time and effort you are willing to commit to preparing for career developing
Career Exploration
Once you have determined you skills, strengths and interests, you can now use various tools to explore and identify the career areas that fit well with your personal profile.People in the fields that interest you can be very instrumental. The best way to research about a career field that interest you is to network with people who are working in that field. Most people are keen to talk about the kind of work they do, and can provide you with a more realistic description of what the job is like.
Your Career Growth Plan
It is important that you craft your own career goals and objectives, since you are the only person knowing what career or job environment interests you. Even though developing this plan is your accountability, you must enlist the guidance and assistance of other people.
Setting Your Career Goal
When you set a career goal, you must take into account your skills and interests, your likes and dislikes, and your strengths and weaknesses. Your goal should be represent what you ultimately hope to achieve. You career goal may include a job that you are already qualified for as well a job that you would like to qualify for in the prospective future. However, bear in mind that your career goal should be realistic and achievable through your ongoing personal growth and developmental efforts in the industry.
Developing a Plan of Action
Develop a plan of activities to attain your career objective. Think of this plan as a step-by-step statement of specific activities needed to reach your goal in the order in which they should be completed.
For further information:
http://www.iccweb.com/jhunt/jhunt2.htm
http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.aspCmd=ViewContent&ContentID=15136
http://jobsearch.about.com/cs/jobsearchhelp/a/10tips.htm
I know which career I wish to follow, but I am not sure which qualifications would be suitable?
Some occupations require specific qualifications (for example, to become a doctor you need a medical degree). Other occupations do not need any specific qualifications, but studies in a certain field would best equip you for work in these fields.
Informational interviewing is a technique that you could use to find out information regarding occupation and/ or career
For further information on informational interviewing:
http://www.unisa.ac.za/default.asp?Cmd=ViewContent&Contentid=15705
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