Process of Choosing a Career
Whether you are making a career change or trying to embark on your very first career, making a final choice on employment isn't always a simple and quick process. The career path you settle on is a long-term commitment, so it's important to take the selection process very seriously. It may help to approach the process like you would if you were trying to start your very own business.
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Identify Your Skills
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The first step in the process of choosing a career is to identify all of your skills and talents. List everything from specific skills you have acquired through training to hobbies, like making things with your hands. It's also important to figure out your transferable skills. Transferable skills may not directly apply to the career you decide to pursue, but can add value to an organization. For example, if you worked at a retail store in the past, you may have sales skills that could start a new career in the real estate sales field. Order your list so that your strongest skills are listed first.
Narrow Down an Industry
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Once you have a list of your skills and talents, start brainstorming industries in which you would like to work. Examples of industries include computers, car manufacturing, food and clean energy production. Try to select industries that you are familiar with either from experience or background. For example, if you come from a family of fishermen, you might want to consider entering the fishing industry. Narrow down your list of potential industries to three to five possibilities and try to match them with your list of skills to identify specific careers within each industry for which you are suited.
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Investigate Training Requirements
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The next step of selecting a career path is to start investigating the required training you'll need in order to enter the various career choices you selected. For example, if you have sales skills and decide that the car manufacturing industry is an ideal choice, you will want to strive for a general sales manager position at a car manufacturing firm. In order to get this type of position, you may need a college degree in business or a similar subject.
Seek an Apprenticeship or Internship
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The career choices you brainstormed may seem ideal on paper, but you don't truly know whether a job is right for you until you have experienced it. Seek an apprenticeship or internship program in the field. After experiencing the career first-hand, you can make an educated decision on whether it is the right choice for you. If it isn't, move on to the next idea on your list until you find a career that you enjoy and that meets your requirements.
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