Thanks to technology, expanded educational opportunities and a competitive job market, students and college graduates have plenty of choices when it comes to career selection. All you have to do is narrow your interests to find the professional life best suited to your personality, ambition and goals. Here are some tips to get you moving in the right direction.
Know Your Options
Discover your options when it comes to the many careers offered by employers. An online career test can point to what jobs are best for your psyche and what you like the most. These tests base career selection on your responses to questions such as "Do you enjoy working with people or working alone?" At the end of the test, the website should have a list of relevant careers that you might find interesting. These tests may have dozens or even hundreds of questions.
Once you view the career selection choices at the conclusion of the test, it's up to you to conduct further research. Examine what it takes to obtain a good job with that career, such as college degrees, certifications, internships and years of experience. Your college career center has ways to develop a plan, put you in touch with the right people, and create your personal brand from the moment you step on campus.
Know Thyself
One of the inscriptions over the entrance to the Greek oracle at Delphi said "know thyself." This is most definitely true during your career selection process. Write down your strengths and play to them. Do you love solving math problems for hours, or would you rather spend your time taking care of children? Your natural talents and tendencies can point to an area of expertise that can land you an entry-level job and kick-start your career.
Online tests, much like a career test, can help you discover your top strengths. Counselors at a college career center may also help in this regard. Aside from these options, another good way to narrow your interests is to get to know the people who already have the job you want.
Know Other People
Your career selection might come down to having conversations with people in your chosen field. These people have firsthand information that you can't find in a textbook. Experienced people who have spent an entire career in one profession can tell you what it's like in ways a six-month internship simply can't. As an example, an experienced professional can tell you the difference between an IT job at a small startup with an office of 10 versus working for Google in a team of 100 and a company of thousands. Firsthand knowledge can be an extremely valuable tool when it comes to choosing a career, so come into the conversation armed with the right questions.
Career selection shouldn't be taken lightly, especially with the time and money invested in going to college. Make the right choice the first time by knowing your options, yourself and professionals in your field. It may take research on your part to start your vocational life, but it's well worth it. As the Chinese proverb says, choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Photo courtesy of xianrendujia at Flickr.com
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