With the abundance of career options around, high school students, graduates and even professionals are still at crossroads. Finding a suitable and fulfilling job can be challenging.
When you make such life decisions like which school to enrol for, which entry-level work is correct for you, whether to get a post-graduate degree or advanced qualification and more, it is necessary to focus on your passions, abilities and career aspirations. It can take weeks, months or even years to choose a future career.
So, we have come up with a few tips that can assist you in the process of decision-making. One must keep an open mind and be willing to put in whatever it takes to excel.
1. Take note of your interests
You can have desires that contribute itself to distinct occupations, based on your personality. To recognise your strengths, evaluate your hobbies, previous volunteer roles and aspirations. Although this data is independent of a formal setting, you can concentrate on a job quest by building a list of things you want. For instance, if you like logic challenges, you may join a cybersecurity profession, or if you like socialising, you may appreciate a travelling sales job. Use the experience to register for internships or volunteer activities to discover new career paths. You will assess your appropriateness for a profession through this first-hand exposure.
2. Compare job requirements for your education
Several jobs and professions have particular educational specifications for entrants and new hires, such as acquiring a high school degree, having an undergraduate degree or a masters degree. Some jobs also demand job seekers to have some relevant experience. Check the academic criteria for jobs you are keen in and apply for positions that compare it to your highest level of education. Determine the extra qualifications or certifications that you will need to study.
3. The attitude you have towards work
Before you move in and make a career transition, you must know yourself inside-out. For a successful career, a positive attitude towards work is important. You will need to know how you feel about various job opportunities and your commitment to them. Be self-motivated to start recognising stress as an aspect of your career movements.One must always enter work with a positive attitude which will avoid all the demotivation you feel during the obstacles in your work.
4. Make a five year or ten-year plan
Consider setting milestones for your career until you have narrowed down your options. Understand where other individuals in your profession are in their career at five or ten years of age and their work descriptions. At these possible points, determine what title or advances you would like to have. Then explore what you can do to accomplish those objectives. You may also need to attend training programmes, assume special duties or hold essential roles.
You can prepare based on what development you can expect next year by setting career goals for five or ten years down the road.
5. Make a career plan of action
Put together such a career plan of action, note-takers detailing all the steps to accomplish your objectives that you will have to take. Make a blueprint that takes you to C and D from point A to B, then. Jot down both your short-and long-term goals and the steps to achieve every one you would have to take. Also, take the premises into consideration that might get in your way of attaining the objectives and how you can resolve them.
This may seem like, and it is, a great deal of work. But forging a career choice is much easier when you decide what you want. In the coming years, taking these steps early on would save you a lot of conflict and confusion.
6. Using MVPs to validate possibilities cheaply
MVP refers to a viable minimum commodity. It is a widely used term in Silicon Valley. Making MVPs is a way for companies to evaluate and verify their product concepts before investing too much in anything that does not meet the requirements of the market. The goal is to create a test that legitimises whether customers are purchasing a product or service as efficiently as possible.
In about the same way, we need to use an MVP model to find out if a career with as little work and exertion as possible is matched to our aspirations and lifestyle.
7. Get training to update your resume
You will need to decide whether you need further training or qualifications once you have shortened your list down to one or two additional career choices. Though some employers are prepared to have on-the-job training, others may be searching for employees that already have their specifications. Cautiously check the work posting for information regarding a particular job. Pay close attention to the ‘Criteria’ and “Educational and Skill” pages. Edit your portfolio to represent your specific capabilities and talents once you’ve decided that you are eligible for this future career.
8. Scholastic considerations
Some occupations call for training unique to the industry. To get to know the requirements of a specific position, you have to enrol for training and growth courses. Any job comes with a collection of different commitments and levels of experience, through on-the-job training programmes, you can fill the gap between expertise and capacity.
9. Keep in mind your salary requirements
You can need a certain amount of salary based on your lifestyle. Check online for average salaries by job role, business and place. It can be a great starting point to decide how much CTC you can expect, as well as your earning potential until a certain length of time and knowledge has been acquired. Although pay does not equal an exciting, rewarding work, when designing your career choice, it is a significant factor to consider.
10. Analyse your skills
Because each individual is special in their way, you might be gifted with abilities which need to be unleashed. When recognised, a special talent in you can help you select the right career choice in line, with what you are doing best. There must never, then, be a restriction that can limit you or your opportunities.