PCS: How to Choose a Career (Part 1)

What exactly is the perfect job”?

Is it one that’s so enjoyable, so intellectually challenging you’re eager to get to the office each day?

Is it one that pays so well you can easily afford to buy more than just the basic necessities of life?

Or is it one that offers the kind of personal fulfillment that only comes from helping others?

If you’re choosing a career, these are questions you’re probably giving a lot of thought to right now. And for good reason — so profound a life decision can hardly be made without realistically evaluating your particular interests, needs and desires. The world is full of unhappy people who have come to recognize, — five, ten or even fifteen years down the professional road — that they chose the wrong career path when they were first starting out. If you’re not certain where your interests lie or what kind of work will bring you a high level of job satisfaction, think about consulting a career counselor who can help you with the self-assessment component of career planning. The next step — investigating the world of work — is up to you.

Say for example you’ve determined that you would like a people-centered career as opposed to one that is technology – oriented. Occupations that meet that particular criterion certainly abound: How do you find out what they are? How do you know you’re choosing the right one? How do you learn about the particular skills, duties and responsibilities an occupation requires? How do you find out about its average pay range, working conditions, future job outlook and advancement opportunities?

That’s where research comes in.

Career information surrounds us every day, everywhere. Every magazine and newspaper you read, every person you meet can be a source of information. Just reading the employment want-ads is a great way to learn about occupational options and potential employers. Libraries offer a wealth of career-related material, while the Internet presents up-to-date job information .Volunteering and job “shadowing” enable you to gain hands-on experience in a particular industry as well as valuable contacts that may prove helpful later on.

Perhaps the best way to determine if a certain field or career is right for you is through “informational interviews”.