VIJAY GARG
Internet accessibility in this age of information has solved many problems, made life simpler, faster and happier. Today, we have no dearth of information. Google has answers to every question and the search engine is a reliable and most trusted source of information and knowledge.
Apps have come up for almost everything and some are destined to be super success stories. What’s interesting is that earlier, we lacked career choices and medical, engineering or law were the only options, but today, the opportunities are endless. Multiple career options with innumerable colleges and courses have created confusion in choosing the most suitable career.
However, while choosing a career, you first need to assess yourself. Here, the major aspects of decision-making follow:
Self-assessment: Think about who you are, what you are good at and what you enjoy to do. This will help you choose career ideas that match your skills and interests.
Here are some useful questions and activities to explore: • What subjects did you enjoy studying in school and beyond? Why? Is it because you liked the teacher, or there’s something about that subject you could relate to?
What subjects have you done well at, and why?
If you had to pick a favourite out of words, numbers, visuals and physical activities, which would it be? Do you see yourself in a job where your top choice is a big part of what you do every day?
Useful self-assessment activities Take an online career personality test to find out more about your strengths. Also known as career aptitude tests or self-assessment tests, they help you make career choices based on your personal traits, or qualities.
Do a SWOT analysis. All you need is a pen, paper and a little honesty about yourself. This will show you your current strengths, weaknesses and threats to your goals and opportunities.
Next is, think about the most important life and work skills you already have and want to build on, Which skill comes easiest to you out of communication, self-management, self-belief, teamwork and problem solving? Every career needs these skills, but some more than others.
Once you have thought about your skills and interests, make a list of all the careers you think could be a good match, Remember, there are lots more careers that could be a good match that you haven’t thought of yet!
List the careers that interest you After self-assessment, you should be able to point out a list of careers to think about. It’s good to have a long list, with at least ten career choices.
Use the top choice of career to expand your list. There are also many career counsellors in the market who help you make the right choice. A short discussion could help you decide whether you like creative careers or science careers, for example.
Shortlist two to five career choices Next is narrowing down your list. Keep an open mind because there are several dream options to choose from. The best way to do this is by choosing careers that match your qualifications, or the qualifications you want to acquire over time.
Your top choices can feature similar qualifications and skills that could be useful in future. This will help to decide your course of study.
Short- and long-term goals The next step is to think about your achievable goals. Identify and list down all the steps you can take to achieve your goals and set yourself a time limit to achieve them. It could be anything from getting a particular grade or score in your exams, to doing research on a particular career option.
There are several paths to achieve your dream career and there are more than one dream careers. Your skills and interests could be a great match for several kinds of careers, some you might never have heard of What’s important is identifying a range of careers that excite you. |
