Choosing the right career
Do you know what the right career is for you? Recent research revealed that 60 per cent of us would, given another crack at the whip, choose a different career from the one we're in now.
With clear thinking and the right help, you can find the right career for you.
Know yourself
The first step to discovering the right career for you is to get to know yourself. We're not talking joss-sticks and yoga here, but you need to know what motivates you in order to decide what you want to do. Make lists of:
- Your values
- Your strengths and weaknesses
- Your likes and dislikes
- Your practical concerns
Your values are the things that make you really tick. They may be family, home life, possessions, personal security, morals; basically the things that make you the person you are.
Your strengths and weaknesses are straightforward. What are you good at? And what do you struggle with?
Your likes and dislikes relate to your current job, if you're working, or perhaps your course if you're still studying. What is it that you really enjoy and which bits do you find annoying? You may write this list and realise that it's not a new career you need, just new colleagues and a new employer!
Your practical concerns would include:
- Are you willing to retrain?
- Can you afford a pay cut?
- Are you happy to move location for a new job?
- Do you want to work indoors or outdoors?
- Do you want to work on your own or as part of a team?
- Do you want a desk job or some sort of manual work?
These will all have a bearing on the career you choose.
The information you gather here will help focus your mind towards thinking about where it is you really want to be and what sort of role or career will take you there.
Finding the job that fits
Life coach Fiona Harrold offers some advice: "You have to ask yourself one question - what would I do if money wasn't an issue?"
Draw up a shortlist of jobs that interest you and research them thoroughly. This would typically include:
- Speaking to people already employed in the field
- Gaining work experience or volunteering in the sector
- Researching companies
- Talking to recruitment consultants - they have a wealth of information and experience at their fingertips
Compare this information against what you've found out about yourself, and see which jobs cross over.
Test drive the job
Try to get work experience before you take the leap - there's nothing worse than getting your dream job only to find out that the reality is a nightmare.
Tony gave up his office job to become a police officer: "My job was dull and I wanted some excitement and to do something more worthwhile. However, it was a complete disappointment as I just wasn't suited to being a PC at all. I found it just wasn't 'me'. I went back to working in an office and was much happier."
If work experience isn't available, try volunteering - or, in Tony's case, he could have become a special constable and done police work without having to give up his job.
Don't be afraid to experiment
For some of us, there are a number of career paths which 'fit' and make us happy. There's actually nothing wrong with experimenting with a number of careers and there's no failure in returning to an old career path.
Lee loved his job at a futures trading company in the City, but went back to carpentry after job cuts in the Nineties: "I'd been a carpenter originally, but I'd always been good with numbers. I met a guy who worked in the City and that led to me getting a position with a futures trading company. I had a great time, earned good money and drove a sports car. But when it all ended I went back to carpentry and I'm as happy with that as I was in the City - but I'm glad I gave something new a go."
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