How to Decide Which Career is Right for You, Part II
When you're trying to find the career that's right for you
, there are a number of factors to consider, including personal interests, lifestyle choices, and geographic locations.
Once you've got an idea of the career (or careers) you're interested in pursuing, it's time to take the next step: getting more information. Before you invest thousands of dollars into the degree or training you need to get started, you need to make sure it's what you really want to do. Here's how.
Speak with a ProfessionalSometimes the best way to get information about a career or industry is straight from the horse's mouth. Speaking with a career professional can give you valuable insight into your future career, including the training you'll need, the challenges you'll face, and the rewards you can expect at the end of the day.
Talking with a professional can be a great way to make contacts and start networking, too. If you're looking to intern, volunteer, or start working, they may be able to introduce you to future employers.
Find an Internship
Everyone has heard the story about the student who spent 8 years in medical school, only to find out he hated being a doctor. Don't be that guy (or girl). If there's a career you think you'd be interested in pursuing, see if you can land an internship with an accredited professional, or at least somewhere within your field of interest.
Serving as an intern will give you the exposure you need to find out if you can handle the stress that goes with being a doctor, the hours of reading and research that is part of being a paralegal, and the patience that's required of elementary school teachers.
Go to the Library
Now that you know you what career you want to pursue, it's time to find out what your training or degree program is going to entail. There are plenty of careers out there that sound exciting (and are exciting), but before you get to the exciting part, there's a lot of intense studying that takes place first.
Take a veterinary technician career, for example. If you love animals, this probably sounds like a great fit for you. But in addition to being comfortable around Fido and Spot, you'll also need to be ready to study biology, microbiology, and chemistry. And if it's been awhile since the last time you reduced a chemical equation, you might want to prepare yourself.
Our suggestion? Look up the courses you're going to be taking online, and then take a peek at the textbooks (which can be found at your local library) you'll be reading for the next few months. If there's a subject you're going to have to study that you're not familiar with (or that you don't remember), you may want to take a refresher course before you start your degree program.
Volunteer
Another great way to test drive a potential career is to volunteer in the industry you're considering. Let's say you're thinking about become a doctor, nurse, or home health aide. While you obviously can't volunteer to be a doctor for a day, but you can volunteer at a hospital, nursing home, or other health care facility. Volunteering will give you a sense of the sights, sounds and stresses that you'll be dealing with in the healthcare industry every day.
In addition, volunteering can be done on your own time, so you can continue to go to school or work (or both). The experience you get will give you insight into your future field, and has the added bonus of looking great on a resume.
How to Decide Which Career is Right for You, Part II
By: Noel Rozny
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