Career changes are a growing trend in the US student population. According to the US Department of Education, about 30 percent of associate’s and bachelor’s degree students change majors within three years of their initial enrollment.
Having a suitable profession means much more than a high salary. There are many ways to determine if a career is a right choice for you. This article will provide you with data, advice, and fundamental factors to choose a career path correctly.
How to Choose a Career Path in Nine Simple Steps
We have prepared a practical guide to help you select the right career for your professional goals. Pay attention and take note.
- Outline your Career Goals: Define what goals you want to achieve at each level you climb within your professional career.
- Create a 10-Year Plan: Think and project long term. Write your goals and strategies to improve your quality of work in the next decade.
- Discover your Personality Type: Determine how your personality fits with your occupation’s personal and professional profile.
- Review your Previous Experience: Analyze your experience and results obtained from previous jobs to find a similar alternative.
- Compare Job Requirements to your Education: You must ensure that your skills and knowledge level meet the parameters of the job offer.
- Take Note of your Interests: Passion is essential. Take a look at the career syllabus, content, and projects to determine your interests.
- Identify your Core Values: No profession or salary is more important than your core values. Stay focused on your professional ethics in any field.
- Consider your Salary Needs: Look for salary opportunities that can cover your family budget and offer you good savings and investment capacity.
Keys to Identify the Best Career Opportunity
On many occasions, hundreds of job offers and career opportunities circulate in academic publications or job seekers’ websites. However, not all of them will be suitable to achieve your professional goals. Take these four points into account to detect the right opportunity.
Online Research
Type “career suggestions” in Google search and find hundreds of blogs with many articles on the subject. Analyze the characteristics of each profession, its economic and market data, job outlook, and transferable skills.
Progression in Your Current Job/Career
Explore companies that offer many career growth opportunities. Check if a specific company has training programs, workshops, on-the-job training, among other educational benefits. Depending on the company, some offer opportunities such as enrollment in coding boot camps. Check the opinions of employees, partners, and former company members on company review platforms such as Glassdoor or Indeed.
Turn Your Hobby Into a Job
If you are passionate about your profession, you won’t see it as a job but a lifestyle. You can achieve a good To achieve a career path in something you’re passionate about, you already have experience with it. If you’re starting your own business, it’s a good idea to use social media to create a website and start marketing your services.
Consult your Inner Circle
Take advantage of your inner circle and gather information to serve as a guide. Ask your friends, mutual connections, and family members how they have achieved success in their professions. Check with them about their roles, strategies, and projects they work on in their jobs.
Facts about Career Change
According to an Indeed survey, 58 percent of workers are willing to take a pay cut to switch industries completely. In addition, the study notes that almost half of Americans have made a radical change in their career, such as from a marketing role to an engineering role, or from teaching to business.
Conclusion
The best way to find a career path with a high probability of professional growth is to carefully analyze and study each job. Determine the sector where you can have a high performance based on vocational tests and your previous knowledge. Follow the tips mentioned above for a successful career path.