CHOOSING A SUITABLE CAREER
The decisions you make today will affect the opportunities you create for yourself tomorrow. There are an infinite number of choices which a person can make about their career path; and an infinite number of paths you can set yourself on.
- Some paths may take you to a desirable place; while others might not.
- Some paths are easier to get onto than others.
- The thing that many people do not appreciate is that most paths have many different entry points. It is often easier to jump from an undesirable path to a more desirable path than to get onto a desirable path when you are on no pathway at all.
The first and most important step in finding a satisfying career path is to get started in the workplace. Get a job, any job, as soon as you can. It doesn’t matter too much what your first job is. It might be delivering pizzas or newspapers, mowing lawns, washing cars or working in a fast food restaurant. It doesn’t even need to be paid. It can be a volunteer job. If you are studying at secondary school or university, still try to do some part time work at the same time. An education is always important, but the majority of people who study something will end up working in something different to what they studied. Even doing volunteer work or starting a small business while you are a student can have a major effect upon your prospects after you complete your studies. Experience and learning acquired through part time employment are often just as impressive to a future employer as the qualification you are studying. Either one without the other may put you in a less advantageous position in the future. Once you have a job keep looking for opportunities to improve your situation, whether in the existing job, or by moving on to something different. You will learn skills in every job you do, even if they are not skills you recognise at the time. As you progress through your career you will build on your skill set and develop new skills. Even if you change career you will often still be able to draw on skills you have developed in a different career, just in a different context. For example, if you start working in hospitality you will develop skills in customer service which can be applied to a job as a medical receptionist; if you start working as a journalist you may develop critical thinking skills that can be applied to a career in nursing; if you work as a teacher you may develop an understanding of children that can be applied to work as an occupational therapist.
THE BIG QUESTIONS
Do you know yourself?
Consider your personality, persistence, changeability, skills and talents, passion, susceptibility to stress; take stock and assess your own potential, realistically.
Do you know the industry?
Get to know what it takes to work in the sort of industry you are targeting. Make sure you understand the down side of that industry, and whether you are realistically suited to dealing with the down side. Do not fool yourself into thinking there is no down side. No job is perfect; and every industry has a down side.
Are your expectations and goals realistic?
Goals are things we set so that we attain a certain outcome – it is a checking system; we set a goal and when the time frame for that goal has elapsed, we check back to see what we have actually achieved - compared to what we wanted to achieve. Setting goals too high can result in disappointment for some – on the other hand some people thrive on achieving what may appear to be unrealistic goals.
A simple goal may be to ‘get a certain job’
– realistically you would need to ask yourself:
- Am I suited to this job i.e. do my skills suit the position and will I fit into the company culture?
- Am I suitably motivated to get and keep this job?
- Am I open minded and keen to learning new skills?
- Am I dependable? It's not difficult to get work; it's just sometimes difficult to get the type of work you want. Some people have very set ideas about the job they want, others are really undecided. The first step in getting a job is the same for both types. In fact anyone of any age, sex or level of skill needs to take the same first step:
The first step in getting a job is to develop a REALISTIC ATTITUDE! Realistic goals are based on a sound understanding of what constitutes a successful career for that individual, of one’s strengths and weakness and current marketplace trends, and of likely changes to which one must adapt. Because very few people begin in the same job they want to finish in, a career must be realistically seen as something that evolves or develops. You will probably not begin in an ideal position, but with careful planning, you can probably improve your position in your career as time goes by.
To develop REALISTIC EXPECTATIONS:
- Don't expect to start at the top.
- Don't expect to like everything about your job at first.
- Be prepared to make the best of your situation and maintain a positive attitude.
- Be prepared to accept any job in your field at first if you cannot get your ideal job or any job at all if you cannot get a job in your chosen field. If you are in employment, even though not in your chosen field, you are developing your career further than you would be if unemployed (or not studying).
Are you physically and mentally capable?
Not everyone is suited to being a rocket scientist or an Olympic athlete! Physical Suitability Some jobs will require the candidate to have certain physical attributes to be suitable for the job - for example a fire fighter, builder, paramedic, pilot, nurse, miner, warehouse staff and so on. Where appropriate, before appointment to a position, a medical doctor should examine the applicant and inform the personnel officer/department of any conditions which might affect the performance of the job (examples follow).
Physical activities and characteristics to be considered in determining a person’s suitability for a job include:
- Muscular strain
- Constant walking
- Constant standing
- Constant sitting
- Constant stooping
- Right handedness
- Left handedness
- Hot working conditions
- Cold working conditions
- Damp working conditions
- Exposed working conditions
- Acute hearing
- Acute vision
- Discrimination between colours
- Dry (non-sweaty) hands
- Food handling safety (sinus, sniffles, coughing)
- Dusty work conditions
- Indoor work
- Nervous strain
- Climbing
- Risk of falling
Mental suitability
Some jobs will require specific mental capabilities to be able to complete the required tasks. For example an engineer will need to have a sound understanding of physics, mathematics, spatial awareness, and so on, that some people just might not be capable of. Other jobs will require someone who has attention to fine details, such as an accountant; or the capacity to be patient, such as a nurse or teacher. Other jobs require particular personal attributes, such as leadership skills, good decision maker, problem solving abilities, an ability to think logically, negotiating and mediation skills, etc.
Money, Security or Passion?
Few people find it all. The reality is that almost everyone has to make compromises in their careers. Consider your values and what is important to you in a job. Why do you work? Is it primarily to earn money so you can survive? Perhaps work gives you a sense of purpose? Maybe you have altruistic reasons such as helping others and making a contribution. Some people look for other things from a job; perhaps social reasons (interacting with other people), maybe they are pursuing a passion, or something else. For some, job security or flexibility of hours may be more important than anything else.
Thinking short, medium and long term
Always think ahead. Industries do not tend to disappear, but jobs within an industry do disappear, and new jobs emerge. You need to stay in tune with your industry, alert to changes, and plan how you can adapt to changes as they come along. Keep your options open, and prospects broad.
Self employed or working for someone else?
Certain industries are dominated by self-employed people, while others are dominated by large enterprises. If you are attracted to an industry where most successful professionals are self- employed you may have difficulty advancing your prospects unless you are inclined to operate your own business. Similarly, if you want to work in an industry where very few people are the owners, and almost everyone is an employee, you will need to be comfortable working within a large organisation; and perhaps dealing with politics and bureaucratic processes that may not be so prevalent in self-employment.
Are you suited to working for yourself?
Not everyone is suited to running their own business. Some people don’t have the knowledge or skills to be successful at business but that’s not the main problem; many people simply don’t have the personality, the drive or the will to run their own business. It is not always as easy as it seems.
Most people work for someone else. In doing so, they don’t get to choose what they do at work: their boss tells them what to do. For anyone in this situation, the idea of working for themselves, and making their own choices seems easy. The grass always seems greener on the other side of the fence. Without the experience of self-employment, there is no real awareness of the negative aspects of running your own business; but as with most things in life, there are both advantages and disadvantages to self-employment.
- Self-Employment Requires a Strong Personality A successful business requires a leader. Not everyone in this world is a leader, and it would be inappropriate to expect everyone to be a leader. Contrary to popular opinion, a successful business leader is not someone who dominates and imposes their will on their workers. A leader should be an “enabler”. Their prime goal is to “facilitate” the work of those they lead. This involves skills such as “organisation”, “focus”, “decisiveness”, “adaptability”, and “logic”. Some may lead in an autocratic way, simply issuing orders and enforcing adherence to those orders, while others may lead in a gentler, more democratic way. The style of leadership is not exceedingly important, but for a business to succeed, the boss needs to maintain control.
- Hard Work Alone Does Not Make Success Plenty of people who start small businesses work very hard and long hours and still fail - some common reasons for this are:
1. They don’t charge enough – for example: if you work 80 hours a week and make $1 per hour profit; you will still not do as well as someone working 40 hours a week and making $3 an hour profit).
2. They don’t adapt to market forces - for example trying to sell a product you like or already have in stock, even though people show little interest in buying it; rather than identifying what people want to buy, and then selling what is in demand).
3. Poor financial management – for example spending all your cash reserves before you reach a profit making situation; or not putting money aside to pay tax).
4. Some people are just not suited to self-employment; they may lack drive, may not want the responsibilities or may lack the fundamental skills to successfully run a business.
5. Numerous research projects have shown that most new businesses fail. Most successful business owners in fact will make several attempts at starting a business before they find one that works really well
6. If you have never been in business before, don’t attempt to set one up until you have first considered the negatives as well as the positives. Analyse where you went wrong before; be realistic about your skills and personality before embarking on another business venture.
Being in business can:
- Cause stress
- Demand a lot of time
- Involve financial risk
- Require clear thinking
- Require good organization
- Require commitment and focus
If you value your financial security and leisure time, a small business might not be for you. If you have heavy demands on your time from family and other commitments don’t go into business unless you are prepared to give up some of these things. If you sometimes find it difficult to focus your thought; or if you don’t organise yourself really well, a business might not be for you.
On the positive side, owning your own business can:
- Enhance your job satisfaction
- Provide you with financial rewards (if it is successful)
- Provide you with flexibility in the future (after the business has been set up)
- Allow you to follow your passion
- Allow you to do things your way.
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