Quick Facts on Choosing a Career

Some individuals know early on what they want to do “when they grow up,” and pick a college major accordingly. However, a vast majority of the population is not so lucky. For some people, picking a career takes months, years, or even decades. Even professionals well into a career may reassess their situation and choose to change course midway. Here are some quick facts on career choice, change, and the process of finding employment:

6% of workers over age 50 are in the process of changing careers. Resumes mailed to companies' staffing departments only account for 3% of hires nationwide.

Jobs found through newspaper classifieds account for only 7% of hiring results.

Employment agencies produce 12% of job hires.

Employee referrals and networking account for 25% of new hires.

33% of hiring takes place over the Internet.

95% of human resource managers and 95% of job seekers depend on personal contacts and networking to fill and find openings. (JIST Publishing)

Steps to Take Before Choosing a Career

Before embarking on a career path it is crucial to thoroughly research the responsibilities, prospects, and requirements for a given occupation. Occupational indecision can be minimized or avoided altogether by following a series of helpful steps (Career Planning):

Assess yourself- Every person has different values, interests, and objectives. This means that certain people will be particularly suited to certain jobs, and especially inappropriate for others. Understanding your personal quirks through a combination of self-reflection, career assessment tests, and possibly even career counseling is the best way to hone in on appropriate occupations.

Make a list of potential occupations- Self-assessment should generate a long list of potential job paths. Of course, pursuing every career on the list is impossible; instead, use the list as a starting point to guide your search. Pick out the top five or ten options, and rewrite these on a separate list. Pick jobs that appeal to you, jobs that appear in the results of multiple tests, or jobs that you think you would be particularly suited for.

Explore the options- Now that your list is a more manageable size, take the time to read up on each profession. Look at educational requirements, the job description, the job outlook, earnings, and opportunities for advancement. The Internet provides a useful starting point, but the very best ways to obtain in-depth information about a career is from an individual with firsthand knowledge of the field. To this end, conduct informational interviews with professionals working in occupations that interest you. These people may be relatives, family friends, acquaintances, or classmates. The purpose of an informational interview is to gather inside knowledge about a career from someone who has experienced it firsthand. An informational interview is not an opportunity to ask for a job, although it may provide useful networking practice.

Narrow down your list- As you gain a deeper understanding of each occupation on your list, you should be able to start eliminating positions that do not seem like a good fit. Use what you learned in your research to pare down the list; perhaps the advanced degree required for a particular position requires too much time and preparation, or the low salary of another occupation may prove inadequate. Eventually, pare down the list to one or two occupations.

Set goals- Once you select a career to pursue, set realistic goals that will help you achieve it. Your research should have equipped you with the knowledge needed to set both short-term goals (achievable in 1-3 years), and long-term goals (reachable in 3-5 years). Accomplishing an objective will likely take energy and hard work, but each goal must be realistic. In order to be obtainable, a goal must be clearly defined, achievable within a certain time frame, believable, and flexible.

Create a career action plan- With a clear set of career goals, you can now constrict a career action plan. This plan lists your goals and the steps required to reach them. It also includes foreseen obstacles, and how you intend to address each one. Essentially, this plan serves as your road map for how to get from point A, choosing a career, to point B, gaining employment in that career, and ultimately growing within it. (Writing a Career Action Plan)

Obtain training- Training for your new career likely plays a big part in your action plan, and is truly the crucial ingredient for getting hired. Training can come in the form earning a degree, taking courses to acquire a particular skill set, and/or doing an internship. On top of trade-specific skills, like computer programming for a web designer, acquire good professional practices, like time management, proper attire, writing, and communication.