Career Assessment Guidance
Just as self-assessment allows you to look at your own strength s, interests and values, a careful exploration of the world of work allows you to think about the kind of work you'd like to do, and the environment in which you would prefer to work. There is no limit to the number and types of career goals you can have and it’s likely that you will change career goals several times.
What are the careers that expose and enhance your interests and skills and you might like? What are my career dreams that might involve increased responsibility, promotions or raises?
Are I am ready to do the next career step or do I need to improve my skills taking classes, doing training on the job, participating in volunteer jobs, attending company internal training courses, etc.?
Looking at possible job options often starts with identifying an interest area (such as journalism) and then gathering information about educational requirements and day-to-day activities for specific occupations within that area (such as a correspondent, science or sports publicist). Another aspect of work to consider is whether you are interested in business, nonprofit, or other types of industries. For example, it's possible to be a nurse in a hospital, a home care setting, a hospice, a seasonal worker, a self-employed home worker or an owner of a tire manufacturing plant. It is helpful to think about the environment in which you'd like to work as well as the type of work itself. Many of us are also dreaming to be our own boss and looking for alternatives to realize that dream.
Self-Employment: In the second chapter of this career assessment guidance you learned about yourself, your strengths and what you would like to do. If you are thinking of being your own boss, you need to find the right business opportunity for you. Have a look at his list of over 500 Self-Employment Ideas and check out our favorite self-employment opportunities. It is also not true that you always need a lot of capital to start your own business. Discover our selection of low-cost "plug-n-play" business ideas that can be startet even with a small budget. If you think bigger, you can find cheap capital sources using our preferred venture capital finder.
3.1 Investigating Industries
Your interest may be in a specific area, such as Sales Careers, Fashion or Sport Jobs, that you could perform in a variety of settings. Or, you may be interested in working within a specific section or industry, for example Federal Jobs or Federal Law Enforcement, chemical or health care. Perhaps you are most interested in opportunities within the nonprofit sector or being your own boss and self-employed.
In the same way you investigate career areas you can investigate industries and sectors: review information about industry leaders, industry growth potential, current issues or trends, and so on. Many Web sites combine information about industries with information about specific companies.
Don’t be afraid to ask for help. There are a lot of people and service providers who can help you explore your career. You may use one of the resources below or ask someone you know to help finding your way. Finding information on specific jobs within a career area may involve using print resources or doing some searching on the web for professional associations or other sites.
Action Without Borders gives a good introduction to non-profits with links to the homepages of over 15,000 different organizations, jobs and internships, volunteer opportunities and other information. Occupational Outlook Handbook: This resource has detailed information on what each job entails, educational and other requirements, employment outlook, salary ranges, and links to other websites with additional information. Career Resource Center: On this website you get links to many other Internet sites related to jobs and careers, including links as state government employment pages, company pages, career advice, and university career centers.
3.2 Find the Best Fit for your Career
To help you decide what you want from a career, take some time to review and reflect upon the following points:
It strongly depends on where you are in your Career Cycle. Are you starting with your professional career, supporting and developing yourself or seeking to move onto a different area of work or living without paid work?
The SWOT Analysis is a systematic approach that helps you to identify your strengths and weaknesses and distinguish between the kinds of activities that are worthwhile for you to build a career around and the ones that are not worthwhile for you to pursue.
Recommendations:
If you need help going through this career assessment process, check out our recommended Career Assessment Resource list. Many of the proposed Career Assessment Tests provide you with best-fit Career Areas and descriptions of the proposed career fields. We recommend to visit the following Websites as you will find interesting free tools and information for your career assessment as well as professional assistance:Assessment.com - Take a free MAPP assessment! MAPP is the abbreviation for Motivational Appraisal of Personal Potential. Future Proof Your Career - Future Proof Your Career is a self-assessment, career planning tool to help you find the work you are best suited to.
Go to your local Career Development Center and check out books, videos or audiotapes in order to get more detailed information on careers, career planning, internships, and employment. Many schools or Universities offer this type of service for the students and many times the information material is also accessible for the public. Check also our
Book Store that contains best-selling books on career development and job search.Build a network of career contacts and keep in contact with people who can help with your career plans. Read the best-selling book Networking for Job Search and Career Success by Michelle Tullier, probably the most comprehensive workbook on networking available. Create an action plan implementing the plan you’ve formulated. Make things happen. Get others to help you. Live your dreams! See an example Job Search Action Plan you can use to create your own personalized one. Check out for Career Fairs in your local press and specialized publications.
You will be impressed by the information you get there and the contacts you make.
Job Futures website from the Government of Canada provides a comprehensive career planning tool, including detailed information about 226 occupational groups.
Next: Improve your Skills