How to Choose a Career, Essay Example

Introduction

Many young people today are plagued by the need to choose a career. In today’s world, finding a suitable, long term and enjoyable career cannot be an instantaneous decision. With the number of careers available and the diverse specialist skills demanded by each, the process of choosing a career must be construed of as a process or a journey (Nemani, 2004). A successful career must not always translate to riches and fame. Not everyone can become a Oprah or a Bill Gate in fame and riches. Some of the most rewarding and successful careers are to be found away from the limelight and not always accompanied by great financial rewards. Nonetheless, each and every one of us has volition, a specific career in which he or she can find true happiness, success and satisfaction.

The choice of a career can best be described as an involving process based and or dependent on several cardinal considerations. A student or whoever is choosing a career, must know the role and relevance of his or her interests, values, skills, talent, work-related attitudes and personality in choosing a suitable and fitting career. In making that choice, each of these and other factors must be borne in mind and used simultaneously in arriving at an optimal choice. This paper will briefly describe the criterion on which a suitable career can be chosen, through an active process of learning, research and self assessment (Wayne State University).

Thesis Statement

It is important that one appreciate the irrelevance of pay, prestige, fame and glory in choosing a career since a career must define and represent an individual’s interests and abilities at the very basic level.

Things to Consider When Choosing a Career

Most people, especially students, experience great uncertainty when it comes to choosing a career. There are three important things to consider and which must be thought of as a process of choice, each leading to the next.

To begin with, the most important step and consideration is personal interests. Career experts call this step self-assessment. Of interest in this first step is figuring out where an individual’s career interests lie. To do this, one must ask himself such questions as what am I most interested in, what do I do most excellently, what do I enjoy doing most, what kind of personality do I have, what is important, what are my treasured values, etc. Here, the most important thing is to discover the lasting, standing and treasured values and interests that make one who he or she is.

It is important that an individual realize that the process of choosing a career must be all about himself or herself. A career is an individual thing, an intrinsic value, an internal and external expression of one’s personality. That is why the choice must first be determined based on a genuine self assessment. This step is overly important since it helps an individual choose what he or she loves to do.

Out there, there are individuals earning millions in a year and are still unhappy with what they do. Others however, make a meager income doing what makes them happy and richly satisfied. The idea is to cherish what one loves and enjoys (Democrat and Chronicle). Today self awareness tests are available both online and in most colleges to help in determining self realization.

The second important consideration or step in choosing the most fitting career is to evaluate one’s ability. Experts call this step self evaluation. In this stage, an individual must figure out the things that he or she is good, the things that brings out his or her best skills, his naturally existing talents, his or her innate abilities that do not come out of effort (Wayne State University).

Once an individual in the career of choice or when he or she is trying to establish the chosen career, effort hard work and determination are very important. However, in choosing a career, one must first consider what comes as a natural ability, despite being undeveloped (Bernstein, 2003). Some are people are good in a particular sport, others are excellent in organizing, others are good in teaching others stuff, others are caregivers extraordinaire, others are great in drawing and other arts, others are exemplary in writing, others are meticulous in science projects etc. Each of these abilities can be maximally exploited in a particular career.

The third step is researching on a list of careers already identified based on one’s interests and abilities. This will involve exploring each identified career field with a view to learn more about what it involves, the skills required, the job description and such other vital descriptions of each career filed. To do this, the use the internet, library resources, career advisory literature, volunteering and mentorship by a person in the career field will help in knowing whether that is indeed the career one is interested in (America). In all cases, the research findings must be compared to the interests and abilities of an individual, and this will help in short listing the many career fields available to a few or even one, that an individual can pursue (Snodgrass, 1998).

Conclusion

The process of choosing a career begins with a list of many interesting career fields (Bernstein, 2003). The career fields are then subjected to a rigorous comparison with the interests that an individual has. This reduces some career fields from the list.

After that, the remaining career fields are then compared the natural abilities that an individual has and which can be associated with the career fields in the list. The number of career fields in the list will thus reduce substantially after the second stage. Finally, the remaining career fields are then researched deeply, to identify which among the many is the most appropriate and suited to the individual.

That process of choosing a career should not be done in haste or out of ignorance. The process must be gradual and based on sound information and self determination. More importantly, it must be guided by a career counselor or advisor in the college or school (America). This is the only way to guarantee that the chosen career field leads to a successful, happy and richly satisfying life.

References

America (2010). Choosing a Career. Retrieved 7 March 2010. From http://www.america.gov/media/pdf/ejs/1208ej.pdf

Bernstein, A. (2003).  Guide to Your Career. New York: Princeton Review Publishing.

Nemani, S. (2004). How to Choose Your Career. New York: Voluntary Health Research Services.

Paine, T. Choose Your Career Path Based On Long-Term Goals. Democrat and Chronicle. Retrieved 7 March 2010. From http://www.democratandchronicle.com/article/20100307/BUSINESS/3070321

Snodgrass, J. (1998). How to Pick a Satisfying Career: Know Yourself. Frugal Marketing. Retrieved 7 March 2010. From http://www.frugalmarketing.com/dtb/careerchoices.shtml

Wayne State University (2010). Career Development eManual: Steps to Success. Retrieved 7 March 2010. From http://www.cdm.uwaterloo.ca/steps.asp