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Choosing your career Part Three: Bringing it all together
April 16, 2008 by pink_rain09@msn.comIn the previous two posts, we discussed the importance of planning and preparation to your career. In this post we will continue that train of thought with a few words about how to apply our new found knowledge.
By knowing what our life and career goals are at the beginning of our educational journey and recognizing the boundaries that our chosen area of residence places upon us, we can best decide how to pursue the career we want and find both entry level jobs and internships in this field.
It is possible to bring your career to exactly where you want it to go but those points must be taken into consideration and held to closely, just as the navigator onboard a sailing vessel must pay careful attention to his charts and instruments.
When you have decided what you want your career to do for you and researching the market for that career has proven that it is, indeed, a good choice, then it is time to choose the best school and education opportunities that you can obtain. Choose courses that will allow you for the higher salary of specialized careers without excluding you from more general entry level career opportunities. Having a major study in one field and a minor study in a related field can be a valuable asset if you can handle this level of academic pressure.
While attending school, locating an entry level job or internship opportunity, such as those found on the Entry Level Job and Internship Pages at CollegeRecruiter.com, may also prove very valuable because it allows you to gain on the job work experience that employers value greatly, thus improving your odds of successfully steering your career in the direction you want it to go after college. Come aboard, Captain. Your ship is waiting. -
Choosing your career Part One: Knowing where you want to be
by pink_rain09@msn.comGoing into college without direction is like setting sail in a ship with no rudder or steering mechanisms. You may eventually get to where you intended to go but the odds are very slim and, if you did happen to reach that destination, it is not very likely that your path would have been the most direct route possible. Understanding this point before going off to college gives you the ability to install that necessary direction, effectively putting a rudder on the ship of your career.
By planning and carefully ascertaining what things are important to you in both your entry level job and internships, as well as your long term career goals, you can do much to effectively steer your career path in the direction you want it to go.
Start this process by asking yourself where do I want to be, both in my career and my life, ten, twenty and even thirty years after graduation? By understanding what you want from life, you can plan a career that will coincide with those goals.
For instance, if you are wanting to stay near your hometown and community, you might choose a career that will sufficiently meet your financial obligations and will coincide with specific goals of the area, such as civil engineering or plant management. If you tend more towards the idea of seeing a larger portion of the globe, look towards careers which will allow this freedom of movement and offer opportunities for entry level jobs and internships with globally known companies thus opening the door for relocation as a part of your job.
Additionally, take your personal goals into account. Do you plan to raise a family early in life? Perhaps a career that offers entry level jobs with a good measure of stability and excellent benefits might be better suited to your needs than a higher paid job that requires weeks of time spent away from home. Do you plan to remain free of the encumbrances of family life until you are well settled in your career? Then a more lucrative entry level position that requires vast amounts of dedication and personal input in exchange for higher pay may help you to realize this goal faster or an internship at lower pay may help you to gain valuable work experience and on the job training that will further your career while you are financially able to support yourself without the extra expense of additional family members.
Knowing the answers to these questions gives you a direction for choosing your career but more is needed. In the next post, we will discuss another point that will help you steer your ship of career success in line with your needs.
