Planning your future and choosing the right career path to pursue is often both an exciting and equally daunting task. With countless options available, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when trying to determine the best fit for your interests, skills, and personal aspirations. As such, here at CTS Canadian Career College, we understand how exploring career paths before you embark on them is crucial for securing a career that gets you where you want to be.
In the following post, we’ll provide you with a couple of practical tips and strategies as you navigate the process of exploring career options. Whether you’re still in high school, recently graduated, or considering a career change after ten years in an industry, these insights should help guide you in discovering paths that match your strengths and interests.
1- Start with a Self-Assessment
Before diving into the world of career options, it’s essential to first understand who you are and who you want to be. Okay, that might sound super daunting, but even a basic self-assessment could help clarify your interests, strengths, and values, – each of which will help lay a solid foundation for exploring potential career paths.
Your self-evaluation can be something simple – with little more than a pen and paper, or even an empty text document on your laptop. Here are the questions you should ask yourself and where you want to focus:
- What are your interests? Start by jotting whatever topics excite and motivate you. These can be anything – from going on vacation, to reading, to meeting new people. When you have your list (which can be as large or small as you want it to be), starWt to see if there are common elements – feel free to circle and connect them and figure out what makes them similar. For instance, you might discover that “helping people” or “working in my community” are prevalent themes.
- What are my strengths or specific skills? Next, take a look at yourself and what you do well. There’s obviously a few things where you’re strong – such as being in good physical shape, able to do research, etc. – and specific skills you might have – like being good at writing, knowledge of computers, etc. Write down as many as you can and we’ll come back to them in a second!
- What are your goals and values? The third question should focus on the long-term. Where do you see yourself in 5, 10, or even 15 years down the road? Do you want a single career or to jump around and try new things? Do you see yourself in a career that advances or stays the same? Write down all of these as well.
Great! Now that you’ve answered your questions, try to connect them together. Take the interest you highlighted and compare them to your skills and strengths as well as your goals. Do you see any patterns? Does looking at them scream “you” or is the picture unrecognizable (maybe you need to redo the self-assessment or maybe you have different strengths than what you expected!)
Having these on hand should give you a good idea of what you want and what skills you have to take you there. As well, you might also start to see patterns for possible careers as we get into the next part of our career path exploration below.
One final note before proceeding: some people like to go a step further and use personality assessments, such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) or the Holland Code (RIASEC), to gain insights into areas they might be passionate about. These options might also help you understand yourself better if you’re not sure where to start!
2 – Pair Potential Careers with your Self- Assessment
Once you have a clear understanding of your interests, strengths, and values, the next step is to explore various career options that could fit well with your self-assessment.
It’s entirely possible that as you did the first part, you might already see some futures taking shape. For instance:
- If you realize you love to travel, are in good physical shape, and like helping others, things like taking a Paramedic program might be right up your alley.
- Alternatively, if you’re analytics, love to read and write, then maybe going the route of Paralegal studies might be more suited to you!
However, if you have a good self-assessment and are still no closer, don’t worry! Researching careers just became a lot easier. Here are some things to consider next:
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- Explore Possible Fields: Start by either researching things like “jobs that go well with…” and fill in some of your skills or goals from above. You can also look at lists of jobs by personality type and see what looks like it could align with your profile.
- Read Job Descriptions: Oftentimes, we’re lucky and its employers who know what type of person they want for their teams. You can look at job postings in your city on sites like Indeed to get an idea of what roles are out there and what type of person they are looking for. You might be surprised to find a few that call for people specifically like you!\
- Look Into Industry Trends: This might be a bit less straightforward, but if you have a good idea of which industry you want to work in, you can likely look for trends or demand for some of the jobs related to it. For instance, if you want to work in healthcare, you could see what the demand or projections for careers like Medical Lab Assistant look like in your area.
3 – Gain Experience Where Possible
If you’ve spent any amount of time looking at job postings, you might have noticed how virtually all of them ask for experience before applying.
While it’s normal for employers to seek those who have some experience in the industry, it can also make it daunting to apply if you only have your education background. Fortunately, a couple of paths forward can help cover this gap while also letting you see if this career really is for you!
- Volunteer Work: Not every career path will have options for volunteering, but even if they don’t you might still get to work at an organization where people are currently in the career you’re considering. For instance, if you volunteer at a local animal shelter, you could ask the administrators questions about their job as they likely took an Office Administration course.
- Work Placements or Internships: Certain college programs, such as the ones we offer here at CTS Canadian Career College, include work placements or internships prior to graduation. Work placements are a great way to ensure you get hands-on experience before you graduate but also get a first-hand sample of what your duties might be like when you start your career.
- Freelance Work: As you undergo your studies, you’ll acquire valuable skills – some of which you may be able to put to work immediately. For instance, if you’re taking a Business Management course you might have some marketing knowledge you can lend to family or friends in business or even pick up some projects online!
4 – Educational Requirements
Most careers require that you have an educational background that’s well-suited for the role you wish to enter. In some cases, it’s simply a quick certificate or an equivalent degree that will do it, while others require more specific prerequisites.
One way of knowing what you need to study is to go back to step 2 and take stock of what educational requirements the jobs you highlighted are looking for. If you’re lucky, a couple of these jobs will have the same or at least similar requirements, making your decision of where, when, and how to study that much easier.
If you’re still uncertain about things, an alternative here would be to visit a college that focuses on career training’s website (such as us at CTS Canadian Career College) and see what resources they have available pairing education with outcomes. Some resources you may want to consider:
- Reviewing Program Pages: The pages for specific college programs can often give you a better idea of what to expect both in terms of careers available or what the duties could be.
- Read Blog Pages: Colleges like ours often have active blogs where you can read about career paths, what to expect after graduation, or even interviews from people in the field!
Final thoughts
Exploring career paths is a vital process that requires thoughtful self-assessment, research, planning, and hopefully some first-hand experience. You might not be able to figure out which career you want to pursue right away, and if you have multiple you may need to whittle your list down too, but taking a reflective look at where you want to end up is always a good start.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
- How do I start exploring different career paths?
Begin by conducting a self-assessment to understand your interests, strengths, and goals. Connect this information together and then compare it to various fields and roles to get an idea of which industries might be best suited for you.
- What should I include in a career action plan?
Your career action plan should include specific short-term and long-term goals, actionable steps to achieve these goals, and a timeline for completion. Be sure to outline any educational requirements, training, or certifications needed, and regularly review and adjust your plan as needed.
- How can I effectively network with professionals in my field of interest?
Networking isn’t always easy, but you can start by attending industry events, joining professional organizations, and utilizing platforms like LinkedIn. Reach out to professionals for informational interviews and seek out mentorship opportunities.
- What types of experience are valuable when exploring career paths?
Valuable experiences include internships, volunteer work, work placements, and freelance work. These experiences provide hands-on learning and help you understand the daily responsibilities of different roles, which can guide your decision-making process.
- How can I determine if additional education or training is necessary for my career goals?
Research the educational and certification requirements for your desired career paths. Look at job descriptions and industry standards to understand what qualifications are necessary. Consider pursuing further education or training if it aligns with your career goals and will enhance your prospects in your chosen field.
Are you considering a career change or feeling unsure of which career path is right for you? At CTS Canadian Career College, we have a dedicated administration team who can help you better understand the possibilities available to you. For more information, reach out to [email protected].