Figuring out WHAT DO DO WITH YOUR LIFE is a lifelong process!
Don't think that you have to have it all figured out right now!
Lots of people like to use the term "climbing the career ladder," but a pyramid example is much more realistic and a lot more helpful in understanding the process over time.
A career identity is something that is unique to each and regardless of your age, educational attainment or experience level. List of where someone may find themselves on this career pyramid we all started at the bottom!
Now that these expectations have been clearly laid out let's talk about the difference between a job and a career. For most people but job is what you do to make money to be able to survive. A career is something where you make money based upon a passion that you are fueling. We all strive to find that thing that will both bring us fulfillment and pay the bills - but this does not come automatically or as easily as we would like. You have to continually work towards it all along the way each step you take brings you closer to that goal.
Reflecting on the Optimal Employment Opportunity
Part of the pre-job search process is to really figure out what kind of environment suits your personality the best. While we don't always have control over the work environment we can get a better sense of the understanding of how we will relate to the place that we will spend probably most of our time.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: TAKE A CAREER INTEREST SURVEY
There are other considerations as well, such as your "psychological orientation" towards different kinds of thinking, tasks, etc. There are many online career interest surveys to take and get a better understand of what you want and where you see yourself headed. Try taking the ISEEK CAREER CLUSTER INTEREST SURVEY to see if it may yield some insight. This is the point of this stage in the process - to learn more about YOU!
Now that these expectations have been clearly laid out let's talk about the difference between a job and a career. For most people but job is what you do to make money to be able to survive. A career is something where you make money based upon a passion that you are fueling. We all strive to find that thing that will both bring us fulfillment and pay the bills - but this does not come automatically or as easily as we would like. You have to continually work towards it all along the way each step you take brings you closer to that goal.
Reflecting on the Optimal Employment Opportunity
Part of the pre-job search process is to really figure out what kind of environment suits your personality the best. While we don't always have control over the work environment we can get a better sense of the understanding of how we will relate to the place that we will spend probably most of our time.
- THE NATURE OF THE WORK: If you are going through this online course you probably lack experience or have experience that is unrelated to the new career trajectory that you now find yourself on. That being said a new work environment work offer the possibility of new experiences new places and new people. For some of this can be exciting but for others it can create anxiety. It is best to know what kind of work environments are best suited for your skills your personality and where you want to go long-term
- WORK ENVIRONMENT: the work environment Intel's a lot of information about what it's like to go to work at a place every day. What are the work hours? What is the expected attire? Will I work in an office with the door or cubicle or an open work environment where everyone sits next to each other? Many people, four instance, would love sitting in front of a computer all day while others, it would drive him crazy.
YOUR ASSIGNMENT: TAKE A CAREER INTEREST SURVEY
There are other considerations as well, such as your "psychological orientation" towards different kinds of thinking, tasks, etc. There are many online career interest surveys to take and get a better understand of what you want and where you see yourself headed. Try taking the ISEEK CAREER CLUSTER INTEREST SURVEY to see if it may yield some insight. This is the point of this stage in the process - to learn more about YOU!