Thursday, December 3, 2015

WCIYP: The Five Ways to Choose/Change Careers

In Chapter 10 of What Color is Your Parachute?, the author discusses ways that a person can and should choose or change his or her career path. In order for someone to be successful in whatever career they pursue, they must have a love for it. There is no point in working for someone or something that you do not feel passionate about. So the five tips that are given in order to maximize the chances of you finding the best job are:
  1. Internet
  2. Tests
  3. Using the Flower Exercise
  4. Changing a Career in Two Steps
  5. Finding Out What the Job-Market Will Need
The internet does not just refer to Google and all of the other links that are found online. It specifically refers to O*Net Online. This is a a digital website and online house of information with up-to-date information about careers. Further research into the website and one can find how in-depth the said information is. Suggested careers are classified by green companies, industries in great demand, interests, skill sets, and even work values. Once an occupation is found, the website has a specially developed content model which runs a twelve page print of the occupation. The website is very thorough and up-to-date, Websites like these can be key in the battle for a new job.

Tests are another tool that people can use in order to change or choose their job. These tests are more like assessments than actual tests. These tests are taken for a number of reasons. Some of those reasons are to help define your strengths and weaknesses, opening up to new ideas, and even clues into what your current job search is missing. Some websites that provide such tests are the Dewey Color System and Dr. John Holland's Self-Directed Search. Even typing "career tests" into Google can help bring up some worthy sights.

The third way that a person can attempt to change their career path is by using the flower exercise. As discussed in blog posts before, the flower exercise is a technique that helps people narrow down their potential employer. Each pedal refers to another detail that can be applied when looking for new jobs. This technique is very tedious and technical, however it can lead to many job openings due to how precise and narrow the information ends up becoming.

The fourth way to change a career path is by changing the career in two steps. A job has two parts: the title and the field. Title is the symbol of what you do, while the field is the actual blood, sweat and tears on the job. People should look at both when looking for a job. Maybe there is a title that fits with another field that the person is passionate about. No job will be perfect and some sacrifices will have to be made when determining the job title and field. Experience can come with both title and field. This will also look good to a future employer.

The last way that job searchers can choose or change their job is through finding out what the job-market will need. At this point in the job search, a person should stop focusing on what they want and look at what companies need. If a company is hiring but their job asks for something that the person does not feel comfortable with, the person has to try that company anyway. Training and knowledge of the material can and will come. At this point, all last requests are made and a person has to look at all the companies that are hiring.

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