Career Decision

Imagine spending 88,000 hours of your life doing something you don't like. That's about how many hours people work in a lifetime.*

What if, day after day, you find yourself going to a job that is boring or just not the right fit for you. You could quit and find a different job. But if you first stop to think about what type of job interests you, what skills you have and which jobs pay what you need, then you are more likely to be happy in a new job.

Career exploration is a serious subject, but it can also be fun. The more you know about your skills, interests and the types of jobs available, the more quickly you will figure out how to master the game of life. Give yourself points for knowing what your abilities are. Advance to the next level with education or training. Bonus points for researching the job market and future job openings.

Don't worry if you decide to change careers after a few years; most people do. Just hit the reset button and keep going. If you're going to spend 88,000 hours doing anything, shouldn't you know the rules?

*88,000 hours = Working from age 18-62, 40 hours each week, 50 weeks per year (2 weeks vacation each year)

Follow these 4 steps to navigate toward career success.

1. Assess Yourself
Assessments are tools that help you learn about your interests, abilities, personality and goals. This Web site has a short career interest assessment (PDF) that you can take on your own. Or you can take an assessment with a career counselor or at a workshop. Counselors and workshops may be found at your school, place of work or a local WorkForce Center. Other assessment resources are listed on this site, many of which can be taken at no cost.

Another way to assess yourself is to talk to people who know you best. Ask parents, friends, guidance counselors, relatives and others about your career exploration.

What careers do they think will bring you the most success and why? What job duties or work settings do they think fit your personality? Also, find out how they decided on their careers and what changes they made along the way.

List 4 people in your life whom you could ask for help in assessing yourself.

1. ____________________________________
2. ____________________________________
3. ____________________________________
4. ____________________________________

2. Explore Your Career Options
Before you can make a career decision, you need to explore your options. It helps to keep a record of information you collect about job openings, specific industries and the job market. One easy way to track your career-related information is in a portfolio. A portfolio helps keep your information in one place and can be either electronic or on paper. Both MCIS and eFolio Minnesota (www.efoliomn.com) offer electronic portfolio options. A paper notebook or folder can also work as a portfolio.

Here are some resources available for your occupational exploration:

• Use the MnCareers publication and this Web site. The What Do I Need To Know section groups similar occupations together. Important details to record are the number of people employed, projected growth, education and training requirements, wages and job outlook.
• Visit Internet sites like ISEEK for Minnesota-specific occupational information, or America’s Career InfoNet (www.acinet.org) for national information.
• Visit a career counselor, Minnesota WorkForce Center or other career center. Most career centers offer software programs and resources like MCIS for career explorers. For national information, check out the Occupational Outlook Handbook at: www.bls.gov/oco.
• Read up on occupational profiles or visit professional organizations to inquire about specific occupations. Find out what a "day in the life" for that particular job is really like. Worst-case scenario: You learn what you DON'T want to do.
• Talk to employers. You’ll find that many offer job-shadowing opportunities or internships so you can learn about a specific job you’re interested in and "try it on" for a day or a few months.

3. Set Career Goals
The first 2 steps focused on gathering information about yourself and your job options. Now let's shorten the list. What occupations do you find most interesting?

List your top 5.

1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________
5. _________________________________

From this list, you should be able to establish a career goal. This goal is simply an idea or ideas about what you’d like to accomplish.

Maybe your long-term career goal is to be a computer programmer for a video game company. What short-term goals do you need to establish to achieve your long-term goal? List the skills and education required for your career goal. Do you have a resume ready? Where will you search for job openings?

Write down your long-term career goal(s) below. Use the "Future Decisions" guide on this Web site for help.

Long-term career goal:

___________________________

Short-term career goals:

1. _________________________________
2. _________________________________
3. _________________________________
4. _________________________________

4. Give It a Try
After you've set goals, it's time to put them into action.

Remember, career exploration is a learning process. You might make mistakes or change your mind. That's part of the process. If one of your goals doesn't pan out for you, you can restart and try a different strategy. There are often many different paths to achieve the same goal.

Welcome to the next 88,000 hours of your life.

Ready? Set. Go!