How to choose right careers

With thousands of options, how can you choose the right job for you? If you do not know what you want to do, the task may seem overwhelming. Fortunately, it is not. Follow a planned procedure and you will increase your chances of making a good decision.

Check yourself

Before you can choose the right job, you need to learn about yourself. Your values, interests, soft skills, and ability, combined with your personality, make some jobs fit for you and others totally inappropriate.

Use self-assessment tools, as well as job tests to gather information about your characteristics and, later, generate a list of well-balanced tasks based on them. Some people choose to work with a career counselor or other career development professionals who can help them navigate the process.

Make a List of Tasks to Test

You probably have a long list of tasks ahead of you — one that is generated by each self-assessment tool you have used. In order to maintain order, you must combine them into one main list.

First, look for works from multiple lists and copy them to a blank page. Named it "Tasks You Should Check." Your self-evaluation has shown that it is well worth it based on a few of your characteristics, so it is worth testing.

Next, find any activities on your list that appeal. They may be activities that you know little about and that you want to explore further. Also, add skills you do not know very well. You may learn something that you do not expect.

Check Tasks on your list

At this point, you will be glad you managed to narrow down your list to only 10 to 20 options. You can now get basic information about each activity in your list.

Find job descriptions and requirements for education, training, and licenses from published sources. Learn about opportunities for improvement. Use government-generated labor market information to obtain income and job vision data.

Create a "Shortlist"

Now that you have more information, start reducing your listing further. Based on what you have learned from your research so far, start deleting tasks you no longer want to perform. You should end up with two to five jobs on your "shortlist."

If your reasons for finding an unacceptable job are not discussed, remove them from your list. Get rid of clutter you do not need. Remove tasks with a weak sense of function. Discard any job if you are unable or unwilling to meet the educational and other requirements, or if you do not have the necessary skills to succeed in it.

Conduct Information Conversations

Once you have a few activities left on your list, start doing in-depth research. Plan to meet people who work in the fields of your choice. They can give you personal information about activities on your shortlist. Access your network, including LinkedIn, to find people with whom you can share this information.

Make Your Career Choice

Finally, after you have done all of your research, you are probably ready to make your choice. Choose a career that you think will bring you great satisfaction based on all the information you have collected. Be aware that you are allowed to make overs if you change your mind about your choice at any time in your life. Many people change their jobs at least a few times.

Find Your Goals

Once you have decided, find out your long-term and short-term goals. This helps to plan the path to the end of the task you have selected. Long-term goals usually take three to five years to achieve, while you can achieve the short-term goal in six months to three years.

Let the research you have done with the necessary education and training be your guide. If you do not have all the details, do some research. Once you have all the information you need, set your own goals. An example of a long-term goal would be to complete your education and training. Short-term goals include applying to college, job training, other training programs, and internships.

Write a Career Action Plan

Compile a work plan, a written document outlining all the steps you need to take to achieve your goals. Think of it as a road map that will take you from point A to point B, then to C and D. Write down all your short-term and long-term goals and the steps you will need to take to reach each one. Include any obstacles that may hinder you from achieving your goals — as well as ways you can overcome them.

This may sound like a lot of work — and it certainly is. But it is much easier to build a career if you know what you want. Taking these steps early will save you a lot of stress and uncertainty over time.