________________
more stable long-term outlook than your current career, for example. And you don't have to quit your current job until you are confident of your new career path.
Tips to finding the right career
Finding the right career tip 1: Identify occupations that match your interests
So how do you translate your interests into a new career? With a little research, you may be surprised at the careers that relate to many of the things you love to do.
Career tests
Different online tools can guide you through the process of self-discovery. Questions, quizzes, and personality assessments can't tell you what your perfect career would be, but they can help you identify what's important to you in a career, what you enjoy doing, and where you excel. One example, frequently used by universities and the U.S. government, is the RIASEC/Holland interest scale. It outlines six common personality types, such as investigative, social, or artistic, and enables you to browse sample careers based on the type of personality you most identify with. Find links to this and other online career tests in the Resources section below.
Researching specific careers
If you have narrowed down some specific jobs or careers, you can find a wealth of information online, from description of positions to average salaries and estimated future growth. This will also help you figure out the practical priorities: How stable is the field you are considering? Are you comfortable with the amount of risk? Is the salary range acceptable to you? What about commute distances? Will you have to relocate for training or a new job? Will the new job affect your family? Get support and information from others
Get support and information from othersWhile you can glean a lot of information from research and quizzes, there's no substitute for information from someone currently working in your chosen career. Talking to someone in the field gives you a real sense of what type of work you will actually be doing and if it meets your expectations. What's more, you will start to build connections in your new career area, helping you land a job in the future. Networking and informational interviewing are important skills that can greatly further your career.
You may also consider career counseling or a job coach, especially if you are considering a major career shift. Sometimes impartial advice from others can open up possibilities you hadn't considered. Finding the right career tip 2: Evaluate your strengths and skills
Once you have a general idea of your career path, take some time to figure out what skills you have and what skills you need. Remember, you're not completely starting from scratch-you already have some skills to start. These skills are called transferable skills, and they can be applied to almost any field. Some examples include:
Management and leadership experience Communication (both written and oral) Research and program planning Public speaking
· Conflict resolution and mediation
•
• Managing your time effectively Computer literacy
88
