In a career search of my own, I realized that sometimes finding a
career or changing career paths can be very difficult and stressful. I
went from getting my bachelor’s degree in theater to working with kids
with special needs. Although each career path I choose needs to have
some sort of creative outlet, I found that there were other careers out there that would fulfill me just as much as theater did. For a long time I believed that being a famous actress was the
only way I would ever be happy. I was very naive and ignorant at the
time. Not only did I find that I needed to incorporate some sort of
creative element into my career search, but I also found that I really
love to help people. Because of this I decided that I want to help
others with their career goals.
The first step in choosing a career path is to know your values. Values are the things in life that are the most important to you. For example, my top values are time with friends and family, being able to have the money I need to survive and to enjoy my life, and to be able to set my own schedule. Values are different for everyone, but until you know what those are, it will be difficult to choose a career path. One thing I have noticed when talking to people about their careers is that they are involved with careers that meet little to none of their values. This ends up causing all sorts of issues including work stress, home stress, depression, and exhaustion. If a career goes along with all or even most of your top values, you are very likely to stay with that career for longer and be happy while you are doing it. It took me a long time to realize what my values were. Once I did figure it out, I created a career path and career goals and am now taking steps every day to get to my ultimate career life, which will in turn give me my ultimate personal life.
The next step after figuring out your values is to choose a career path based on those values. If attempting to search for a job based on values alone is not enough, there is always the possibility of taking assessments. There are several wonderful free assessments online that will evaluate your skills, interests, and personality and will suggest different careers for you based on the assessments. This will give you a general idea of what sort of career would fit what you like and using your top five values will help you to narrow it down. For example, if you enjoy being able to move around on the job, then a desk job would not be the right option for you. If one of your top values is to have time to spend with family and friends, then a job that requires you to work nights and weekends is not for you.
Once you have chosen a career that goes along with your values, you have to create a plan to get to where you want to go. This may require changing your resume a little bit, going back to school, getting an internship or taking classes. The most important thing is to look up your job choice on the internet. Figure out what is required of the position. Does it require a degree? Does it require a certificate or a license? Does it require you to know specific software? These are all things to consider when trying to get into a specific position. If you can meet all of the qualifications and be trained in all of the areas they are looking for, you have a much better chance of getting the job. If you feel overwhelmed with things that you have to do to get involved with a specific position, it is important to write a list of what needs to be done and then do them one at a time. If your current job does not allow you very much extra time, then spend one hour per day working on your goal for your new career path and you will get there as long as you are diligent about working on it.
If you would like a personalized career assessment, a resume, or a cover letter, just click the link below.
Need a Resume done for an affordable price?!
Check out www.onestopresumeshop.net for all of your career, cover letter, and resume needs!
