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Deciding on a career
Answering the question "what do I want to do?" is not alway easy. Use the following information to help you as you make decisions about your career.
Start with yourself
Self assessment can help you plan the type of career and environment that might suit you. Consider these questions.
- What is important to you and your personal life?
- What is important to you in a job?
- What do you like and dislike?
- What interests you?
- What motivates you, what makes you want to do your best and why?
- What work or study have you liked or been good at in the past?
- What are your goals?
- What do you want to be doing in ten years?
- What do you want your workplace to be like?
- Do you have an ideal workplace in your mind?
- What knowledge and skills do you currently have?
Useful resources
- myfuture (My Guide) helps match careers to suit skills, qualities and characteristics
- Skills audit information sheet on Career Hub
- Values questionnaire on Career Hub
- Print resources—find many self assessment tools at Career Connection.
Talk to people
Other people can provide valuable, objective advice, ideas or a much needed reality check as you progress your plans. Try the following:
- Ask friends and family for advice—they sometimes know you better than you know yourself!
- If you are currently studying, make an appointment with your faculty to discuss your options.
- Find people who do the job you are interested in. Ask them what a day on the job is really like. They may even let you shadow them for a day.
- Get one-on-one advice from a careers advisor. Contact Career Connection for an appointment or drop in between 12noon and 1pm daily for a 15–30 minute consultation.
- Develop your professional networks by attending meetings, volunteering or joining relevant associations related to your areas of interest.
Do your research
Deciding on a career is an important decision. Make sure you do your homework.
- Research occupations:
- What experience and education is required?
- What are salaries at entry level and with more experience?
- What are the skills needed?
- What is the potential growth in the career field or industry?
- What are the future trends?
- What are the common application procedures?
- What are the job titles that those in relevant occupations hold?
- Is it what you want to do?
- Research industries
- Look beyond the duties, skills or company to the industry behind it.
- Look for jobs that might fit under several industry banners, some of which you may be better suited to than others. For example, a marketing graduate may seek work within a marketing company (marketing services industry) or may seek employment in a marketing role but within the sports industry, manufacturing industry or tourism industry.
Resources
- myfuture site (search through The Facts then Industries section)
- USC's online Career Guide can help you select a program of study for a chosen career
- Surf the net—visit industry association websites, company websites, job search websites and read all the information you can to learn more about areas of employment you are interested in
- Print resources—access a wide range of books, videos and career resources at Career Connection
Next steps
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