5 Keys To Getting On The Right Career Path
Lisa G. Claycomb
April 09, 2010
Now that spring has arrived, the time is quickly approaching when many thousands of students will leave college with a degree in hand. For most that is a huge sense of accomplishment, but what lies ahead may leave them with an even larger sense of emptiness. Why? Because countless students have not yet made a plan for what they will do with that degree once itīs obtained.
So what can you do if youīre one of those students? Most graduates will begin by looking for a job and thatīs a good start. However, looking for that job often involves seeking any job that will allow them to use their degree. If youīre looking for that job vacancy that fits your degree, youīre not really looking for something that suits you as a person. That can lead to a lifetime of jumping from job to job to find the right fit. You can avoid that pitfall by following these 5 steps when making a plan for your career.
1. Get A Job, Any Job
Once we get our degree, it is human nature to set out to use that degree that we have just spent a lot of time and money to earn. In doing so, we may find ourselves going down the wrong path for a long time. It is much better to go through the process of finding the right career path from the start. It will be well worth the time and effort you spend.
Initially, the job that you get will not be critical to your career. So get whatever job you can find that will help you pay the bills while you conduct some research to get you on the right path. Donīt worry if itīs not in your new career field.
2. Research Your Career Field
Now that you have a job and you arenīt stressing about money, relax. Start playing with ideas on the internet to find out what is available to you with the degree that you have obtained. Go to a few different search engines and type in "What can I do with a _________________ degree?" Different search engines will provide different results, so you donīt want to limit yourself to just one. Choose up to about 5 careers that seem most appealing to you before you move on to the next step.
3. Conduct Informational Interviews
Now that you have selected a few potential ways to use your degree, find some people who actually do those jobs. Call them up, explain your situation and ask if they can afford you a few minutes of their valuable time for an informational interview. Prepare questions in advance so that you can be concise and respectful of their time. Find out what they actually do all day and ask about the positives and negatives of the career. Additionally, ask about things that are most important to you such as job flexibility, vacation time, work hours, and anything else that is significant in your life.
4. Look At Potential Employers And What They Offer
Armed with the information that you have obtained from your research and informational interviews, you are ready to look at potential employers and what they have to offer you. If you have many choices, narrow it down to the 4 or 5 that most interest you for the next step. You can always look at others if those donīt pan out.
Now look at the potential employers that will hire you for those careers. Look at the tasks you will be performing along with the salary, promotional opportunities, benefits, retirement programs, and other potential perks. Select the top 2 or 3 based on your overall assessment of the entire package.
5. Make And Implement A Plan Of Action
Now that you have identified how you will use your degree to carve out a positive career path, go forth and begin your job search. Make a plan of action for identifying companies that you will target and what your strategy will be. Set goals for learning about the hiring practices of the companies in which you are interested and the number of jobs you will apply for each week. Additionally, find ways to network with people who work for those companies and conduct additional informational interviews. For example, make an appointment with the personnel manager or director and inform that person that you are interested in working for a company like theirs. Ask what the company looks for in selecting new employees and how you can best prepare yourself to be a top candidate.
If you are looking for a career position that fits you rather than just some job that will allow you to use your degree, take the time to go through these 5 steps to make a valuable plan. Keep in mind that you will likely be in your career for many years, so make sure itīs something that you like and that suits you as a person. Good luck in your pursuits.
So what can you do if youīre one of those students? Most graduates will begin by looking for a job and thatīs a good start. However, looking for that job often involves seeking any job that will allow them to use their degree. If youīre looking for that job vacancy that fits your degree, youīre not really looking for something that suits you as a person. That can lead to a lifetime of jumping from job to job to find the right fit. You can avoid that pitfall by following these 5 steps when making a plan for your career.
1. Get A Job, Any Job
Once we get our degree, it is human nature to set out to use that degree that we have just spent a lot of time and money to earn. In doing so, we may find ourselves going down the wrong path for a long time. It is much better to go through the process of finding the right career path from the start. It will be well worth the time and effort you spend.
Initially, the job that you get will not be critical to your career. So get whatever job you can find that will help you pay the bills while you conduct some research to get you on the right path. Donīt worry if itīs not in your new career field.
2. Research Your Career Field
Now that you have a job and you arenīt stressing about money, relax. Start playing with ideas on the internet to find out what is available to you with the degree that you have obtained. Go to a few different search engines and type in "What can I do with a _________________ degree?" Different search engines will provide different results, so you donīt want to limit yourself to just one. Choose up to about 5 careers that seem most appealing to you before you move on to the next step.
3. Conduct Informational Interviews
Now that you have selected a few potential ways to use your degree, find some people who actually do those jobs. Call them up, explain your situation and ask if they can afford you a few minutes of their valuable time for an informational interview. Prepare questions in advance so that you can be concise and respectful of their time. Find out what they actually do all day and ask about the positives and negatives of the career. Additionally, ask about things that are most important to you such as job flexibility, vacation time, work hours, and anything else that is significant in your life.
4. Look At Potential Employers And What They Offer
Armed with the information that you have obtained from your research and informational interviews, you are ready to look at potential employers and what they have to offer you. If you have many choices, narrow it down to the 4 or 5 that most interest you for the next step. You can always look at others if those donīt pan out.
Now look at the potential employers that will hire you for those careers. Look at the tasks you will be performing along with the salary, promotional opportunities, benefits, retirement programs, and other potential perks. Select the top 2 or 3 based on your overall assessment of the entire package.
5. Make And Implement A Plan Of Action
Now that you have identified how you will use your degree to carve out a positive career path, go forth and begin your job search. Make a plan of action for identifying companies that you will target and what your strategy will be. Set goals for learning about the hiring practices of the companies in which you are interested and the number of jobs you will apply for each week. Additionally, find ways to network with people who work for those companies and conduct additional informational interviews. For example, make an appointment with the personnel manager or director and inform that person that you are interested in working for a company like theirs. Ask what the company looks for in selecting new employees and how you can best prepare yourself to be a top candidate.
If you are looking for a career position that fits you rather than just some job that will allow you to use your degree, take the time to go through these 5 steps to make a valuable plan. Keep in mind that you will likely be in your career for many years, so make sure itīs something that you like and that suits you as a person. Good luck in your pursuits.
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