Good career choice a difficult task!

     There were times when a degree from any professional institute was adequate enough to land up in an employment for life. But not anymore! Today, career choice is a science by itself and quite an intricate one at that. You need to be conducting a detailed study before deciding on a career choice. To be in sync with emerging economic and social environment is perhaps another inescapable requirement.

But there is one important thing about the whole affair – there is apparently no paucity of opportunities. Employment chances come up in different arenas and spheres; these are contingent on the requirements cropping up at different stages of the ongoing social revolution. Anybody who flies with the winds of change will definitely find greater opportunities.

In the good old days, making a career choice was an easy matter. Feudalism, that was in force for a long time made career selection a family domain. A goldsmith’s son became a goldsmith and a tailor’s son became a tailor. Industrialization that followed made things a little easy. Even commoners started having access to wealth, much to the surprise of feudal. Depending upon individual expertise, one could be a leader in his or her own sphere of trade.

Decades of industrialism have led to a new phenomenon – one may possess all requisite qualifications for a job, but that by itself is no assurance for success. The economy has come to revolve around only knowledge, which, is required to be updated and displayed at all times. Another trait that also needs to be possessed and exhibited is the ability to critically analyze matters. Of course, being cut out for a particular type of job is an important qualitative requirement.

But the strange aspect of the matter is that despite the above, one may not be able to land up in a permanent job. Perhaps this accounts for frequent career changes that people make.

A single career choice cannot be a guarantee for the future. There have to be several options always at hand; such options may have common knowledge and expertise requirements. By doing so, one stands better poised not only for a specific job but also for an uncertain future. Various other problems that are faced in making a good career choice are:

·   No planning:  A large majority of people ignore their inherent qualities and talents while hunting for a job. They do so simply for the sake of finding one at the earliest, and the moment they are able to get one, they join it. It is only much later in life, when frustration sets in that they realize their mistake. Sometimes they are so advanced into that job that options to go in for a change no more exist.

·   No research:  Another area where people generally err is in the research arena. A wee bit of career planning is done but no attempts are made to keep abreast with what is going on in the job circuit, including future prospects. Resultantly, one takes up a job, but several years down the line when it becomes irrelevant or loses significance, even repentance cannot do any good.

·   Unpublicized openings:   There are several jobs that are not advertised. But these also ought to be considered, particularly those that are good in the prevailing job market. Job opportunities will always exist and people who swim along with emerging social and economic changes will face no problem in encountering them.  However, they need to be in sync with one’s attitude, preferences and qualifications. It is important to understand that a set of qualifications arms a person for a host of opportunities.

·   Contract work:   As stated earlier, a permanent work is no more a reality. Most organizations like to either outsource work or hire people for specific periods of time. A contract assignment facilitates gauging future prospects by the employer as also helps an individual to ponder over his or her career choice or its suitability. The fact is that if one is able to acquit well, employers have no reservations in retaining him or her, at times by even offering better pay packages.

·   Aptitude analysis:  Any hunt for a job, temporary, permanent or otherwise calls for a proper procedural formality to ascertain suitability for a specific type of work. Individual dispositions are identified so that appropriate skills can be created. Should a person not possess requisite qualities, the agency concerned may render an unfavourable report. Today, employers are increasingly relying on such psychological tests to preclude hiring errors and hence call for adequate preparation prior to and an open mind while proceeding for such tests.

·   Being articulate:   In the present times, all appointments call for intense interaction with seniors, peers and subordinates alike. Liaison with customers and various other agencies are also an integral part of responsibilities. It is essential that individuals possess good communication skills for better people management. The sad part of the matter is that many persons are unable to improve their speaking and writing abilities before making any career choice.

The difficulties enumerated above have several aspects associated with them, some integral and some extraneous. Therefore, it is necessary that before actually deciding on a career, proper planning to ascertain maximum details be done. Networking efforts also need to be intensified to get to know about unadvertised openings. It is equally important to have a free mind while going out on a job hunt.