Get set to select a career

Getting to select a carer line, though formidable, can also be an easy affair. You need to complement your propensities and abilities; this may necessitate change some to match the other and vice versa.

The career field that you decide to pursue today is a vital life decision because of the enormous time that you will devote to your job in the years to come. It will also define the number of possibilities that you will enjoy to branch out on the basis of your fundamental capabilities. Therefore, your decision has to consider all possible flairs that you have so that you have the greatest degree of independence, free-will and flexibility to embark upon varied jobs competently and assertively.

So, how do you move ahead? Here are some questions that you need to find answers to and which will serve as tips for discovering the most appropriate career for you:

· What do you love to do? Most people look for outside support to decide their career paths. You need to identify people who you hold in high esteem and find out what they do. And more importantly, you will have to work out your aspirations and correspond your abilities with those necessary in your selected field of work. This entails investigative and exploratory work. 

· What are your skills that contribute to doing things that you delight in? Some reflection on things that you excel at and delight in will point to those that you would enjoy at your work too. To illustrate the point, you could be liking gardening as a leisure; you could thus take up landscaping, floriculture, horticulture, greenhouse management or grounds-keeping as a fulltime pursuit. It is the potential field that you need to decide ab initio and thereafter you will be all set to partner with your skills.

· What are various broad fields that you can work in? An area of work entails taking up different types of jobs. You should regard your inclinations and fascinations in the context of searching a career path that will open up a minimum of four or five job alternatives within the array of a particular field. For example, you may become a doctor, but the options are working at a hospital, teaching at a medical college, practising medical law or hospital administration. Likewise, if your communication skills are good, you can take up editing, publishing, copywriting, opinion journalism and even PR consultancy jobs.  It will all depend on your individual disposition and readiness to experiment.

· What are the qualitative requirements for various fields that interest you? You need to find out about the attributes and qualifications that are sought by employers for different jobs. This would necessitate some research and the information that you gather will assist you in deciding specific fields and extent of studies required. 

· Who are the people engaged in similar fields and who can help you learn more? Having discerned jobs that appeal to you, it is essential that you interact with people who are already working in such lines. You will get to know their opinions and even recommendations. It is likely that you may take on an apprenticeship to get a hang of what things will be if you take up a pursuit as a career.

· How should you assess your career line for its harmony with your perceptions and research? If you couple the advice you get with your own findings plus outlook, you will be able to envision your career path. You will have some lifestyle aspirations and they should invariably be dovetailed in your planning to make your future as pragmatic and secure as possible.

· How can you be better poised for the career that you intend choosing? You should make good use of your networking to get into honorary or even low-remuneration jobs so that you have a good practical exposure to working conditions. By doing so, you will be in a position to prioritise acquisition of additional skills and qualifications.

· What is the most important aspect of your outlook? As always, the need to maintain an upbeat approach is very important. You should be open to suggestions so that you can adapt yourself to fast changing situations. There will be high-pressure demands which you should regard as challenges. Above all, you must maintain the exclusivity that you possess because that is what will make you stand out and create an impact on your employers. 

Your decision to select a career is a turning point in your life. Just as you cannot judge a fish on its ability to climb a tree, you need to weigh various factors that will stand in your favour. And the more detailed and serious your effort, the better will be your future.