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The most important piece of advice I can offer today's job seeker is to first figure out, as best as you can, exactly what you want to do.
This is the first and possibly the most important step in the career planning process. If relevant career options are not identified, the remaining steps (researching career options, resume writing, job searching, and interviewing) become more and more difficult to complete and, when completed, are more likely to result in job dissatisfaction. Once you have identified what you most want to do, everything else that follows falls into place more easily.
Researching career ideas is more focused, resumes are easier to complete and reflect greater direction, job searching/networking efforts are often more productive and oral presentation/interviewing skills more effective.
The best way for any job-seekers today to best prepare themselves for whatever follows is to understand the career planning process and complete all the steps thoroughly. For example, when identifying career options, do the necessary self-assessment, understand what your preferred interests, skills, and values are and their relationship to career possibilities. |
As you explore options concentrate on two questions; what aspects of the career areas you're considering will be more up-and-coming (and thus make you more employable) in the future and how can you best maintain flexibility in how you can fit into the world of work.
Only good research (through written and people resources) on your part will help you to find the answers to these questions. |
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If
someone were interested in the art field, for example, it may be advisable
to consider computer graphics with all the opportunities the Internet
seems to be offering.
On the other hand, social workers have great flexibility in the world
of work because of the many work settings that they can plug into (all
educational settings from elementary schools to universities, as well
as hospitals, mental health clinics, corporate employment assistance programs,
HMO's, private practices, nursing homes and more).
In fact, it wouldn't be unusual for a social worker to combine two or
three of the options mentioned on a part-time basis to equal a full-time
job, especially if full-time jobs were hard to come by.
This kind of configuration is what author William Bridges refers to as
a composite career. Currently, at least 25 percent of the workforce is
contingent (part-time, temporary, independent contractors, or consultants),
and the numbers are sure to increase in the future.
One needs to take charge of one's own career as if it was a business (another
idea espoused by Bridges) and not rely on others to insure security in
the hectic job market of today and into the future. By building in career
options that have favorable employment outlooks and offer greater flexibility,
job seekers can better meet this. |
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