How do most individuals decide on a professional path?
They don’t. After graduation, they stumble into a job, accept whatever they can get, and pursue one of the few options accessible from that haphazard position.
It’s no surprise that most individuals are dissatisfied with their jobs.
However, there is a technique to limit your prospective hobbies so that you may choose a profession that you would like.
Our creator and career-path expert, Ramit Sethi, has created a Dream Job system that allows you to explore ALL of the vocations you’re interested in, test each one to see whether you’d love performing it, and move on to other jobs if it’s not a good match.
Here are some of our finest career-finding ideas, even if you have no clue what you want to do.
1. Gain a better understanding of yourself and your personality.
A thorough assessment of your personality determines the kind of work you’d be most suited for. We’re not talking about taking a random professional personality test and doing whatever it says – such tests are frequently unrealistic and don’t provide you with a good picture of your true motivations.
Ask yourself the following questions instead, and let your answers influence your job hunt.
What inspires you?
Finding out what inspires you is the first step in determining your personality. If you can’t answer that question on your own, talk to your friends, family, and coworkers to figure out what motivates you. When do people notice your eyes are brightening? Perhaps it’s after you’ve assisted someone or solved a challenging challenge. Understanding what makes you feel energized might help you choose the proper professional path.
Examine your abilities.
Some occupations need soft talents such as communication and charisma, while others require certain academic qualifications. Technical occupations, for example, demand that you have an analytical attitude and knowledge. When your sole background is in art history, you won’t be able to apply for a scientific research post. If you decide to change careers, be aware that you will almost certainly need further training.
Recognize your flaws and dislikes.
Develop some self-awareness and identify your biggest flaws and dislikes. You can discover that you have bad delegation abilities or despise teamwork. You’ll have to admit to yourself where you have flaws or dislikes. For example, if you dislike talking to people, a job in customer service is probably not for you.
2. Make a list of possible jobs to investigate.
One of the most difficult aspects of deciding on a profession is deciding on just ONE job…that you’ll be doing for the rest of your life.
- “What if I conclude that I despise doing X?” “Will I ever be able to do anything else?”
- “What if, in a few years, I want to change careers?” So, what do I do now?”
- “What if I like doing a lot of different activities and can’t determine where to put my energy?”
Simply begin by making a list of all of the jobs and job titles you could be interested in.
Simply jot down whatever you wish to learn more about.
- Do you think copywriting is entertaining? Make a note of it on your to-do list.
- Do you think you’d make a good marketing director? Make a list.
- Do you know someone who works in inside sales and thinks what they do is interesting? Make a note of it on the page.
- Have you considered a career as a baker? Nothing is too far out there. Make a note of it.
As Ramit calls it, the Cloud Technique refers to the fact that your alternatives are as limitless as the sky.
Instead of always saying “No, I can’t do that because…”, you may now say “Yes” to EVERYTHING you’re interested in.
Where do you think your thoughts should originate from? Here are some ideas for career brainstorming:
- Make a list of any previous jobs or job titles that have piqued your interest.
- Read job descriptions on LinkedIn or another job posting site. Add anything that catches your attention or seems to be entertaining to do to your list of prospective ideas.
- Consider your current talents and those you’d want to improve. Then look for employment that needs those abilities. Do you, for example, like designing and being creative? Search online to see what occupations demand such talents. Include these alternatives in your list of possible occupations.
- Consider persons whose occupations you admire. Have you ever felt envious of your aunt because she manages your favourite band’s tour? Make a note of it.
3. Do some research on your preferred options.
It’s time to perform some in-depth study once you’ve provisionally picked a few job titles. This is when you move from “Hmm…sounds fascinating” to grasping the job’s responsibilities.
Remember, you don’t have to know all there is to know about these jobs just now. You just want to study as much as possible to determine whether or not a career is suited for you.
Let’s look at the job title “engineer” to illustrate what you should be looking for.
The first thing you should do is gain a birds-ey perspective of the project:
- What exactly do engineers do?
- What are the many engineers (petroleum, electrical, civil, etc.)?
- For what kind of businesses do they work?
You may discover this information by searching for “introduction to [INSERT JOB]” on Wikipedia or by Googling “introduction to [INSERT JOB].”
You may begin to remove some of the possibilities you initially selected as you handle those wide and sweeping inquiries. And that’s just OK. That is anticipated. It doesn’t necessarily follow that what seems intriguing in theory will be interesting in practice.
At this point, you want to focus on narrowing down your options. If you run out of job titles on your list, just return to step three (with your new understanding of what you want from a career) and begin again.
You may go further into the nitty-gritty details if you have a basic high-level grasp of the positions:
- How much does this position pay?
- What kind of academic background is required?
- What is the course of events?
- What does your employment include daily?
- How many hours do they work every week?
- Will there be any travel involved?
- What distinguishes a brilliant engineer from a decent one? Is it a long-term strategy? What about quantitative abilities? Do you have any innovative ideas?
- What blogs, books, or websites do they read daily to remain updated?
Ask yourself, “Could I imagine myself doing this?” the whole time you’re going through this procedure. “Does this still pique my interest?” and “Does this still pique my interest?”
This method will assist you in determining what you genuinely appreciate. You’re ready to hear from folks who work in these professions after whittling down your selection again. That’s how you know you’ve made the best professional decision.
4. Conduct fact-finding interviews
An informative interview is a casual conversation with someone who works in your preferred field. It is the last stage in determining your professional path.
Although you may have heard of informative interviews before, few individuals conduct them. There are two things you should be aware of:
- An informative interview is a chance to meet and learn from someone you’re interested in. So, if you’re wondering about what a product manager or engineer performs and want to learn more about the position, this is the place to go.
- People want to meet intelligent people who share their interests. That indicates you’re intriguing if you send a fantastic email and ask intelligent questions.
How to do an informational interview is as follows:
Make a reservation for them.
To begin, make a list of people you’d want to chat with. Then, send them a pleasant email asking whether they’d be interested in meeting with you. You may change and utilize this example email script.
Hello there, Allen!
I hope everything is OK with you and that you enjoy my email. I’m considering catching up on a few subjects related to my chosen profession.
I’ve read a lot about quality control at big pharmaceutical businesses and am interested in learning more, but there isn’t much information on the ground. The position will need me to work on a manufacturing line, and I’m curious about what that entails and what I should expect. Given your over a decade-long profession in the same area, which I appreciate, I know you are resourceful!
Would you mind connecting with me online for a short time so that I can gather your thoughts on quality control as a line engineer?
Please let me know when is a good time for us to talk.
Warm regards,
Tommy
Keep it brief. Give a convincing rationale and go right to the point.
Make a list of talking points.
You don’t want to be caught off guard during an informative interview. Prepare your questions in advance and some background research on the individual you’ll be interviewing. This will assist you in connecting with them while also allowing you to get the most out of the interview.
Tell the truth about your problems.
You may express your concerns about the position you’re learning about during an informational interview. After all, you haven’t decided to pursue it as a profession yet. It’s better to find out now if it’s not a good match for you than to find out later after you’ve begun working in that field.
Listen attentively.
During your informative interview, pay attention and take notes. During the discussion, ask questions. If you’re stumped for questions, try an open-ended one like, “Is there anything more you can tell me about XYZ?”
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Send a greetings letter to the person who helped you.
After an informative interview, it’s vital to send a thank-you message. Send an email to the individual with whom you talked and let them know how their guidance is assisting you in achieving your objectives. Even if you don’t intend to work in that field after the interview, you should never burn a professional bridge by failing to follow up.
We see a lot of students struggling to find a career that they want, and we want to assist. While it’s unlikely that an ideal job would fall into your lap, you may go about finding one scientifically. This isn’t to suggest it’s always simple. It is, nonetheless, doable.
Allow us to suggest you in achieving your goals by leading you along a professional path that you like. Allow us to assist you in your search for your ideal employment.