Are you ready to jump into the workforce for the first time? Are you tired of your current dead end job and eager to make a change? Either way, here is something we think will help you make your next move: 6 Career Planning Tips.
- Reflect on your likes and dislikes, wants and desires.
- Start by identifying your likes and dislikes. Take a blank piece of paper and draw a line down the middle so you have two columns. Now list your likes on the left side and your dislikes on the right. Keep your current job in mind while doing this but don’t limit yourself to only reflecting on what you like and don’t like about your current job–consider the bigger picture. What things really matter to you in your life?
- Now let’s work on your desires. This exercise can be done simply by jotting down your thoughts on a separate piece of paper. What do you desire out of your career? Do you want to help people? Do you want to work with your hands? Do you want to build things? Fix things? Break things? Do you want to work in a clean, clinical setting or maybe you’d rather work in a forest or a factory setting? Thinking about what you want out of a job will help you focus your energies in the right direction.
- Examine your pastimes and hobbies.
- Next take some time to think about what you enjoy to do when you have free time: what are your pastimes and hobbies? It might seem weird to think about what you like to do when you are not working while you’re career planning, but examining what you like to do outside of work can actually give helpful insight into a good career fit.
- So think about this and be sure to jot down your ideas.
- Review career and job trends.
- There are lots of helpful resources out there that provide detailed information about career and job trends. One of the most reliable resources is the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). The BLS collects and analyzes data on each career and then provides that information to the public in order to help them make educated career choices. They provide all kinds of helpful information about each career, including:
- What activities are required for that career
- Work the work conditions are like in that career
- How to get started working in that career
- What the median pay is like for people working in that career
- The expected job outlook for that career
- And more
- So spend some time doing your research on BLS.gov and pay extra close attention careers with promising job outlooks.
- Set Career and Job Goals.
- Ask yourself these questions:
- Where do you want to be in 1 year?
- What about 3 years?
- How about 5 years?
- Then once you have answered those questions, ask yourself this:
- Will you be where you want to be in 5 years if you keep going in the direction you’re headed now?
- Since you are currently taking steps to plan a new career, chances are the answer to the last question is “No.” So now it is time to look at your answers to where you want to be in 1 year, 3 years and 5 years and set up action items to reach those goals. You won’t end up where you want to be in 5 years without making a plan and taking action, so here is where you outline exactly what steps you need to take to reach your 1-, 3-, and 5-year goals.
- Explore new education/training opportunities.
- Many professional opportunities require advanced training. And even if a given profession doesn’t actually require formal education, being prepared with proper training can’t hurt your chances of landing your dream job. So take some time to explore what kinds of education and training opportunities are available in your area and your field of interest. If you are in Santa Clara, we at IBT we offer the following career training programs:
- HVAC
- Electrical Technician
- Lab Assistant, EKG Technician/Phlebotomy
- Medical Assistant
- Medical Coder/Biller/Office Assistant
- Massage Therapy
- Ultrasound Technician/Diagnostic Medical Sonographer
- Building and Maintenance Facility Technician
- Research future job/career advancement opportunities.
- Once you have a career in mind, be sure to explore the advancement opportunities in that field. Many entry-level careers like those we prepare students for here at IBT have the potential to propel motivated individuals into positions of increased authority and increased salary. Having goals for advancement in mind before you even begin your career training can be exceptionally motivating.
Here at IBT we are dedicated to helping our students discover their career path and teaching them the skills they need to achieve their goals. Every one of our hands-on programs is career-oriented and designed to prepare graduates for rewarding entry-level work in their field of study.
Call us today to speak to your admissions representative and learn more about how we can help you on your path to the career of your dreams.
