(COR) Choosing a Career Lesson
Choosing a Career Lesson
Choosing a career can be daunting. You may not have a very clear idea of what you want to do "when you grow up." Don't feel bad! I am in my third decade in education and I don't know either!
The good news is that you no longer have to be bound to a single career for your whole life. That is no longer the norm. Your generation will be able to move between careers easily. The thing is to find a general direction.
It is good to start off with getting to know yourself better. Karl Jung was a psychologist who designed a really interesting personality inventory. It is pretty accurate and may help you gain insight about your personality. Remember, these type of tests are not always accurate. Some people take them a day apart and get very different results. Nonetheless, they are helpful.
Jung Test and GCIS
Take the Jung Test which is located below. It takes a while to complete so make sure you have plenty of time. Be sure to pay close attention to the careers that are mentioned. You may want to cut and paste the results for later.
This resource is the Georgia Career Information Center (GCIS). GCIS provides current and accurate occupational and educational information in order to help young people make informed career choices. All students have their own accounts and can access it by visiting the Georgia Career Information System Links to an external site. website. Your username is your student identification number. The password is Bd and your 8-digit date of birth (example Bd10081999).
- Sign In - you instructor can help you with that
- Complete the "Interest Profiler"
- Complete the "Career Cluster Inventory" (the one with 48 questions)
- Choose three careers that came up.
- Go to "My Portfolio" and complete "My Career Plan"
- Share it with your instructor for check off.
The Three Circles
When you think about your career there are three things you should consider.
- The first circle is what are you good at? What are your talents? I love music, but I have no talent. I am probably not going to start my career on American Idol. But what about you - what comes naturally to you? The first thing you must have for a career is an aptitude. Aptitude is a natural ability to do something.
- The second circle is you must have an interest. I am very good at running a business. I did it when I was in my twenties and was very successful, but I hated it. I hated going to work. Life is too short to do something you hate. So think about careers you would like to do. Don't let things like pay or what someone else thinks about the career stop you in this process.
- The third circle is you must be comfortable with the benefits and pay of the job. I had a friend growing up who is an artist. He does not make much money, but he is OK with that. He loves his job and is very talented. Some people won't be happy unless they make a lot of money. And that is OK! You need to be real about this - what standard of living will you be comfortable with? As for me, teachers don't make much, but I live a comfortable life with my family. I am OK that I drive an older car. But what about you? Can you live a moderate lifestyle, yet do what you love?
So - the three circles come together. What careers are you looking at that you are interested in, good at the skills required for that field and will earn the income you desire? Those are the careers I suggest you pursue.
Remember what Confucius said, "Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life!"
[CC BY 4.0] UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED | IMAGES: LICENSED AND USED ACCORDING TO TERMS OF SUBSCRIPTION