Choosing the career path is tough and requires a careful assessment of your abilities, potential and aspirations to move ahead. It is a challenge for everyone to sustain in the ever growing competitive professional world where a right move at the right time may take you to pinnacles in career, while a wrong move may dwell you into pits. You might have had the right skills to move ahead but you need to use them in the right direction to be able to succeed in your career.
1. Begin by determining what you like to do
Most people begin to explore career path that have good packages and try to follow professionals in that field. However, you should always identify your potential and identify what your interest is, analyze what you enjoy doing the most, what kind of people you respect, find what they do for work and know who your role model is. For example, you are skilled in technology and you like to develop new ideas to come up with new games, then why should you not look for a career in developing gaming softwares? Do a preliminary exercise to match your skills and experience to what you wish to do. This will require a lot of research, interviewing people and assessing your needs to build on what you want to do.
2. Carry out a SWOT analysis
At any point of your career, it is wise to do a SWOT analysis of yourselves which means analyzing your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. List your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in four quadrants and keep revisiting them. Be positive on your strengths, strengthen your weak areas, research and identify opportunities that may help you grow in your career, at the same time beware of threats that may cause any harm. A careful analysis of your character, potential, professional skills and guidance will drive you in right direction of growth and success in your career.
3. Carry out a thorough market research
Keep an eye outside the market and do not remain too stringent to follow any shift patterns in your career. Many people tend to look at options available just within their current line of work, and miss out on the opportunities that are available outside. Do a careful assessment of market and potential areas of growth even outside your periphery of work. Think of aligning your abilities and skills to the growing segment and start taking necessary steps. Talk to people and assess on their feedbacks, your interns and projects in your curriculum all count to your interest and direction you have chosen to build career.
4. Choose the prospective fields and industry for work
There are a variety of jobs in respective fields, for example, if you choose IT as your career there are a variety of jobs that may fit to your respective line of study. There are a variety of roles in IT as Software engineering, Business development, Sales, Administration, HR, Quality, Research & development etc. You may choose to the stream depending on your line of study, for example, if you are an MBA in HR, you may look for roles within Human Resource Management.
5. Carry your skills with experience
Ensure that your skills do not go obsolete and decide a direction where your skills can be continuously utilized in line with your experience. Keep upgrading your skills through learning, reading and trainings as the market is competitive and requires expertise in every niche. Research the market to what are the hot skills in the market inline to your line of work. Y2K gave opportunity to many who had relevant skills necessary to excel in the job to fix the bugs.
6. Get required trainings and education in the career of your choice
Register for the required trainings and education in the career you have opted for. Enhance your skills by connecting, networking, educating, taking trainings and keep contributing in any short term assignments in-line with your career. Do not leave any gaps in your study, education and expertise that are needed to get a profession in your chosen career field.
7. Be optimistic
When you are finally trained and ready to take up your dream job, be very optimistic in your approach and start taking necessary actions to boost your career. Prepare yourself for the change and drastic shifts that come your way in your career. Keep yourselves focussed and cherish every single opportunity that comes your way. Remember, your prospective employer is always looking out for the best in you in pursuit of skilled and educated workers to contribute to their organization.
This article was culled from Simplilearn.com.
Author: Eshna Verma
