Question:
How can I chose what career I should go into?
anonymous
2006-08-12 16:37:00 UTC
I have no idea what type of career I want to have when I get older, but college is just around the corner and I need to figure out what I want to major in. Any ideas of how I should figure out what to do? Are there any good free or minimal cost tests online (or anyplace else) that would be good at telling me what types of careers I'd be good at? Any help would be great, thanks !
Fourteen answers:
anonymous
2006-08-12 17:04:12 UTC
You can google or yahoo search free aptitude tests and take two or three of them. Also what colour is your parachute is an excellent book to start reading and doing the various exercises in and that should help you on your way.



You might also want to talk to your guidance office in hs , they should be of some help , at least finding you aptitude tests you can do on computer at school.



Another thing to do is to take a sheet of paper divide it down the middle and on one side write the things you are good at or that you get grades in or that interest you.



Then on the opposite side of the page write down the things you absolutely hate, or won't do.



Compare the lists.



However when you looking for a career, find something you absolutely LOVE doing and are passionate about. Don't think about the salary, I know alot of people who make big bucks who hate what they're doing and are only in a field because mummy or daddy or gramma or grampa expected them to go into whatever.



Most first year students in university have to take something in all the subject areas or at least most of them. By then you'll have some idea what you enjoy studying and won't have to declare a major until your second year. Good luck, you'll be fine.
thejanith
2006-08-12 17:17:17 UTC
When I was attending college, we were all required to sit through a seminar on choosing careers. I did not like the idea at the time, but had to go and am now very glad I went because it has greatly influenced my life's decisions. The prof said that the best career for you is one where you enjoy it so much that you'd do it whether or not you were paid; the salary is just icing on the cake. I have a career like that, and have been in this career for over 20 years now. It's incredibly fulfilling.



Think about the things you really enjoy -- not just idle pastimes you do when there's nothing to do, or things you like to do because your friends do them, but something into which you'd gladly put a lot of time and energy -- and how these could fit into a career. If you have this "personal research" already done, a career counselor (or guidance counselor at high school) will be able to help you much more effectively.
anonymous
2006-08-12 16:57:29 UTC
in my opinion, college is for learning and exploring. you shouldn't pick your major based on the career opportunities it offers. study subjects you find interesting.



chances are your interests will change by the time you're done with college anyway because you'll be be exposed to new ideas and concepts you were not even aware existed.



if it turns out the career you choose requires study that you've already completed, then great-- an added bonus. but if not and it turns out you have to do a little more studying to get the required credentials, it won't be much of a setback because presumably you enjoy the field and are interested in learning about it.



basically, don't worry about it now. you have time.
Marcus R.
2006-08-12 16:51:40 UTC
"College is just around the corner"? Have you had a job yet? College will not give you a job, it only trains you to think critically and keep records. While someone with a college education is fated to get more money, its not a guarantee that you will be happy, so figure out what you like to do and focus on occupations where those skills are used. Of course you don't know what you like to do, right? Get a job and don't listen to those people who say that their unfulfilled. Many jobs are fulfilling and if your frugal and can budget yourself, you will be fulfilled. Even if your making minimum wage.
Ivan
2006-08-12 16:48:33 UTC
One of the worst advice you will ever get is "Follow your heart", "Do what you want".



Choose wisely. Pick something you like AND will make you a reasonable amount of money. Look at the careers that are available for people with the degree that you desire. Talk to student advisors or search the web.
anonymous
2006-08-12 16:47:04 UTC
I know what you're going through. In septembre i'm starting university in education, but really i don't even know if that is really what i want to do. It takes time to really know what you'll really like. You have to try things out before deciding on something. Try talking with people that work in areas that you areinterested in. If there's a subject that you like in school, maybe you should look into it. (i.e.: if you lke maths, maybe you should go into engineering, or teaching it, or .. ) There are test on tickle.com that can help you, and im sure if you google it you'll find plenty. You should also contact your guidance councellor. He/she will be able to point you in the right directions, its their job.
Sim S
2006-08-12 16:48:48 UTC
The first question you should ask about any type of job is: how's the job market? After that, think about what you're good at and what you're not good at. Go and either work or volunteer in a setting where you can learn more about that type of work. After that, you'll be ready to decide.
anonymous
2006-08-12 16:46:03 UTC
maybe my ideas will give u some ideas...



-engineering

i wanna try and do architectural engineering



-pharamacy

they make a lot of money now



-culinary

i love to cook



-teacher

always wanted to be one



-science

i'm really interested in weird things that happen in the world, like natural disaters, ghosts, etc.



think of things that interest you..things that are hobbies of yours.. what was or is ur fav subject in school? look up careers for that subject. good luck.
The Big Shot
2006-08-12 16:43:53 UTC
Read _What Color Is Your Parachute?_ by Richard N. Bolles. It will help with making a decision. You can also do a google search for a free mini Myers Brigg personality test.
nina buena
2006-08-12 16:41:15 UTC
do what u love there must b something your good at our that u like when u do go 4 it
Ned
2006-08-12 16:43:37 UTC
Katie, people generally like what they are good at. What are you good at? The money will come.
anonymous
2006-08-12 16:41:00 UTC
follow ur heart what do u really want to be
ladygiggles
2006-08-12 17:08:07 UTC
i love you advice that you gave me on the clothing thanks email me when ever @ ladygiggles12@yahoo.com
anonymous
2006-08-12 17:06:38 UTC
You have to like what you do, and love it too! But remember, responsibility is Important to any job...try not to jump around from one job to the other. Employers don't like that.



When you go on an Interview, smile and be Lively. Remember, 5 seconds upon entering the rrom, they know if your hired...



Make eye contact



Answer Questions with confidence



If you think you blew it, stay strong, chances are, they don't know, only you do...



don't go, "ummmmm" before answering, know your answers.



don't tray



dress nice



don't sway in you stand, or move while sitting. Yet don't be stiff, be Natural.



_______________________



when it comes to college, ask yourself if your willing to repeat highschool before going into the Field you choose...then ask if your willing to be in Debt later down the road because of needing to pay back school loans...



Try Trade-schools. Their not only less expensive, but you go strait into your chosen field, and because they don’t cost so much, you can take not one field but as many as you want.



Make sure you get a certificate before joining any course, and that they are registered with your state…and that you get credits for that course, transferable credits incase you wish to later decide to go to college…



Just a thought…



_______________________



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Description

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Required Course Supplies

A spiral notebook or loose-leaf binder for your journal and activities workbook.





Objectives

Identify a career(s) that interests you.

Work through your "yes, buts," your fears, and other obstacles to change.

Universalize your abilities and skills and make them more portable. You have far more to offer than you think!

Develop a financial freedom plan that enables you to transition to a more rewarding career.

Radically rethink your resume to reflect the real you.

Integrate the spiritual into your personal and professional lives.

Find the job or start the business of your dreams.

Discover the rewards of tradeoffs.



LESSON 1



The Dream: Laying the Groundwork

The New Career Paradigm

Rethinking Work

You Can Do It!

Identifying Your 'Yes, Buts'

Tips to Ease the Journey



LESSON 2



What Do You Want to Do?: Identifying Your Calling

Identifying Your Passion(s)

The Five Steps to Clarity

Verifying Your Instincts: Testing and Talking



LESSON 3



Who Are You? (Professionally, That Is)

Discovering More About the Professional You

Assessing Your Abilities & Skills

Identifying the Ones You Enjoy Using

Recasting Your Abilities and Skills: Making Them Broader and More Portable

Discover and Honor the New Professional You



LESSON 4



Who Are You, Really?

Completing the Journey Within

Integrating the Professional You and the 'Real' You

Redefining Yourself

Redefining Success

De-fanging the 'F' Word: Fear

Freeing Yourself for Career Transition



LESSON 5



Dealing with Family and Finances

Recruiting Your Spouse and Family

Dealing with Finances: The Role of Money in the Family

The Consumption Trap: Getting Clear About Wants, Needs, and Desires



LESSON 6



Achieving Financial Freedom

Where Are You Now?: Gaining Awareness

The Financial Freedom Plan: Disempowering Money

Money and Your Kids

Avoiding the Education Trap



LESSON 7



From Dream to Reality

Transitioning to Your New Career: A Checklist

The New You: Your Resume as a Mirror

Choosing a New Employer: The Job Search

Choosing a New Employer: The Interview

Starting Your Own Business: Lessons From Experience



LESSON 8



Living Your Dream: The Rewards of Tradeoffs

Insurance: Everyone's Least Favorite Topic

Non-monetary Tradeoffs

Economic Downshifting: The Ultimate Freedom

Happiness, the Ultimate Reward: Living Your Life from the Inside Out







__________________________



Book: Do What You Love for the Rest of Your Life: A Practical Guide to Career Change and Personal Renewal



Author: Bob Griffiths



Product Details:

Price: $13.95

Format: Paperback, 336pp

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group



FROM THE PUBLISHER

If your job is more stressful than it is satisfying and you fantasize about leaving it for a career you truly love, here is the book for you! Bob Griffiths himself quit a fast-track Wall Street firm at age 50 and launched a passionate new career-a move that has brought him enormous happiness and a sense of personal renewal. Now in this illuminating, eminently practical new book, Griffiths shares the secrets of real career success with everyone who wants to do what they love best.



Do What You Love for the Rest of Your Life takes you step-by-step through the adventure of changing careers at any stage in life. Here are easy-to-follow exercises to help you tap into your hidden strengths and reach your full potential. Here, too, are concrete, result-oriented suggestions on reworking your resumé, developing a "financial freedom plan" that gives you long-term stability, even starting that small business of your dreams. Griffiths shows how to identify your passions, honor your calling, and find the courage to deal with change. The choice is yours to make.



Bob Griffiths advocates nothing less than a fundamental change in the way we measure success. Rewarding, inspirational, as uplifting as it is useful, and full of remarkable true stories of people who have undergone major change, this extraordinary book will help you find the courage to succeed in the ways that really make a difference. It's true: You can at last Do What You Love for the Rest of Your Life!



FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

Griffiths, a former Wall Street honcho who downshifted into a more satisfying career as a playwright and professional speaker, draws on his and others' experiences to provide a road map for change. He advises readers to commit to a career change, identifying doubts (often money-related) before undertaking the process of identifying a passion, perhaps by taking tests or seeing a career counselor. The new career, says Griffiths, should integrate the personal and career selves. Emphasizing the need for family discussions about such change, Griffiths suggests that children care less about economic status than reliable parenting. As for money, he suggests getting control of finances and analyzing expectations, recognizing, e.g., that children can get a good education at non-brand name schools. His advice ranges from the psychological ("maintaining a constructive attitude") to the practical (make a chart assessing the skills and abilities applicable to new career possibilities). Avoid burning bridges, he says, as networking works better than responding to job ads. Acknowledging the trade-offs, Griffiths concludes that "self-worth" is more important than "net worth." His book is hardly comprehensive the appendix refers to a host of resources, including the legendary What Color Is Your Parachute? And, of course, it recounts the success stories rather than the failures. Still, Griffiths's spiritual approach living the Golden Rule and recognizing that happiness "is inversely proportionate to expectations" offers wise counsel to those beginning such journeys. (On sale Dec. 18) Forecast: With his public speaking experience, Griffiths's five-city tour and radio interviews may compensate some for hisrelative anonymity; expect middling sales. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.



________________



Book: Discover What You're Best At: A Complete Career System That Lets You Test Yourself to Discover Your Own True Career Abilities



Authors: Linda Gale, Barry Gale



Product Details:

Price: $14.00

Format: Paperback, 181pp

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Adult Publishing Group



FROM THE PUBLISHER

Take the test -- and find the right career for you.

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_____________________



Book: I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It



Authors: Barbara Sher, With Barbara Smith



Product Details:

Price: $16.00

Format: Paperback, 322pp

Publisher: Dell Publishing



I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It



ANNOTATION

Based on the principle that love is what we do best, the bestselling author of Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want offers expert, reassuring, concrete advice on getting to the heart of what we really want in life and dissolving the inner blocks that prevent us from achieving it.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

If you suspect there could be more to life than what you're getting...if you always knew you could do anything if you only knew what it was, this extraordinary book is about to prove you right!



A life without direction is a life without passion. The dynamic follow-up to the phenomenal best-seller Wishcraft, I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was (the New York Times Bestseller) guides you, not to another unsatisfying job, but to a richly rewarding career rooted in your heart's desire. And in a work of true emancipation, this life-changing sourcebook reveals how you can recapture "long lost" goals, overcome the blocks that inhibit your success, decide what you want to be, and live your dreams forever!



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* To stop waiting for luck—and start creating it.



FROM THE CRITICS

BookList - Denise Perry Donavin

Fans of Sher's Wishcraft: How to Get What You Really Want (1986) beseeched her aid in formulating their goals so that they could use her guide to meet lifetime ambitions. "This book is designed to help you find the good life," she says, and to "crave work that will spark you into excitement and energy." Sher explains why people have difficulty defining their goals and how to resolve such conflicts. From speaking to groups, she has come to realize there are patterns to the blocks that people experience. Among those patterns are tribal or family inhibitors; confusing, multitudinous goals; and fear of being trapped in one career path. This self-help book, rife with exercises and examples, will send many on the path to self-assessment and goal development.



__________________________



Book: Do What You Are: Discover the Perfect Career for You through the Secrets of Personality Type



Authors: Paul D. Tieger, Barbara Barron-Tieger, Barbara Tiger



FROM THE PUBLISHER

For over 10 years Do What You Are has helped hundreds of thousands of people find the job that suits their personality type best. Using workbook exercises, the book provides specific job search strategies, including information on how to harness the power of the Internet to conduct the most efficient and effective job search. It lists the wide array of occupations that are popular with your personality type, including today's hottest career tracks in growth areas such as e-commerce, biotechnology, new media, and telecommunications. Throughout, the authors provide savvy career advice and highlight the strengths and pitfalls of each personality type with real-life examples.



Author Biography: Paul Tieger and Barbara Barron-Tieger are principals of Communications consultants LLC and have been training professionals in the use of Personality Type for twenty years. They teach individuals and groups how to improve their effectiveness at work and at home. They live in West Hartford, Connecticut.





SYNOPSIS

Discover the perfect career for you through the secrets of Personality Type. Unlock the secrets of Personality Type--how you process information, make decisions, and interact with the world around you--and discover the career that is right for you. Do What You Are introduces Personality Type and shows you how to discover your own. Then, using workbook exercises and explaining specific job-search strategies, it lists occupations that are popular with your type, including today's hottest career tracks in growth areas such as biotechnology, health care, and telecommunications. Throughout, the authors provide savvy career advice and highlight the strengths and pitfalls of each personality type with real-life examples. If you are a recent graduate, job seeker, or career switcher, this lively guide will help you discover the right career for you. Join more than 100,000 satisfied readers and Do What You Are.



FROM THE CRITICS

New Orleans Times-Picayune

...The book is a fun excursion into self discovery. Read it for the insights and consider it lagniappe if it also points you the right direction.

WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING

A revolutionary way of finding the right job. Every job hunter or career changer needs this book.

— (Kevin Harrington, Career Services, Harvard Graduate School of Education)

Do What You Are offers an easy way to discover some extremely useful information about your Personality Type. When you are armed with this new self-awareness, the directions toward your own job-and-career satisfaction become clear.

— (William Corwin, Office of Career Services, Princeton University)

________________________________



Book: What Should I Do with My Life?: The True Story of People Who Answered the Ultimate Question



Author: Po Bronson



Product Details:

Price: $7.99

Format: Mass Market Paperback, 436pp

Publisher: Random House Publishing Group



FROM OUR EDITORS

Many people spend their lifetime asking but never answering the question, "What should I do with my life?" Po Bronson decided to probe the ultimate quandary by posing it to people around the world who had answered it in especially meaningful ways. This globetrotting book suggests that finding a purpose can be an entertaining business.

FROM THE PUBLISHER

In What Should I Do with My Life? Po Bronson tells the inspirational true stories of people who have found the most meaningful answers to that great question. With humor, empathy, and insight, Bronson writes of remarkable individuals -- from young to old, from those just starting out to those in a second career -- who have overcome fear and confusion to find a larger truth about their lives and, in doing so, have been transformed by the experience. What Should I Do with My Life? struck a powerful, resonant chord on publication, causing a multitude of people to rethink their vocations and priorities and start on the path to finding their true place in the world. For this edition, Bronson has added nine new profiles, to further reflect the range and diversity of those who broke away from the chorus to learn the sound of their own voice.

SYNOPSIS

“Brimming with stories of sacrifice, courage, commitment and, sometimes, failure, the book will support anyone pondering a major life choice or risk without force-feeding them pat solutions.”

—Publishers Weekly



What should I do with my life?



It's a question many of us have pondered with frequency.



FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

In this elevated career guide, Bronson (Bombardiers; The Nudist on the Late Shift) poses the titular question to an eclectic mix of "real people in the real world," compiling their experiences and insights about callings, self-acceptance, moral guilt, greed and ambition, and emotional rejuvenation. Bronson crisscrosses the country seeking out remarkable examples of successful and not-so-successful people confronting tough issues, such as differentiating between a curiosity and a passion and deciding whether or not to make money first in order to fund one's dream. Bronson frames the edited responses with witty, down-to-earth commentaries, such as those of John, an engineer whose dream of building an electric car crumbled under his personal weaknesses; and Ashley, a do-gooder burdened by the unlikely combination of self-hatred and a love for humanity. Bronson wants to understand what makes these people-among them a timid college career counselor trapped in his job, a farmer bullish on risk-taking, a financial expert grabbing an opportunity to rebuild her brokerage firm devastated by the World Trade Center tragedy and a scientist who rethinks his lifelong work and becomes a lawyer-tick. He occasionally digresses, musing on his own life too much, and frequently hammers points home longer than necessary, but neither of these drawbacks undercuts the book's potency. The "ultimate question" is a topic always in season, worthy of Bronson's skillful probing and careful anecdote selection. Brimming with stories of sacrifice, courage, commitment and, sometimes, failure, the book will support anyone pondering a major life choice or risk without force-feeding them pat solutions. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Bronson leaves behind The Nudist on the Late Shift to talk to people with dreams, like the lawyer who opted to become a trucker so that he could spend more time with his son. Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information.

School Library Journal

Adult/High School-Some of the individuals Bronson interviewed have not found the answer to the title question, some aren't sure there is one for them, while others think their answer may be only temporary. The 55 pieces range from a woman who had wanted to be a doctor since age six but changed her mind abruptly after realizing her dream, to a Native American who wrote a 20-year plan for his future that would enable him to devise and implement ways for his people to wean themselves from government handouts. Bronson has both bad and good jobs behind him, and his interviews include his own insightful reactions to and thoughts about his subjects' ideas and personalities. The discussions of mistakes, lessons, and hard-fought decisions on the iffy road to occupational fulfillment will be valuable for teens.-Judy McAloon, Potomac Library, Prince William County, VA Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information.

Kirkus Reviews

A long walk, composed of short vignettes, through the career decisions of 50 professional Americans. Inspired by his own feelings of confusion about hustling up work in the wake of thinning assignments, journalist and novelist Bronson (The Nudist on the Late Shift, 1999, etc.) hits the road to report on the state of people pursuing their dreams in the workplace. While considering his own career path, Bronson had a realization: "Nothing seemed more brave to me than facing up to one's own identity." Accordingly, he has gone in pursuit of those courageous souls. We are introduced to an investment banker turned catfish farmer, a dancer turned PR executive, a TV writer who left Hollywood to return to his roots in Pittsburgh, an Olympic hopeful who gave it up to be a mother, and countless others, most of whom have intriguing work histories to relate. Just for variety, there’s even a professional who has had a single employer (NASA) since graduating from college more than a decade ago. The character who receives the most attention, however, is Bronson himself. The author is relentless in his efforts to insert his reactions to his subjects, both during and after the interviews. When an electric-car inventor becomes overly involved in home improvements and loses track of his own ambitions, the readers are capable of groaning inwardly all on their own; Bronson's report that "it hurt to learn this" is maddeningly extraneous. Certainly, such a project needs an organizing principle, but Bronson's freewheeling analysis and earnest assertions of respect for his subjects fail to engage, resulting in messy pastiche of oral history, sociology, and self-help. Well-researched, engaging stories strugglingunder the weight of cloying commentary.





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