|
 |
Career Planning: Researching a Career and Company
How to work out what you want to do, and what types of company most
suits you.
|
Only a
few individuals really know what they want to do and what route in life
they are going to take. Some will fulfil their dream and become a
doctor or air pilot, but you must remember that MOST of us are clueless
about our future
career path and do not know what we want to do or who
we want to work for.
So, if this sounds like you and you need to work out what your first
step on the career ladder should be or in fact, you want a Career
Change then there are several things you can do in order to work out
what you may enjoy doing, what you may be good at, who you would enjoy
working for and what sort of
job you should go for.
|
|
Skills & Abilities, Strengths &
Weaknesses
Firstly, identify the skill and abilities you have. Do not be shy -
this is about you and for you and you do not need to show others if you
don't want to. Draw on those skills you may have learnt through a
degree/qualification and previous
work experiences. Highlight those
areas you enjoyed, those you disliked and pick out where your strengths
and weaknesses lie. For example, if you are good at organising and
co-ordinating, make a note. Maybe you are someone who loathes working
with figures, which will rule out any type of accounting career. Write
them down in a table, listing everything.
|
|
Research Job Roles & Industries
Your next task would be to do some research. There are many places you
can do this including the following.
|
|
On the Internet
The Internet holds more information than you can imagine, so it is a
great source of information! Look at various job roles, read up on
different industries and see what interests you. Check out the search
engines, look at the job profile pages on job boards and read some job
descriptions online. Look into the skills and abilities that are
required for the jobs and look into exactly what the job entails. See
whether these match the skills you have developed. By reading the
job
descriptions, you will be able to work out whether it may be something
you will enjoy and something you will be good at.
After this you may have now been able to eliminate a number of jobs you
think you may hate and pin point a selected few that are possible
options. If not, do not worry; there are further ways to research...
|
|
Friends & Acquaintances
Think about those people you already know that are in certain roles and
industries that interest you. Speak to them and find out what they do
on a day-to-day basis and find out the 'nitty gritty' about the job
that you may not find out otherwise.
|
|
Work Experience & Visits
Check out the job/company/industry. Offer yourself as someone who will
do some work experience to see if you like the role - some jobs allow
you to visit and sit in on classes e.g. School Teachers. However, not
every company will allow this - you may only be able to do this if you
already know someone working there - so use your contacts if you can.
|
|
Careers Advisors - Careers Centres at Universities
If you are a graduate, you will have the advantage of being able to
visit a
Careers Advisor at your campus who will be able to discuss your
alternatives. This can be extremely helpful to receive some
professional, personal advice.
Non-graduates - you will find some Careers-related sites around the UK
where there are Careers Advisors that you can speak to. There are
workshops and day events that you can attend to get advice and guidance
from a professional.
|
|
Job Fairs
Attending job fairs can help you to speak to direct companies about
their
roles, face to face. You can really sell yourself to them and
find out exactly what you want to know. It also can help you to find
out what else is out there that you don't already know. It will open
your eyes to companies and job roles that you may not have ever
considered. This gives you a fantastic networking opportunity and you
also come away with lots of freebies from the stands.
You will find job fairs all over the Country and just by searching on
the Internet, you may be able to find one near you. Check out your
local newspapers and local news sites to see what may be on in your
area.
|
|
Company websites - Culture, Job Roles.
If you are unsure what sort of company you want to work for, research
the different types of companies out there - large corporates, SME's,
public companies etc. You can see that the cultures, structures and
procedures differ greatly and just by looking into this, you may decide
straight away what type of company you would prefer to work for.
Individual companies also vary within these categories, e.g. corporates
or SME's, so it's good to look into them individually should you have a
list of specific companies you are interested in. Cultures, the types
of people and working practices may also sway your decisions as to what
companies you prefer or at least what you may want to avoid. You can
find out all the information you want online at the websites and you
can even read the staff's reviews, experiences and personal
developments too.
|
|
After researching jobs, companies and industries in the various ways
described above and identifying your skills, abilities, strengths and
weaknesses, you can at a glance see what sort of job you may enjoy and
what you may be good at. It is making a match between you and what is
out there.
You never know whether you will enjoy a
job before you actually begin
to conduct the everyday tasks involved and begin working with the
individuals in the company but by carrying out above research you will
be able to make an informed decision and hopefully find yourself in the
ideal job for you, first time!
|
|
|
