You are in the early stages of your career, or perhaps just embarking on your career path. Figuring out the kind of work that will be personally and financially satisfying is among the most important choices you will make in life. Though some people are able to get it right the first time, many of us will change career paths more than once. This shouldn’t be viewed as a bad thing; however, there are tools available to help you pinpoint the sort of career that will most reflect your passions and values, provide the income to live the life you want, and ultimately feel satisfying and fulfilling. Here are some tools to help you plan your career, whether it’s your first one or your next one.
Career Assessments
Quintessential Careers offers a variety of tools to help determine what careers might make the most sense for you. These resources give you the opportunity to assess yourself, as well as your job prospects, and also provide information on assessment Dos and Don’ts, harnessing your distinct skills and talents, and discovering other, marketable abilities you may have.
Fast Company has a thorough and wildly interesting article detailing the best way to view work itself, the workplace, your coworkers, and yourself as a worker. There are interesting numbers thrown your way, such as what your personal wealth percentage should be at age 40 and how many people will make a difference in your career. It’s a fascinating journey from the start of a career to retirement, offering many tips, tools, and information along the way.
Self Assessments
What kind of worker are you? How might your personality and talents dictate a successful career path? Though targeted for their own employees, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology has some resources that can help anyone determine the work and environment most aligned with their makeup. The Achievements Exercise asks you to detail your past successes to see how they may inform your future path. The Value Clarification Exercise use your inherent values and personality to give you perspective on the work and culture that best suits you. Often, figuring what doesn’t work for you can illuminate what will.
Nuts & Bolts
Crafting better resumes, training courses to enhance your skills, job boards with available positions, Career One Stop really does offer a lot of tools in a single site.
Utilizing simple search tools, like keywords and questionnaires https://www.mynextmove.org/ , My Next Move can help you whittle down what career options align with your goals and personality.
Career planning goes hand in hand with life planning. Life Toolkit offers just that—a variety of resources to keep your life in order, get better at your current career, and determine what your next move should be and how to get there.
Career planning can be daunting. The amount of opportunities available can seem simultaneously vast yet potentially limited, depending on your skills, and desired income and lifestyle. These tools can help focus your skills and talents into a fulfilling career, as well as expand your perspective on what is actually available to someone with your expertise and values.
