Whether you’re fresh out of high school, a university graduate or you’ve decided a career change is in order, you’ve come to the right place.
Guide to Finding a Career
This guide aims to equip you with everything you need to know about finding a career by breaking down the process. Without further ado, let’s start the journey to finding the career for you. We have highlighted three of the main steps in making this decision.
Quick Links:
- Section 1: Know yourself (click here)
- Section 2: Know your options (click here)
- Section 3: Make a choice (click here)
Find a Career: Manage your Mindset
The process of choosing a career path can be confusing. Especially if you find that you have many interests and passions – too many options can be overwhelming. We hear you. However, this can be simplified by going through the steps below. It could also be helpful to chat with your friends and family to get external opinions on your strengths.
It is also important to approach this career decision with a mindset that this process is ongoing. It is perfectly normal to be unsure and to change your career path at a later stage. Adjust your mindset to enjoying the process of self-discovery and exploring your options. If you have this perspective, finding a career can be an exciting journey 
Know Yourself
Before making a career choice, it is important to understand yourself.
Fact: you will spend a large portion of your life at work. Therefore, finding a career that you enjoy is the end goal. The reality is that very few individuals love every single minute of their jobs. However, if you have an interest in what you do, you will be able to use that passion to get through the challenging times.
Once you have a good understanding of what interests you, it’s important to play into your strengths. Knowing your capabilities is a huge part of the career-picking process. Another contributing element in knowing yourself is taking note of your personality type.
Essentially, it is best to consider the following factors in the process:
- Your Interests
This is one of the major components of who you are. It is important to think about your hobbies and how you like to spend your spare time. Interests have the ability to translate into career paths. It is important to take note of the activities you enjoy and give some thought to how this could be beneficial in a particular career.
For example, if you enjoy caring for animals, you could be suited to a career working with animals.
Another indicator of your interests is identifying the school subjects that you enjoy most. Also consider why you enjoy this subject. It could have something to do with the way it is assessed or the actual content.
- Your Abilities
Consideration of this factor could save you a lot of time in the career decision process. It is important to acknowledge the way your brain works.
If you have an interest in a particular career but don’t have the required ability, it is vital to be honest with yourself. This could mean pursuing a different career path or putting in some extra hours to develop your ability in this area. With that being said, it is always important to check in with whether your abilities are on par with what is required.
Realistically, an individual cannot excel in everything. The key is to be mindful of your strengths and acknowledge what you are good at. See if you have any interests which match your abilities and take it from there.
- Your Personality Traits
Your personality traits might not seem like a an important factor, especially since it feeds into your interests and abilities. However, this factor will determine what type of environment you are able to thrive and be productive in.
For example, an introvert might not function as well in a dynamic working space as an extrovert would.
Your personality is a fundamental part of who you are will have an impact on your values. This is another aspect of knowing yourself. It is important to identify these values so that you are not disappointed by what your career offers. Personality traits will determine your ability to succeed in any career.
Know your Options
Most people find making this choice daunting due to the fear of making the wrong choice. The truth is that your career choice is not set in stone. You will be able to change your career down the line if you find that it is not the profession for you.
At this stage in the process, you can make a list of those careers which appeal to your interests, match with your abilities and suit your personality type. After you have evaluated who you are, you can use this knowledge to start your search. The only way to find out career options is to do some research. Check out the job market and the scarce skills that are in demand. From there, you can take a deeper look into the careers that spark an interest. We have a directory designed to help you do this. Check out the career profiles directory.
Browse through your career options by filtering according to your interests and/career field. We have included everything you need to know about any career you can think of (or are yet to think of)
Once you have a list of potential careers, it’s time to do more research.
Remember: take note of what kind of qualification you would need, entry requirements to get into an institution as well as some of the soft skills you will need. Part of the next round of research can involve a practical element of job shadowing and doing an internship.
Make a Choice
Once you have completed a self-assessment as well as some research into your career options, you will be ready to take the plunge and make a decision. This is not as daunting as it sounds.
Remember: you have completed both introspective and extrospective research. You’ve got this. This choice should be aligned with the research you have done. Therefore, the decision you make will be informed. You know who you are and what you would like out of a career. There is value in this. Keep all the points you’ve made in mind and remember what you’ve learned through your investigation into your career options. Once you have made your decision, stand by it. Push through the studies and the challenges to get this career a fair chance.
Fun fact: one thing that all successful people have in common is stick-to-itivness. Yes, that’s a word.
This doesn’t mean that you are stuck in this career for eternity; you do, however, owe it to yourself to give this career a fighting chance before throwing in the towel when things get tough.
