Archive for 'career research'

Careers Ranked

Check out this listing of the “Best Careers 2008.” This kind of stuff is great for career research! Of course the danger here is that this list is developed using someone else’s value system, or at least values that are presumed to be important to most people. But if you go into the article realizing that, you should be okay.

Also, keep in mind that what really make a career one of “the best” is how well it suits the individual. For example, just because audiologist is listed doesn’t mean everyone will be happy doing it of course!

But this article does get you thinking about trends and changes as well as profiling a few select careers so it is worth a looksy. I especially like the section on “Most Overrated” because we all have stereotypical ideas of what certain careers are like and so it’s good to get the rest of the story. Of course it would be even better to talk to someone in person yourself if you are seriously considering one of these careers.

Best Career Tests

There is not an OSFA (one size fits all) for career assessments. Generally, though, there are some important data sets that a person can consider when taking stock of career options – personality type, interests, skills, and values.

  • For personality type, I recommend the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator®. You can find a list of certified providers of the assessment here or contact me. Here are some great books and free resources too but consulting with a certified provider of the assessment is ideal.
  • For interests, I recommend the Strong Interest Inventory®. See the list of providers above many who also give this assessment or contact me. You may also want to check out this introduction to Holland Codes which are also used in Strong Interest Inventory® results.
  • For skills assessment, I like to reference the O*Net Skills Search checklist which is free online. Here is another good free one online.
  • For values, here is a very good free resource.

Myers-Briggs Type Indicator is a trademark or registered trademark of the MBTI Trust, Inc., in the United States and other countries.

Strong Interest Inventory is a registered trademark of CPP, Inc.

Career Research

The Occupational Outlook Handbook (http://www.bls.gov/oco/) and the O*Net (http://online.onetcenter.org/) are great places to begin your research about different career fields. But once a specific career field is still being considered after written research, it is time to go out into the field to learn more. In fact, one of the most important aspects to choosing a career path is to talk to people who are doing the kind of work you are considering. This is called informational interviewing.

Typically the informational interview process involves finding people in the field of interest to talk to, scheduling a time to meet with them for 30 minutes or so to ask questions about their career, and sending a thank you note.

There are several ways to find people for an informational interview. The best method is to use your network of contacts to find people in the line of work that you want to learn more about. Begin asking family members, friends, and other people who they know working in the career field. For example you might approach your aunt and ask her, “Who do you know who works as a civil engineer?” Once a member of your network knows someone to refer you to, ask for that person’s name and phone number. You will be surprised how many people your contacts know and how easy it is to find people to talk to about all kinds of careers.

Next call the new contact. Give your name and how you were referred to them. Let them know you want to learn more about their career field and you were hoping they could help. Ask if you can schedule a time to speak with them for 30 minutes because you would like to ask them how they got into the field and about their recommendations for people considering entering the profession.

Following are some questions typically asked in an informational interview. Remember you most likely will not be able to ask them all since you want to keep the interview to only 30 minutes. Also be sure to take a pen and paper for quick notes. Get the correct spelling of your interviewee’s name and their address by asking for a business card which will be helpful when you send a thank you note.

INFORMATIONAL INTERVIEW QUESTIONS

  • How did you develop your career path?
  • How did you get into this job?
  • What are your duties as a ____?
  • How long have you been in this position?
  • What do you like best about this career?
  • What do you like least about this career?
  • What would you do differently if you were starting over in this field?
  • What are the educational requirements of this field?
  • What is the typical salary range for this career field?
  • Can you recommend some professional associations for this career field?
  • What do you read to stay up-to-date in the field?
  • What further education do you participate in?
  • What are the advancement opportunities in this field?
  • What do you see as the future of this career field?
  • What is your career goal for the future?
  • What is happening in this industry?
  • What kinds of companies make up this industry?
  • Where has growth taken place in this field recently?
  • Who are your customers or clients?
  • How do you promote your products and/or services?
  • Who are some of your competitors?
  • What has helped to make companies successful in this industry?
  • What recommendations do you have for a person interested in this field?
  • Do you know others I should speak to about this career field?

Mentoring in Small Doses

The role of mentor doesn’t actually have to be formalized and stuffy. I imagine many successful people give mentoring on a regular basis to several different people but likely in small doses due to busy schedules. Often when someone is successful in their field they are passionate about what they do and love to share their expertise. The key then is to find the people who are where you want to be and get some time with them. Here is one way to do that.

First, outline or journal what your career will look like when you arrive at the “next level.” What will you be doing in your work? What experience & education will you have achieved? How are you impacting your industry?

Second, find people who are already doing what you outlined for your “next level” self. Look for them in writing and speaking that is going on in your industry and in professional associations associated with your industry, or attend a conference or training, and search for them on LinkedIn.

Third, start a dialog with those you identify. Ask the question, “what advice do you have for someone who is interested in doing what you are doing?” Ask also how they stay up-to-date in the field. Be sure to thank them for their time by writing them a thank you note or email or a quick follow up phone call or message later. Consider them a part of your professional network and send info their way when you see or hear about something they might like to know.

Finally, be open to reciprocate when someone approaches you with the same questions about how you got where you are.

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