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Getting a start on your career

© Archana Khambekar

By making the right career choice you lay the foundation for your future. Defining your career objectives, exploring the options, selecting a profession and devising a strategy to achieve your goals are the initial steps in planning your career. It is but natural to feel overwhelmed by the avenues before you, the decisions to make and the information to process. You can seek the guidance of a qualified career counselor in designing an individualized plan for you. A career development professional may be nationally certified by the National Board of Certified Counselors, or may be licensed by state agencies. In either case ascertain the professional credentials and the services offered before engaging a counselor. You should also guard against individuals who charge high fees and make exaggerated promises.

If you would rather chart your own course, you can start with understanding your aptitudes and talents; in other words, "know thyself." Consider doing the following:

- Identify your interest areas.

- Recognize your inherent abilities and skills.

- Know your likes and dislikes.

- Visualize what you consider to be your ideal workplace.

- Take an evaluation test, for example, the Mapp Assessment test, if you would like to have an objective opinion.

Self-assessment can help you get a better idea of the occupations that match your personality and preferences and, in which you are likely to do well. You can then research sources such as the Occupational Outlook Handbook, articles by professionals in the field that interest you, and relevant websites. Find out about the specific training/educational requirements, employment projections, salary range and future prospects. If you already know somebody in the profession talking to that person can give you a better insight.

Deciding on a career that you would like to pursue is just the starting point. You are now ready to work towards achieving your vocational goals. You can begin with acquiring specialized qualifications or training that are requisites of the profession. Also try to get hands-on experience by volunteering your services. You can then proceed with your job search strategy. Make a short list of specific positions that you are seeking. Take into consideration your preferred job locations and your willingness to relocate. Want ads in newspapers/ publications, online job databases, your personal contacts, job fairs and placement agencies are some of the common sources to look for a job. Placement agencies differ in their fields of recruitment; for example, some may offer staffing services for accounting personnel while others may cater to the computer industry. So make sure that you choose an agency that provides services in your specialty. You may also need to have more than one version of your resume to target different employers. To catch the attention of your potential employer, your resume should present the key occupational skills and experience relevant to the position advertised. An effective resume is one which land's you a personal interview.

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