Are you interested in exploring careers but aren鈥檛 sure where to start? Maybe you know what you 诲辞苍鈥檛 like, but you鈥檙e not so sure what you do like or what you鈥檙e good at? Have no fear, your tips to finding your career path are here!
It is entirely okay to feel lost as you get started. The good news is that you鈥檙e taking the time to figure things out instead of jumping in without doing the research. Don鈥檛 rush; start at Step 1 and work your way along until you are able to take action with confidence.
- Self Awareness: This means getting to know yourself better and includes recognizing your values, interests, likes/dislikes, strengths/weaknesses, traits, and ambitions. When figuring out who you are, remember that what comes the most naturally for you will likely lead to an enjoyable career. We鈥檙e not sure if it was Confucius, Winston Churchill, or Mark Twain who said it, but 鈥淔ind a job you love and you鈥檒l never work a day in your life鈥� 鈥� it鈥檚 true!
Recommended resources:
鈥� Learn your personality type to understand yourself and how you can use it to work well with others
鈥� Personality assessment based on Carl Jung and Isabel Briggs Meyers approach
and 鈥� Quizzes on your interests, abilities, and work preferences to find out what careers may be a good fit for you based on your strengths and fit.
- Explore Paths: Once you have a better awareness of who you are, you can start exploring your options and checking out different career paths. You can do this by looking at occupational research, industry trends, finding out what type(s) of education certain jobs require, and talking to professionals who are doing the work you鈥檙e interested in. This is a very important step and it鈥檚 okay to take the time to explore all the different avenues and options. You want to land on a career choice that鈥檚 right for you.
Recommended resource:
鈥� Search occupations by keyword, job title, or NOC code, and see if it鈥檚 in high demand, wages, employment outlook, job requirements, employment statistics, and insights from the industry. All information is BC-based and in some sections you can narrow it down further to your region (e.g.. Vancouver Island - Sunshine Coast).
- Create a Plan: Now that you鈥檝e done your research and figured out what鈥檚 suitable for you, you can get focused and home in on a specific career. The big part here is making the decision to pursue your path. You can start by creating an action plan and setting goals. These can include plans to enroll in school and/or certifications, setting deadlines for yourself, and exploring ways that you can gain experience in this industry.
Our tip:
Meet with a Student Employment Advisor to help create a personalized plan. If you have an 糖心vlog传媒student number, you can book an appointment on . If you鈥檙e new to NIC, email studentemployment@nic.bc.ca to schedule an appointment.
- Take Action: The time has come for you to act and put your plan in motion! Making changes isn鈥檛 easy and this might feel like the scariest step, but if you鈥檝e put in the time to become more self-aware and have done the research, you should feel confident with your action plan. You can work on getting the education and experience you need, and when you鈥檙e ready to hit the workforce, you can use job search tools to help connect with employers and organizations in the industry.
As always, if you need assistance an advisor from Student Employment Services is happy to help. Book an appointment via CareerCentral: .