Career checklist for a better tomorrow
Students just stepping out of school often have a hard time making up their mind about their future. They need to decide what they want to study, where they want to study and what career they want to pursue. Their future will shape up based on what they decide to do after school.
Before deciding on what you want to study and what profession you would like to undertake, here is a list of things that you can do to ensure that you have made the right choice - go to the university personally, check out career resource centres, read career books, attend fairs and meet counsellors.
Plan ahead: Procrastination really doesn't help when it comes to career. You need think ahead. As school goers a lot of us have dreams. That may be a clue as to what you want to do. The ideal time for preparing yourself is when you are in grade X. This gives you plenty of time to do your research, talk to people and explore opportunities. Make sure you do not overburden yourself. I know people who started preparing for medical entrance exams to become a doctor when they were in grade 11. They took a lot of tension and built their home around books. Failure to clear the exam, led to depression.
Take your time: If you spent most of your school years having fun, don't worry. There is still time. Take as much time as you want to and decide where your interest lies. Don't you think it is better to take a few months to decide before commencing the course than realizing mid-way that this was not meant for you?
Career resource centres: An option that never fails is going to the university personally and finding out about your course. Many universities have career fairs and workshops that you can attend to learn more about career planning, development and opportunities. Career resource centres gives you a wealth of information about your dream jobs. You can find out what you need to study to get that dream job, how to prepare yourself for the interviews and how to make your resume and cover letter stand out.
Career books: Read career books to know what experts have to say. These books give you an in-depth look at the job requirements and job profiles.
Meet guidance counsellors: If you feel that reading books and checking out websites was a useful, but not fulfilling, go and meet a counsellor personally. Counsellors can give great career advice. You can also take personality tests and use the results to match your personality profile to the career that best suits your interests.
Career sounds like a big word. The way people talk about it, it seems like our whole life depends on it. Well, if you think it does then trust me, you don't want to wait until the last moment.
