The views of this article are the perspective of the author and may not be reflective of Confessions of the Professions.
One of the most damaging assumptions that young people make is that they will know exactly what they want to do right out of school. The truth is that many people take years to find the perfect career and that doing so can actually lead to a great deal of success. If you are looking to find the right career path over time, you’ll definitely want to consider some of the following tips.
Look at Your Skill Sets
One of the best ways to really move forward in finding an ideal career is to start by thinking about the things at which you are the best. Regardless of your current job, there are almost always certain tasks at which you excel and others that make your life feel a little more miserable. Once you figure out your strengths, you’ll be able to start looking for careers that will let you utilize them more fully.
It’s always important to think about what you do rather than the title of the job you currently hold. Rather than looking at the name of your position, divide it up into a series of different responsibilities. These are the things in which you have experience, so you can move forward by trying to pursue careers that have similar responsibilities. If you combine this with the tip above, you can start to carve out a career path by focusing on the jobs that you already do well and in which you have some experience.
Work with Temp Agencies
Temp agencies may be thought of as a place to go while you’re looking for full-time employment, but the truth is that they can be fantastic if you’re looking to branch out into a new field. Temp agencies can help you to find a short-term job more quickly, which allows you to spend some time in a new field figuring out if it is right for you. When the job’s over, you can figure out whether that’s a field to pursue or if you want to jump back into the queue to try something new.
Keep Yourself Moving
Finally, give yourself the permission to keep moving until you find something that works for you. Too many people get caught up in a search for stability, forgetting that being miserable and stable isn’t necessarily something worth pursuing. Give yourself a time-frame for deciding if a given job is right for you, which will allow you to commit to moving on after a certain amount of time.
It makes sense to search for your ideal job over time. Look for ways to market yourself and don’t be afraid to take temporary jobs to test out the market. With time and patience, you’ll find the path that makes sense for you.
