Choosing a career is a really big decision. It can affect your life for years once you factor in getting the qualifications you need and putting in the experience necessary to become successful. Those first few years are considered vital to your career choice. That’s when you’ll find out for yourself if a career is right for you. Here are a few tips for making a wise career decision.
What are the opportunities and limitations of the career field you’re interested in? Will it tie you to one place, or can you transfer your skills elsewhere? How much power will you have relative to how much responsibility you’ll have? Those in jobs with very limited power but big responsibility (such as a department secretary) often report higher than normal levels of job stress.
Write and look at a list of skills that are required in a given field of work, and compare it to your skills. Do you qualify? Is it a long process to get to where you qualify? Know whether the career you want requires a college degree, or even further education. Many scientific research jobs require a PhD as a minimum.
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