Choosing a career is a complex decision, and who better to help you with said decision than someone who is professionally trained in helping people make those decisions. Career Counselors exist to help you figure out what is important to you, what your strengths are, what you are interested in and how these things can be applied to a career. We have all heard the old adage “if you do something you love, you will never work a day in your life”, and whether or not you believe it, there is something to be said for enjoying what you do.
Big Decisions
When we are eighteen and deciding what to do with our futures, there are a lot of things that we do not consider. Is this something that we can see ourselves doing for 40 hours per week, or over 8000 hours per year? Or how about continuing to do this thing for the next 50+ years? Probably not, as I know that most people do not have that type of foresight at the age of eighteen, myself included. But do not fret because you chose “the wrong” career at the age of eighteen. A study published by LinkedIn stated that Millennials change jobs an average of four times before they are 32, compared to their counterparts in Gen X, who were found to only change jobs an average of two times by the age of 32* (Berger, 2016).
Assessments
Career Counselors often use career assessments such as Clifton Strengths, Myers-Briggs personality assessment, or the Strong Interest Inventory. These assessments provide both the client and the counselor a jumping off point for exploring career opportunities. The Bureau of Labor and Statistics has provided an online version of a career interest profiler via My Next Move and O*Net. You can find it here: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip if it is something that interests you. Another handy resource, is the Bureau of Labor and Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook, which can be found here: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. And if you can’t figure it out on your own, there are professionals (like us) to help guide you. You are still strong and valuable if you ask for help. Also check out our blog post on dealing with change that is scary.
* For the purpose of this blog post, Millennials are defined as those born between 1980 and 1994. Gen X is defined as those born between 1965 and 1979.
References:
Armstrong, A. (2019, August 26). Career Counseling. Retrieved from
https://www.goodtherapy.org/learn-about-therapy/issues/career-counseling
Berger, G. (2016, April 12). Will This Year’s College Grads Job-Hop More Than Previous Grads? Retrieved from
https://blog.linkedin.com/2016/04/12/will-this-year_s-college-grads-job-hop-more-than-previous-grads
National Center for O*NET Development. O*NET Interest Profiler. My Next Move. Retrieved June 8, 2020,
from https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
Young, J. R. (2019, February 19). How Many Times Will People Change Jobs? The Myth of the Endlessly-Job-Hopping Millennial – EdSurge News.
Retrieved from https://www.edsurge.com/news/2017-07-20-how-many-times-will-people-change-jobs