This thread is advice for people who are still trying to decide what type of career they want. I recommend using the Holland Codes career/vocational test as a starting point. It suggests what occupations fit your temperament.
1. Take this test, http://www.123test.com/career-test/
Answer the questions for real. Not what you think an employer wants – be honest with yourself. Write down the result. The first three letters are important.
For instance, my result was IRESAC.
2. Use your three letter result to find possible majors/careers. Go to this website:
http://www.chroniclecareerlibrary.com/CGP/CGP/2ndpghoc.html
Click on your three letter code and see all the occupations. Start making a list of anything you like or that seems halfway reasonable. Click on individual links and find the O*Net code. Write that number down.
For instance, here are some possibilities for IRE:
3. Now it is time to evaluate the careers on your list. Visit this site:
http://www.onetonline.org/
Use the O*Net codes (17-2041.00, etc.) to look up each career with the Occupation Quick Search box in the upper right corner. For each occupation, scroll through and see if that honestly sounds like you. (Or at least you can imagine yourself sitting in classes where you learn those things.) Important: Check the median salary towards the bottom. You can start scratching things off the list if they don’t make sense.
As an example (IRE):
4. Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. It gives information like the education required, the number of jobs (in the United States), and whether the occupation is growing or declining. Everything is listed alphabetically in the index:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm
If a career still sounds good, click “How To Become One” tab and learn more. Try to come up with your top two to five careers.
5. Everything becomes individualistic at this point, but study those occupations by talking to people and using the internet. Try to anticipate obstacles. For instance, some occupations are regional -- there’s not much work for chemical engineers in Idaho. If everything seems good, start looking for schools that offer the education you need to enter the profession.
I hope people found this useful. Sorry for this being so long but it’s a big subject.
1. Take this test, http://www.123test.com/career-test/
Answer the questions for real. Not what you think an employer wants – be honest with yourself. Write down the result. The first three letters are important.
For instance, my result was IRESAC.
- Investigative [most like me]
- Realistic
- Enterprising
- Social
- Artistic
- Conventional [least like me]
2. Use your three letter result to find possible majors/careers. Go to this website:
http://www.chroniclecareerlibrary.com/CGP/CGP/2ndpghoc.html
Click on your three letter code and see all the occupations. Start making a list of anything you like or that seems halfway reasonable. Click on individual links and find the O*Net code. Write that number down.
For instance, here are some possibilities for IRE:
- Chemical Engineers: 17-2041.00
- Geographers: 19-3092.00
- Mechanical Drafters: 17-3013.00
- Statisticians: 15-2041.00
- Zoologists: 19-1023.00
3. Now it is time to evaluate the careers on your list. Visit this site:
http://www.onetonline.org/
Use the O*Net codes (17-2041.00, etc.) to look up each career with the Occupation Quick Search box in the upper right corner. For each occupation, scroll through and see if that honestly sounds like you. (Or at least you can imagine yourself sitting in classes where you learn those things.) Important: Check the median salary towards the bottom. You can start scratching things off the list if they don’t make sense.
As an example (IRE):
- Chemical Engineers - $94k/yr
- Geographers - $75k/yr
- Mechanical Drafters - $50k/yr
- Statisticians - $76k/yr
- Zoologists - $58k/yr
4. Visit the Bureau of Labor Statistics website. It gives information like the education required, the number of jobs (in the United States), and whether the occupation is growing or declining. Everything is listed alphabetically in the index:
http://www.bls.gov/ooh/a-z-index.htm
If a career still sounds good, click “How To Become One” tab and learn more. Try to come up with your top two to five careers.
5. Everything becomes individualistic at this point, but study those occupations by talking to people and using the internet. Try to anticipate obstacles. For instance, some occupations are regional -- there’s not much work for chemical engineers in Idaho. If everything seems good, start looking for schools that offer the education you need to enter the profession.
I hope people found this useful. Sorry for this being so long but it’s a big subject.
this could be useful