Looking for career direction? Then targeted exploration is a must!
Whether you are new to the world of work, a professional thriving in your chosen profession, or at a career crossroads, the choices you have when it comes to your professional life can be overwhelming. Where do you start? Do you stay on the path you have established? What are your options? You may be unhappy, but don’t know where to turn. The first thing you need to know is that there is no magic wand or career genie that will do the work for you. However, the good news is that there are resources you can access and steps you can take that will help you find clarity amongst the chaos. They key is to look at yourself, gather the right information, and connect with other people. That process is called targeted exploration, and here’s how it can work for you!
A career features many elements such as skills, values, interests, and abilities. The first step in targeted exploration is to complete a personal inventory to gain a better sense of self-awareness. What interested and motivated you ten years ago may be very different from what interests and motivates you today (consider things such as money, family, prestige, helping others, stability, flexibility, travel, and risk level). Everyone evolves both personally and professionally as they go through life, and much of what you experience affects your career decisions. Try this exercise. Take about 15-20 minutes to make a list or diagram (it can be very informal) that consists of everything you can think of in your life that defines you as a person at this point in time. Write down anything and everything; don’t limit yourself! You will most likely include information about your family, hobbies, job(s), education, interests, dreams, fears, achievements, talents, values, and goals. Did you win your fourth grade spelling bee? Write it down! Once you have done that, look for patterns that emerge. What are your core values? What is most important to you in your life? How does work fit into the bigger picture? What are you good at, and what do you want to do (those things may be in alignment, or they may be very different)? If you had a day all to yourself with no responsibilities or commitments, how would you spend your time? You can also engage a career professional that can administer an assessment such as the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator or Strong Interest Inventory. These assessments, when interpreted correctly, can provide valuable insight that can help guide your career direction. In my experience, completing exercises that focus on your self-awareness validate many of your thoughts and current understanding, but also offer some surprising discoveries along the way as well!
Now that you’ve established a starting point and gained some self-awareness, it’s time to see how what you’ve learned fits with your career development and then expand your knowledge. Examine themes, skills, patterns of achievement, areas of interest, and sources of satisfaction. Consider those things within the context of your professional life. What drives you? What do you like to do? What marketable skills do you possess? How would you like to spend your day (in a work or leisure setting)? Now, this is important! Start with what you know, and then take steps from there related to where you think you want to go. Consider jobs you’ve done, or what you want to do. Those are your starting points. Two great sources of information are O*NET (www.onetonline.org) and the Occupational Outlook Handbook (www.bls.gov/ooh). Both are free, web-based resources that provide information about occupations including job responsibilities, occupational outlook, recommended skills, qualifications, and suggested education. Start with what interests you, and then follow the path to find related occupations. Two other helpful resources are www.whatcanidowiththismajor.com and www.mynextmove.org. This strategy will allow you to generate new options based on your established foundation of understanding. That’s targeted exploration!
Once you have established a better understanding of yourself and what career options interest you, you should connect with professionals in those related fields. It’s great to learn about jobs and industries via online content. However, realize that the concept of a job may be very different than its reality. That’s why it’s critical to speak to people in those jobs and at those companies. They can share information such as opportunities they’ve encountered, challenges they’ve faced, and what they’ve experienced in the day-to-day reality of that job. In addition to their knowledge about a job, they can also provide perspective about related opportunities and advice that can help guide your career decisions. Where can you find professionals in your areas of interest? Consider your friends and family network, LinkedIn, and professional organizations and associations. Seek out ways to connect via phone, email, and through informational interviews. As you reach out, be sure to briefly explain that you are doing some career exploration, and based on your abilities, skills, experience, and goals, you have identified a specific interest related to their profession or industry. Your first impression will come across as someone who is doing some targeted career exploration, as opposed to someone who is desperate for a job and grasping at straws!
The process of targeted exploration involves steps that allow to gain clarity and understanding, and as a result, help you establish a strong foundation from which you can build upon in terms of future career endeavors. Look at yourself (establish self-awareness), gain additional knowledge (research potential careers and industries that interest you), and then talk to people to source relevant information and advice (connect with professionals). Once established, this strategy will allow you to identify and then follow your road to ongoing career fulfillment!
