Choosing a Career.

Guidelines for students

and parents on selecting a career path.

The transition from high school to college is arguably one of the most exciting times in the
life of a student. A time of new beginnings, of intense emotions and perennial memories. It is
also a time that demands big changes, careful planning, and important and often difficult
decisions. Prime among these decisions is choosing a career path. Though many high school
seniors believe they know what studies they want to pursue, surveys indicate that a college
student will change major an average of three times. In this article we succinctly describe
some guidelines that can be helpful in the process of making career decisions.

1. Know yourself.
Take the time to evaluate your strengths and weaknesses, to identify the subjects and
activities you enjoy and the ones you dislike, to determine your goals and expectations. Think
about the kind of work you would like to perform, the working conditions and earning level
you seek, and the implications on your overall lifestyle. Discuss these issues, as well as your
plans and concerns, with your parents, teachers, counselors and friends. Then, using
resources like those discussed below, find out which career paths would most likely draw on
your strengths, be of your liking, and meet your expectations.

2. Talk to the experts.

Career counselors, available in many high schools and most colleges, are professionals trained
to guide you in the process of making career decisions. They will administer specialized
questionnaires and tests to help you identify and evaluate your interests, your strengths and
weaknesses, and your goals.

A valuable source of information about a specific career are people working in that field. Try
to meet and talk to some of them. Inquire about the nature of their work, the working
conditions, the training required, the job market outlook, and what they like and dislike
about their work. Then compare their answers with your expectations.

3. Know the job market.

The availability of good job opportunities has traditionally been, and will continue to be, one
of the very important elements in career decision making. The more dynamic and global
character of today's economy makes it somewhat harder to accurately anticipate long-term
changes in the job market. Nevertheless, there are valuable studies on employment trends
that can be an important resource in assessing future demand for specific careers. 

4. Consult various information sources.

In addition to educational institutions and government agencies, other sources of career
information and reference material include public libraries, professional societies, companies
and business firms. Much of this information, and more, is also available at your fingertips
through the Internet. It is always a good practice to consult more than one source before
reaching an opinion.

5. Let the student decide.

All too often well intentioned parents try to choose a career and a college for their son or
daughter without much regard for the students' preferences and skills. This approach can put
significant strain on family relationships and can be for the student a source of frustration for
years to come. People that enjoy and use their strengths in what they do usually have more
successful and fulfilling careers.

6. Keep an Islamic perspective.

Last, but certainly not least, keep always an Islamic perspective on things. More important
than the successes and failures we encounter in life is the way in which we react to them. We
should be thankful to Allah and humble in our achievements, and we should be thankful and
patient in our defeats. Face every challenge and perform every task to the best of your
abilities, and at the same time pray for Allah's help, guidance and forgiveness. Indeed, the
amount of taqwa we accumulate in our hearts is a more trustworthy measure of our success in
life.

Guidelines About Career Choice

Choosing a particular specialty is sometimes difficult and the following paragraphs are intended to provide
some general guidance. It is important to remember that selection of a particular specialty generally
occurs over a period of time and that there is plenty of opportunity to change your decision along the way.
While most medical students settle into a particular career path during their third or fourth year, some
begin down a certain path and change along the way during or after their post-graduate education. There
is wisdom in remembering that a medical doctorate is the most flexible graduate degree conferred
anywhere in the world, opening doors to clinical practice in a wide variety of specialties and settings,
basic biomedical research, clinical investigation, policy analysis and formulation, administration and
economics. In embarking upon choosing a specialty, you would do well to consider some or all of the
following questions which will help you assess your own personal and professional needs:

Questions About Yourself and Your Goals

 What were your original goals upon entering the study of Medicine? Are they still
applicable?
 What type of lifestyle do you envision for yourself?
 Where do you see yourself practicing? (geographical location; urban, suburban, rural,
etc.)
 What aspects of medicine do you find most appealing?
 Are there areas of medical practice (particular situations, types of patients, etc.) which
you find difficulty in handling or which make you feel uncomfortable?
  Which of your skills do you value highly and how do they intersect with your career
choice? (i.e. do your skills and interest match the training and lifestyle in that specialty?)
 In addition to this introspective approach, you will also want to consult resource books
and faculty advisors to assess the specialty choices available to you.

Questions About Practice Characteristics In Particular Specialties

 What type of patients are encountered?

 How much direct patient contact is there?
 What style does the patient contact have (i.e. lots of long term follow-up, mostly
consultative, etc.)?
 What types of skills are required?
 What type of disease entities and patient problems are dealt with?
 Are there various practice options available within that specialty (e.g. urban, rural,
academic, HMO, solo, group, etc.)?
 What types of research are being done?
 What type of lifestyle is afforded in that specialty?

Questions About the Future of Particular Specialties

 Is there likely to be active recruitment to the specialty?

 Is the specialty relatively full?
 In what settings will there be openings when training is complete?
 What do practitioners inside the specialty believe is the future?
 Are there predictions from health care industry analysts about the future of this specialty?

Questions About Residency Training In Particular Specialties

 What is the length of training?

 What are the goals of training? (i.e. What does residency training prepare you to do?)
 How available are residency positions? How many are there and how much competition
is there for a training slot?
 What are the differences between training programs within the same speciality? Are there
geographic differences? Are there institutional differences?
 What is the potential for further training following a residency? What are the requirements
for subspecialty training? for fellowship training?

In seeking answers to these and other questions you are well advised to tackle the questions not only
from your own vantage point but to seek counsel from others who can help you with an independent
reading of your own answers. It is very important to be honest with yourself and to develop realistic
aspirations for your future life in the profession.
Help In Choosing A Career
Guidelines for Assessing Your Career
Selection
Sep 6, 2007 Paym Bergson

Choosing a Career - Lars Sundström, Sweden, on stock.xchng

Did you make the right choice for your future
employment? Have you selected an appropriate
profession? Follow these guidelines for help in
Choosing your Career.
Right For You
Choosing a career can be a daunting task at the best of
times. Depending on your stage of life, be it new
student, or someone wanting to find a new field of
interest, you want to ensure your selection for future
employment is right for you. However, all steps in
deciding your career follow the same format.
Finding Out About You - Self Assessment
You can't figure out what you want until you figure out a
bit about who you are - what makes you happy; what
do you want to achieve; what do you want out of life
and/or your career?

Read this article on Self Assessment for some great

links on FREE assessment tools. You shouldn't have to
pay to realize who you are and what you want to be.
Now, USE those links. This is the hardest part of
Choosing a Career - knowing yourself and what kind of
environment suits you best.
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Finding Out About the Career
Once you have a better idea of what you might be best
suited for, DO NOT just enroll in a course for that area,
or try for a job in that area. RESEARCH that Career:
what are your options? Does the course lead to other
career choices? What is the average salary for the job?
Will your needs be met if you earn that salary? Is it a
viable market? (meaning you CAN still find a job in that
area.)

There's a great site (American) for getting a better idea

of job requirements and daily routine - check out the
US government's Occupational Outlook Handbook.
For Canadians, try this link of sites.
Finding Someone Who Works in that Career
All the written information in the world will NOT give
you a real "feel" for the job; you need to talk directly to
someone who IS in that field. See if your network of
family, friends and acquaintances knows of anyone
who works in the area you are interested in - contact
them and arrange a mutually convenient time to
discuss their work.
Read on 
 Career Assessment Steps For Anyone Trying
To Change Career Paths
 Autism and Employment – Choosing a Career
Path
 How to Choose the Right Career
Finding Out If It's Suitable
Finally, only you can decide if a particular career is right
for you. Once you have the information about your
potential career, try and visualize yourself in its day to
day routine. Can you imagine yourself in that
environment? Are there too many con's in that job for
you? Do you get excited thinking about that job?

Remember, you may not know you like/dislike the work

until you actually are involved in it. You can always
choose again, and you have gained valuable
experience that can be applied to another area within
the working world.
Some other articles to help you in your selection of
work are Choosing A Career, Choosing a Career -
Being Specific and Final Part to Choosing a Career.

Read more at Suite101: Help In Choosing A Career:

Guidelines for Assessing Your Career
Selection http://www.suite101.com/content/help-in-
choosing-a-career-a30623#ixzz1GkTKhLkN

Go To College And Pick The Career You Always Wanted

By Nic Haffner 

Article Word Count: 600 [View Summary] Comments (0)

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A good college makes a good career. The process of choosing a college or university is often
difficult if you don't have any idea of what you want to do with your life. If you aren't sure
what you want to major in when you take off toward a school, then consider some of the
following before you ask your parents to fork over the cash for college life.

o What college or university offer the majors you think you will be interested in?

o What activities do you like and does the school you consider to attend offer those
activities?

o Is the student life on campus at this particular school something you would enjoy?

o Do you know anyone who has attended the schools you consider attending. I this is the
case, do you think they would be interested in showing you around and/or answer some
questions if they are still on campus?

o Make a pro and con list of the schools you would consider to attend.

o Figure out the costs of the schools you consider to attend. Which college is the most
expensive and which one is the least expensive?

o What result or outcome do you want from your college education?

o Are the schools you consider to attend located in a city where you might remain after
graduation?
o Which school is the closest to where you live?

o Do your parents agree with your possible school choices?

Something to be aware of when trying to decide on an appropriate college is the cost factor.
If you are undetermined on what you want your major to be then you might be doing your
parents a great favor by attending a community college until you decide.

Although it's highly advisable to choose where you want to go to college and stay there for
the entire four years, if you are undecided on a major, you can usually get your core class
requirements out of the way at a local community college. However, if you choose to do
this, then you may want to approach the school where you will end up and ask about
transferring so that you will be knowledgeable about the courses which will transfer to your
intended college.

College is never an easy decision and if you aren't sure what you really want to do then try
to be considerate of your parents and either pay your own way until you decide or choose a
local college. Local community colleges are about 25% of the cost of larger colleges and
private colleges and universities are mostly too expensive to expect your parents to pay for
if you don't know what you want to be when you grow up.

Part of growing up is learning how to make up your mind and following through on
intelligent decisions. If you aren't able to do this yet then decide where you want to go to
school until you are ready to make a mature and conscious decision regarding your future.

A majority of the universities and colleges also offer some superior career planning services.
If you are not sure what direction you need to pursue, then consider to take advantage of
these options for planning your future. You should take your time to ask questions and seek
answers about chosen fields you are considering. Go online and find career path guidelines
and assistance as well as through the occupational handbook which can give you an idea of
careers which college students are pursuing because of the upcoming anticipated demand in
the labor market.

Nic Haffner is a publisher of college education information. You can go to The Best

Colleges In USA for more.

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