Tony Jacowski asked:

The answer is career research, and you should always begin with yourself. Take assessment tests that are available online to know your strengths and weaknesses.

Speak with career counselors who can help you find a suitable career path for yourself.

Set Career and Job Goals

What are your goals and aspirations? What are your interests, your likes and dislikes? Where do you want to see yourself maybe five years from now? You need to determine what you want from your job and your career.

Are you looking to be financially independent, to become famous, or to bring about changes in your life? Your motives must be clear, especially with regard to what drives your sense of success and happiness.

Research the Industry

Find out all you can about the industry you have chosen: the future of the industry, the latest trends and career options.

You can find this information on the Internet, by reading industrial publications, by attending job and career fairs, and through your mentors.

Review Career and Job Trends

Obtaining information about the latest career trends is vital for the success of your long-term career planning.

It is important to determine areas where job growth is the greatest, especially in areas that interest you most.

Network

Networking can be beneficial. You can learn about new job openings and careers through your contacts, for example. You may even discover a fulfilling career that you might never have considered otherwise.

Volunteer

Volunteering can give you insight into yourself and guide you in your search for a career. Many find immense satisfaction in helping people.

Besides, volunteering can bring you to the attention of employers who may see some potential in you and offer you a lucrative career.

Read Industry-Specific Career Books

This should be high on your priority list. Seek out the best books that are industry-specific and are geared toward your career goals.

Go Online For Help

Make use of the web to research your choice of career. Find out all resources that are available on various websites.

Download and read trade journals about your career path. They may also contain the latest employment opportunities.

Participate In Job-Shadowing Opportunities

If you have a friend who is employed in a career you are interested in, it is a good idea to learn as much about it as you can from them. You may even choose to go to work with them for a day. This will enable you to experience the job firsthand and gain information about the work itself, including working conditions.

Be sure to get permission from the company to avoid embarrassing yourself and your friend.

Your career is an important part of your life. Take time to fully understand the path you want to take. Making the wrong decision will only make you miserable and hamper your productivity. If you love the job you are in, you will have a much better chance of being happy and fulfilled.

Higher Career

John Groth asked:

Here it is mid-October and the other day I noticed a well decorated Christmas tree in a department store while the leaves are still on the trees and I was still mowing my grass. Talk about rushing the season. But maybe theres another season that needs to be brought to the present. Instead of waiting until the New Year to perform a thorough career check up, when the holidays and everything else is in the way, it now appears to be an excellent time for you to take a careful look at your career.

How is your career progressing? Where are you now, what do you expect in the near future and are you satisfied with your progress? Is it necessary for a new beginning?

Dont be like a lot of people that make job and career decisions based on only one or two factors. These decisions need to be carefully thought out before you change employers or to go into a different career. If you perform a wide-ranging career evaluation you wont be caught up in making career decisions on superficial slights or minor disparities. There are more important considerations that completely outweigh these minor short term distractions.

Instead of making career decisions based on short term factors like did you get the last promotion, is your current pay competitive or even how well you are getting on with your boss, your career assessment should be based on a whole range of factors. Dont make the mistake of hastily jumping into another job or becoming unemployed and later you have to regret the move.

Here are four basic factors involved in a Career Check-up. Take your time to carefully evaluate each factor.

What is Your Employers Situation? How well is your employer performing financially? Are sales and market share increasing or decreasing? Is your employer a leader and keeping up to date with the latest trends and technology? Evaluate your companys reputation in your industry and community, and how does this impact your own career goals.

Is Your Career Marketable? What is the current demand for your skills? Be honest with yourself and consult with others in the same position with other employers. Are you up to date with the professional demands of the job and the job one level above you? Examine this factor critically. We all, at one time or another, tend to inflate our skills and job knowledge. Whats been the recent experience of others in the same field that elected to change employers?

Is Your Own Professional Career Development on Track? Are your skills being used in your current job? What is your potential for future career growth? Does your present job utilize your interests and strengths? Is your current job challenging? Do you have a say in how your job is performed? Are your ideas sought and listened to? What is your potential to advance further with your current employer? And how does your future at your current employer mesh with your career plan?

What are Your Personal Preferences? Do you enjoy your job? Are most days positive? How do you feel about getting up every day and going to work? Is your job personally satisfying? Have you been thinking about changing jobs?

If you decide your current job and career situation is promising and rewarding, even in the face of minor distractions, this assessment will validate your current position. If you uncover areas that you need to improve, develop a plan to address the short fall. However, if youre faced with mostly negative answers, and there are limits on your career prospects with your current employer, you might consider looking at other employment prospects.

Higher Career