By Bizna brand Analyst
Take a look at most LinkedIn profiles, and it’s clear that the traditional three-step career plan (graduate college, get a job, work your way up the ladder for the next 40 years at the same company) is outdated. Today’s professionals swap job titles like kids trading snacks at the lunch table, toggling between many companies, teams and industries throughout the course of their careers.
The upside to this trend is that as a young professional, you’ll have a lot of choice throughout your career. The downside is that not all choices are necessarily good, and having too many can be paralyzing.
When high school is coming to a close, or just after form four, majority of young people get excited about joining campus. They just want to get there and be part of the great campus life. As a result, approximately 80 percent of campus freshmen are not sure where they will really end up in life. Fifty percent of those who have declared a major will switch courses during college or end up doing a jb that isn’t related to their course at all.
These numbers prove that students are not being tuned into who they are before making major decisions—a costly mistake. Most parents who have saved for college plan on their child graduating in four years. What are the chances that a student will graduate in four years or do a job they trained in?
The typical student embarks on the college search by first choosing the campus they love, then a course, and finally choosing a corresponding career path. Students should instead embark on their journey with the end in mind—a future career. Instead of focusing on the four years spent in college, turn your attention to the 40+ years you will work after graduation.
The college roadmap should be tailored to the individual student. Students should first ask themselves, “What am I wired to do?” While there’s not one simple answer to this question, conscientiously dialing into one’s personality allows one to easily identify what they are not wired to do. Students should hone in on career possibilities that satisfy their individual needs and interests. When personality data corresponds to a student’s academic profile, the results can be profound.
Once potential careers are established, students should back up to the courses that feed to these careers and research colleges that are respected in those fields.
On the college-bound journey, career needs to be at the forefront of each student’s choice of major. Choosing career first is actually an investment in college savings, since knowing upfront where your degree path will take you can save a lot of time and money. Students who don’t follow their hearts by delving into subjects they’re most passionate about will ultimately hurt their chances of a successful—and satisfying—career in the long term.
In conclusion, deciding which career is right for you can be an overwhelming process. Rather than focusing on identifying a direct path, first determine your own needs and goals, and then sync your findings with what the world has to offer.
