Making a career decision should not be taken lightly. There are several aspects that should be taken into account. The following tips could perhaps make the decision slightly easier.
Step 1: Identify your interests
- This refers to what you like doing. You might spend extra time on this activity and you don’t mind taking part in it, e.g. cooking, gardening or drawing.
- Once you have identified your interests, try to connect them with possible careers e.g.
- Cooking: Chef, hospitality industry, dietician or food technology
- Gardening: Landscape architecture, botany, ecology or horticulture
- Drawing: Fine arts, architecture, graphic design or industrial design
Step 2: Know your personality
- This refers to the characteristics that make you unique and different from other people, determine the way you think and behave and what kind of a person you are, e.g. introvert, extrovert, shy, loud, practical, intellectual, creative, leader, follower or persuader.
- It is important to link you career to your personality, as this is an important element of job satisfaction and career development.
Step 3: Know your aptitude
- This refers to your abilities, what are you good at, what are you not good at, your talents and your weaknesses e.g. swimming, math, debating, writing, singing or cooking.
- It is important to link your abilities to a career because you want to make sure that you do not struggle with your studies and that you can complete your qualification within the prescribed time.
Step 4: Know your values and needs
- This refers to the things that you view as important and necessary in your life, how you live your life, your goals, and your need to have these met so that you experience job satisfaction, e.g. money, security, status, creativity or working with people.
Step 5: Do career research
Career research is a very important part of choosing a career or study programme. It should be done before a career choice is made but it should also be continued once a decision has been made. You should be continually improving your career knowledge. You must know what you are going to study.
How is this done?
- Libraries and the Internet
- Talk to a person in that profession
- Visit work places
- Read career books like “My Careers”
- Talk to teachers and lecturers
- Attend open days and career fairs
If you feel that you need some help in making a career decision or choosing school subjects, please feel free to contact us and make an appointment for a comprehensive career counselling assessment (aptitude, interest and personality).
To make an appointment: