Career advice
A student wrote to me: “I am a first year college student; I want to follow your advice on planning my career. Where can I find more information about career planning? Please help.
Answer: The best place to start is with your school career counselors. Every school has a career center that help students to plan their careers. School counselors can offer aptitude tests to measure your interests and help you select a study field. Career Counselors know the local job market so they can provide reliable information to help you plan your career. The second best is to talk to your professors. Some professors may have specific information about career opportunities in a particular field. They may also know someone from the industry. You may want to talk to newly graduates who just get jobs in the industry; they may point you to the right direction and provide some good advices. There are many books about career choices so you may want to check with your school's library. There are hundreds websites on the Internet about career choices and advices. You should spend time to research the types of careers, the availability of jobs, job requirements, and salary ranges. It is your future so you should check industry trends to determine what is “Hot” and what is “Not”.
Another way to plan your career is find someone who work in the industry. Maybe your parents know someone or your relatives know someone who work in the field that you are interested in. Set up a meeting and ask them. You should ask questions about what this career is like and how to start in this career. It is important for you to be polite and listen to what they say. This is also a great opportunity because if they like you, they may help you to an internships or even employment.
One of the best ways to learn about a specific area is to get a summer job in that industry while you are in college. You may offer to work without pay for few weeks just to learn about the work. Summer jobs can help you figure out if a career choice is right for you.A student wrote to me: “I am a first year college student; I want to follow your advice on planning my career. Where can I find more information about career planning? Please help.
Answer: The best place to start is with your school career counselors. Every school has a career center that help students to plan their careers. School counselors can offer aptitude tests to measure your interests and help you select a study field. Career Counselors know the local job market so they can provide reliable information to help you plan your career. The second best is to talk to your professors. Some professors may have specific information about career opportunities in a particular field. They may also know someone from the industry. You may want to talk to newly graduates who just get jobs in the industry; they may point you to the right direction and provide some good advices. There are many books about career choices so you may want to check with your school's library. There are hundreds websites on the Internet about career choices and advices. You should spend time to research the types of careers, the availability of jobs, job requirements, and salary ranges. It is your future so you should check industry trends to determine what is “Hot” and what is “Not”.
Another way to plan your career is find someone who work in the industry. Maybe your parents know someone or your relatives know someone who work in the field that you are interested in. Set up a meeting and ask them. You should ask questions about what this career is like and how to start in this career. It is important for you to be polite and listen to what they say. This is also a great opportunity because if they like you, they may help you to an internships or even employment.
One of the best ways to learn about a specific area is to get a summer job in that industry while you are in college. You may offer to work without pay for few weeks just to learn about the work. Summer jobs can help you figure out if a career choice is right for you.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
