Conducting Job Research
This is a Guest Post written by Samantha Peters, an avid blogger who enjoys writing about various career and job related topics. Sam manages The Education Update and lives in beautiful San Diego, California.
When it comes to finding a career, preparation is the key. For this reason, conducting research to discover more information about potential businesses and career fields can be essential for discovering the right path for finding a suitable position.
There are several different ways that a person can begin to go about finding a role that will meet personal and professional development needs. However, most people find that they are more successful in their research when they include a combination of the following methods in their search for the perfect career:
Personality Assessments
Knowing your primary strengths and skills are can help most people to find a job that will best be able to utilize their knowledge. Because most people are successful in a career that is suited to their personality, an assessment or inventory can help a person to narrow down the possibilities. There are several types of assessments that one can take. There are simple quizzes or more in-depth assessments that can provide a closer look at personality types, helping to make a better connection for potential gratifying career choices.
For example, an outgoing person may discover that they may be happiest in a position that enables them to interact with people in a sales capacity. Alternatively, an introverted person may prefer to work in an area that supports for solitary work or working as an individual contributor.
Online Resources
There are many different online resources that a person can use when conducting research. For example, visiting company and industry websites can give a person insight into the qualifications and characteristics that employers are looking when they are conducting searches for new employees. Company blogs can also provide information about the conditions and working environment within a specific field. Through strategic social networking, a person can also make contact with people who are already firmly positioned in a career; such contacts can provide further information about the finer details of working within a specific company.
Degree Program Advisement
Exploring different degree programs can also help a person to find the right job for their personality characteristics. Many schools, such as US Career Institute, offer advisers who are willing to work with prospective students to find the right type of degree or certificate program that will give them the skills they need to work in a chosen career. Because program advisers often work directly with potential employers to help students find work, they possess inside knowledge of what a specific industry looks for in candidates. Additionally, many degree program advisers can administer personality assessments that can help put a student on the correct educational plan.