Vocational Guidance: Making an Informed Choice about your Future Profession

If you are reading this article, you are on the verge of choosing a career path, or that your child, or maybe someone you know, is asking the same question. Congratulations! The first step is already taken: you are looking for help on the Internet, and it’s much better than deciding by pointing your fingers in the sky.

In this article essay writers will tell you what you should pay attention to when choosing your vocation, but first, let’s define the desires.

The 5 Wishes for Choosing a Vocation

Think about it and answer the question, what exactly would you like to do? There are many possible answers, but here are five of the most common:

• You don’t want to do anything. It suggests, rather, that you have no idea of their abilities and desires. In this case, it is recommended to proceed to action: explore the professions, try your hand at different areas, communicate with those who have already reached professionalism, and go to training sessions or masterclasses. Another way to help yourself – seek advice from a specialist. A professional career consultant will help you decide on the choice, but if he is competent in his business. So do not be lazy to collect reviews about him or ask for recommendations from friends.
• You know what you want. And this is already 50% of success. You have a clear idea of what brings pleasure. Great! Now you need to figure out what kind of profession matches your skills and passions: make a list of specialties and describe their advantages and disadvantages for you. We also advise specifying the salary level for a more accurate comparison. If the question is about your child: Observe what he or she is most passionate about. Maybe he likes to read a lot? Or spends all his free time at the computer? Ask him what exactly he likes about his hobbies.
• You want everything here and now. It is characteristic of varied personalities with no less varied interests. In this case, it is worth trying yourself in different directions. Still, before that, we advise you to analyze what is important for you: self-actualization, good earnings, career growth, etc. Make a choice based on your priorities, and you should not give up all your favorite activities: you can make something your main job and turn it into a hobby or part-time job. Psychologists advise you to be engaged in an active search for yourself until the age of 25 because then you will achieve the greatest result.
• You want to do things that will not bring much income. You should not give it up. At a minimum, you should try to realize yourself in the given sphere, and if, in the end, you realize that the business is not profitable, develop yourself in a related and more paid profession.
• Are you sure that your profession has not yet been invented? Yes, it happens if it’s not procrastination. If you enjoy what you do, but your business is unpopular in the marketplace or not available at all, that’s no reason to give it up. Try it! The great inventors became so because they brought something unique to our world. Who knows, maybe that’s your way too?

Do you recognize yourself? Great! Valuable advice is received, but you are not immune to mistakes even here. We offer to analyze the most popular of them.

Mistakes in choosing a profession

If you look in the face of possible mistakes in advance, many of them can be avoided.

Wrong actions of those who are in search of themselves:

• Follow fashion and do not assess the demand for the specialty. First, you should analyze the market and understand what kind of specialists are in abundance right now. You can go to study law because it is one of the most popular professions among students, but is there a demand for it in the labor market?
• To think that the choice should be one and for life. Yes, this is an ideal picture, but the development of society, technology, and the constant change in demand dictate our own rules. What is relevant today may lose its relevance in 10-15 years. Do not be afraid of this, but take it as a chance to become a generalist.
• Make high demands for the future work, excessive ambitions. Yes, no one cancels the desire for more, but do not forget that it is necessary to make efforts and be patient to achieve the goals. It is especially true for the younger generation, who want to immediately get a good salary and luxurious working conditions.
• To follow the opinion of others, contrary to their desires and abilities. Parents have a special influence in this case, and this is natural because they want only the best for their children. But most often, the parents’ opinion is based on their own beliefs that, for example, a teacher will always be in demand at any time. Yes, true, but it is worth considering the child’s abilities: will he turn out to be a talented teacher, or is he still into construction since childhood?
• Maintain family traditions because that’s how it’s done. It is great when in a family of doctors, a child also chooses the same path; the parents’ support and experience will help him achieve results. It is especially effective if the field of activity is chosen to one’s desire and not because it is necessary. Otherwise, the relatives will not understand. Better a talented artist among doctors than a bad doctor in a dynasty of high-class specialists.
• Postpone deciding on the future profession in a long box. It is relevant for schoolchildren, who remember the need to choose only before deciding on a list of final examinations. As a result, one of the easiest subjects is chosen to take the USE, and the future profession is chosen with an orientation to it. It is necessary to take care of this in advance, and then you can have time to prepare for the subject to the fullest extent.
• Choose a profession, focusing only on the salary. Do not think that you can learn even the most disliked specialty and devote most of your life to it for the sake of money. Firstly, a high salary awaits professionals with experience. Secondly, let’s be honest: to become a real and expensive professional, you need to love your business, have a passion for it, and have certain inclinations.
• Go to college for the sake of the crust. It is one of the most frequent problems of today’s youth. Many people believe that it is important to have a degree, and it doesn’t matter what field. Yes, having a higher or specialized secondary education is one of the most popular requirements of the employer. But without knowledge, skills, and, most importantly, the desire to develop in the chosen specialty, the diploma is just paper. Approach the choice of profession consciously.
• Choose a prestigious university without exploring other options. First of all, in a well-known institution, you might not find the specialty that suits your desires and abilities, and secondly, who says that other universities can’t give you the knowledge you need? It all depends on the student’s aspirations, abilities, desires, and activities.
• You do not know yourself as a person. Or, to be more precise, not to know your abilities. Before considering studying at a prestigious university, working with a high salary, or a position in a well-known company, think, is it your field of work? Can you sit at your reports for 8 hours a day when you cannot live a day without communication? Determine your mindset and personality type in advance. Various psychological tests can help you.

Useful skills every professional needs

You can now increase your value in the labor market before choosing a profession. How? Just start to pump those abilities that will always be in demand in any field of activity.

We advise you to do the following:

• Develop public speaking skills. It is better to start paying attention to it since the school bench. This skill will be useful to everyone, especially if you aspire to a leadership position. Speaking beautifully and correctly is a talent that will lead to success, whether you are a courier or a senior professional. Check out our online program, Modern Rhetoric, where you’ll learn traditional and modern public speaking techniques suitable for all types of speeches quickly.
• Pay attention to physics, math, and chemistry. Yes, not everyone likes these subjects at school, but do not abandon them completely. They greatly develop analytical thinking and logic and teach consistency. It’s not in vain in the first or second year of many specialties are taught mathematical analysis, even though it may seem that he does not need it in the future.
• Learn languages. Now the market is becoming more and more foreign companies, which are hired only with the knowledge of a foreign language. In any case, this skill will add value as a specialist.
• Do not forget about competent writing. In times of development of social networks, blogging is especially relevant. There is bound to come when you need to write some document (at least, a resume). And a resume with mistakes is unlikely to interest a good employer.
• Develop unconventional thinking. Creativity and imagination are required in many professions. They will help you find a way out of even the most unusual situations. Many exercises can help you pump up these abilities. For example, take a simple sheet of paper and think of 20 non-standard uses.
• Master time management. The ability to manage your time is great for productivity. Proper planning is a skill necessary in any profession.
• Become friends with technology. It seems that in the era of modern technology, no person does not know the basic rules of the computer. But do not forget that the digital world is changing, and you need to develop along with it.
• Pump up your emotional intelligence. Learn to recognize your own and others’ intentions, desires, moods, and control emotions.
• Learn how to sell. No, we are not talking about cold calls, but about presenting yourself competently, persistence, and the ability to argue and negotiate. This will be useful for both exams and job interviews.

And now let’s turn to the list of professions of the future and make sure that the above abilities and skills will be very useful when choosing a career.

Professions that will be in demand shortly

The labor market is evolving, employers’ demands are changing, and the departure of many professions is inevitable. It is important to understand that this is a natural process. What professions will be most in-demand in 3-5 years.

Here are a few of them:

• IT Professionals. Today, information technology is developing at the speed of light, and it is unlikely that the moment will come when the digital world will cease to exist. Designers, programmers, and developers are specialties for all tastes, already highly paid.
• Medical specialties. The events of recent times have shown us once again that health is the most important value of all mankind. There will always be a need for medical professionals. There will soon be a demand for specialists such as molecular nutritionists, genetic counselors, and clinical bioinformaticians.
• Marketers. Internet marketers are now gaining the most popular thanks to the active development of social networks. There is a widespread but mistaken belief that bots will soon replace these specialists. People want live communication with the experts in their field.
• Robotics. Automation of processes, drones, drones – the trend of today, which has excellent prospects for development.
• Psychologists. Self-development, motivation, and the desire to be happy are gaining enormous popularity. More and more, some want to know themselves, the possibilities of their brain to become more successful in life.
• Analysts, financiers. Many take care of their capital, invest, and open accounts to create a financial cushion, so the demand for these professionals will only grow.

We dealt with the prospects in general terms, and now let’s talk about those professions, which in the next decade may go into history.

Let’s summarize

Choosing a future profession – is a conscious step that requires a responsible approach. These simple tips will help you make your decision easier:

• Determine your desires.
• Assess yourself as a person, and learn about your strengths and weaknesses.
• Gather as much information as you can about the professions you are interested in.
• Consult family, friends, or a career counselor.
• Avoid the typical mistakes when making a decision.
• Be guided by your desire, and don’t give in to pressure from outside.
• Try out different areas, and don’t be afraid to make mistakes.
• Develop skills that will be useful in all professions and constantly evolve.

We hope that our article will help you, your children, or your friends become at least a little more confident in your choice of future profession. The main thing is to listen to your heart, don’t be afraid to try and make mistakes, and then everything will work out!

Bio:

Jeanna Bray is a highly experienced writer who assists in evaluating PaperHelp’s work. In her blog posts, she brings up topics of an educational and social nature. She helps people with education.