It is common for college students to worry about what career path to pursue after studying. While the chosen degree may open up some opportunities, there is no guarantee that those will be fulfilling and rewarding from a financial standpoint. For those of you who are at this juncture, we have put together a brief but actionable guide to help you choose the optimal career path that aligns with your abilities and personality.
How to pick a career path
Lack of constructive career guidance is what makes many students rush into career decisions that end badly. To ensure that you do not end up in a similar situation, you need to take several steps to ascertain where your interests and talents lie.
Option 1: Self-assessment
To determine what career choice will suit you, you need to be aware of your personality type, strengths, and weaknesses, along with your interests. Ask yourself the following questions to get to the bottom of that.
- Am I an introvert or an extrovert?
- Where do I see myself in five years?
- What subjects do I enjoy?
- What subjects/ chapters do I thrive in?
- Am I leadership material?
- What are my weaknesses?
Option 2: Speaking to a career counselor
Given how the economy of South Africa is on a growth trajectory, there is no limit to the options you have after college. You can do anything from Science – Biological and Physical to Law and Public Policy, Health and Medicine to Communications, Engineering, and Computer Science to Arts and Entertainment.
Researching these different careers on the internet is excellent. Still, you will have an even deeper understanding of the options you have if you find the time to speak with a career counselor or a college psychologist.
Apart from giving you a clear idea of the best career opportunities, they will also be able to assess your personality and offer their honest opinion about the work you are most suited to perform.
Option 3: Try online assessments
Another great way to determine the best career after college is to take an online assessment that comprehensively looks at your interests and abilities. This test by The Princeton Review is a great place to start.
Option 4: Look out for scarce skills
If you do not have any well-defined interests as of now, you can opt to pursue a career requiring a scarce skill, which refers to jobs that do not have enough qualified professionals to meet the demand. Doing so will not only help the country, but it will also help you get lucrative salaries and job security.
With a scarce skill, you can also get promotions easily and receive the opportunity to work abroad quite soon. A few examples of jobs requiring scarce skills are engineering, finance, health and medicine, and IT.
Conclusion
Now that you know what to do, you can go ahead and implement it; your future self will thank you for taking the time and effort to pick a career path that you find interesting. Good luck with your job search!