South Africa has one of the highest unemployment rates in the world. The latest official unemployment rate was 32.1%. This alone should caution us as South Africans to be considerate when we begin to involve our careers. Additionally, we know that we may think we like something but then find out we actually don’t.
Countless people jump from one job to another, and this can hinder their growth in a specific field.
A Career is your long-term occupation that involves many aspects of your educational and work life and ultimately should be your professional goal. By planning your career you will have direction to follow a path which leads you to accomplish your professional goal.
Mind Mapping
Probably the simplest thing you can do to start figuring out your ideal career plan, is to start with a mind-map, and begin mapping your desires in life. Next to achieve these desires your career will play a big impact.
For example, if you enjoy outdoors activities and nature, then choosing to be a doctor or a lawyer may not be the right decision for you. However, there may be lawyers/doctors who work in an outdoors setting or specialize in out-door related activities.
A Mind Map will give you a basic sense of where to begin your career plan. Next you need to drill down and find what connects with you.
Research
Doing research can be your biggest advantage when finding prospective careers. There are many different occupations and specialties in a addition to small business opportunities you could potentially explore. Perhaps your calling is to be an entrepreneur.
For research, the internet is your best friend. Google and YouTube on the topics you enjoy most and see what kind of work, people do as well as try searching for any “reviews” or “advice” on specific fields as many people share their experiences and provide advice which you can learn from and reflect on to see whether it really is something you would want to do day in – and day out.
List down the top 10 Career or top 3 careers you would consider.
Demand and Supply
Next its time to assess the demand for professionals in the careers you listed. Take a look at job boards like Indeed or on LinkedIn. Search terms related to your career choices and see what the demand is. Are there lot’s of job openings. Some platforms like LinkedIn also show you how many people have a plied for a job posting. This helps you determine how competitive the field is.
PayScale is another great platform you can use to assess Job potential, especially in terms of how much money people earn and their career growth by comparing the income of people at different stages of their careers.
By looking at the job boards, you can also determine what education / skills are need if any, and which exact qualifications employers would prefer. This helps you determine supply as you can easily look up these qualifications to determine what will be involved in getting them in terms of time, and money.
You can also browse the web to look for institutions that offer these qualifications which will help you make a better informed decision on whether you really want to commit to a specific chosen career field.
Take Action
Decide on a career you feel ticks your boxes. Don’t let societal pressures deter you from doing what you want. Follow through on your decision and take action on completing the different steps needed to build a fulfilling and lasting career in your chosen field. Just know that you have done the ground work by taking the time to explore your different options and have carefully selected your career.
While career planning may help you get started, it is up to you to make your career a success. Also don’t be discouraged if your career is not for you. If you feel you need to pivot to a different career then do so. Many people switch qualifications they are studding or hop from one job to another until they find the career that is for them.