By Carol Horner

©CareerZing.com 2007

 

You may have a good idea of what interests you right now.  That’s a start, but how do you know if those interests translate into the right career for you.  There are plenty of practical ways to test your interest quotient.  Read on…

 

GO ON A “MOCK” JOB SEARCH: Read the Classifieds

One good way to see if you would like to work in a field or specific job is to simply read the classified ads.  Most listings will describe the basic duties of the job along with the training and education required.  It may even have the salary or total compensation if it includes bonus or incentive payments. 

 

Try reading the classified ads in your newspaper or go online to any job listing site and wade through the categories.  If you’re searching the web for job listings, go for the free ones where there are no obligations – there are plenty to choose from.  You will quickly see which categories and jobs you find yourself gravitating towards.  When you’re done, evaluate what you like and, more importantly, don’t like.  When you’ve identified a few fields, start doing more research on them to get details about what you’d have to do to qualify.  And of course, go on CareerZing.com to ask questions of professionals in those fields.

 

GET PRACTICAL EXPERIENCE: Volunteer, intern or co-op

Volunteering is much bigger with high school students than it was when I was young.  It is a way to give to the community and to those who are in need.  Colleges have added volunteer activities into their evaluation criteria to separate the good candidates from the great ones. 

 

Volunteering is also working without pay – that means you are getting valuable experience and solid information on what it’s like to work in a field day-to-day.   Choose your volunteer assignments wisely and try to get as many related to your interests as possible.  If you get a clerical or support job, ask lots of questions and observe the professionals with the responsibility.  Take advantage of being on the inside.  Volunteering is also a great way to network which can set you up for future contacts when you are looking for employment in that field.  Always remember to be professional and learn as quickly as possible so you can make yourself useful to everyone.  People will remember this and ask for you when it’s time to hire. 

 

Once you’re in college, internships and co-ops are excellent ways to find out if the classroom knowledge translates to a real career interest for you.  I was just talking to an engineer the other day who said that she loved her design classes but when she actually did work using that skill in a co-op job she found it really boring.  Practical experience is the sure way to find out what you want to spend your time doing in the workplace! 

 

ACT LIKE A PROFESSIONAL: Read the trade journals

Get trade journals for the field you are exploring.  For example, if you think you might like to work in human resources, get “HR Magazine”.  If you’re interested in Electrical Engineering, get “IEEE’s Spectrum Magazine”.   Scan the articles and see if they grab your attention and hold your interest.  Read the latest trends and survey research and see if it fascinates you enough to want to know more.  A trade journal is a great place to see job postings too.  Look at the descriptions and see if they describe a skill set that you are interested in developing for yourself.

 

SEARCH THE INTERNET: Find dedicated websites

Just about every profession has a website – or 100 – dedicated to that field.  Some are official while others are created by groups of professionals wanting to connect.  For example, if you think you might like to be a journalist, check out www.poynter.org.  This is a great site to get the inside scoop on what’s going on in the journalism field.  It offers internships, industry events, forums and covers the latest trends in the job market among many other things.  To find dedicated sites, simply google your favorite career field and begin exploring.

 

BE A “PROFESSIONAL STUDENT”: Join student versions of professional organizations

For example - If you’re interested in Public Relations look into PRSSA – Public Relations Student Society of America.  Most professional societies have a student version which is geared towards learning more about that field and getting practical knowledge like participating in internships and connecting with professionals.  Student versions also connect you with others who are exploring and studying that field.