Far too many people are dissatisfied with what they do for a living. Why is that? They make mistakes when choosing a career and end up in an occupation that isn’t a good fit. That’s not surprising since going through the career planning process, including the four steps one should take when choosing a career, is difficult. It may seem like it would just be easier to pick an occupation out of a hat.
While making a random choice may be simpler, it is certainly not wise. Given the amount of time you spend at work, you should do everything possible to make a well-informed decision. Getting help from a professional who provides career guidance can be the difference between ending up in a satisfying career or one that makes you miserable.
A career development professional, such as a career counselor, may use self-assessment instruments to help you learn about your interests, values, skills, and personality type. After coming up with a list of occupations that seem suitable for you based on the results, he or she can show you how to explore them and then weed out the ones that are not as good a fit as others. Then, the counselor can help you create a career action plan that will allow you to pursue the occupation you chose.