3 answers
Anna
Student
Stary Oskol, Belgorod Oblast, Russia
2
Questions
Asked
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Translated from Russian .
Am I suited for a career in office-based, structured work?
Am I suited for a career in office-based, structured work?
Hi! My name is Anya, I'm a high school student in 9th grade. I am trying to understand what kind of work would suit me in the future. My strongest subjects are math and English, I enjoy working in a structured way following clear rules, and I like completing tasks step by step. I'm not very outgoing or communicative, and I don't enjoy jobs that require constant talking with clients or being very persuasive. I also like working with documents and using a computer. Considering these strengths and preferences, is it normal for someone like me to work in office-based or analytical jobs? What kind of roles would fit me best, and what should I focus on learning to prepare for such work? Thank you very much for your advice!
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3 answers
Sara Doyle
Exhibits Coordinator
6
Answers
Douglas, Wyoming
Updated
Sara’s Answer
Hi Anya. It sounds like you are fairly self-aware-- good job understanding how you function best!
There are many different types of office jobs-- some require great analytical skills, very little interaction with clients (and even coworkers), and can channel those skills and strengths into a rewarding career. Jobs like medical coding come to mind. Transcription is another one. If you enjoy math (not just have good skills in it) there are likely some jobs in financial departments and accounting (those "number crunching" sorts) that might fit the bill.
Keep in mind, there is anyways a little interacting with bosses and co-workers, but not all jobs have to deal with clients (either at all or directly).
To find your best match, see if you can shadow in a few of these fields for a few days to get an idea of how it fits your personality and skill set.
The good thing is you have a few years to sift through all the possible jobs (or at least a lot of them!) before heading to whatever training you need to get into the field.
I wish you success and happiness!
Shadow professions like medical coding, financial analysts
There are many different types of office jobs-- some require great analytical skills, very little interaction with clients (and even coworkers), and can channel those skills and strengths into a rewarding career. Jobs like medical coding come to mind. Transcription is another one. If you enjoy math (not just have good skills in it) there are likely some jobs in financial departments and accounting (those "number crunching" sorts) that might fit the bill.
Keep in mind, there is anyways a little interacting with bosses and co-workers, but not all jobs have to deal with clients (either at all or directly).
To find your best match, see if you can shadow in a few of these fields for a few days to get an idea of how it fits your personality and skill set.
The good thing is you have a few years to sift through all the possible jobs (or at least a lot of them!) before heading to whatever training you need to get into the field.
I wish you success and happiness!
Sara recommends the following next steps:
Thank you for giving me advice.
Anna
Curtis Wilson
Director for Student Success
6
Answers
Concord, North Carolina
Updated
Curtis’s Answer
It's great that you have an understanding of how you work best, what you're looking for in a work environment, and what you would not like. Office-based and analytical jobs would suit you very well. In terms of what those careers might be, there are A LOT of options. I recommend taking a career assessment online. There are free options and your school counselor may have access to some, too. Research something called the RIASEC assessment/Holland Code and you may be able to find careers aligned with your interests. I'll say, in terms of salary, your math skills might be more conducive to earning a higher salary (if that's really important to you), so you may want to focus more of your energy in that discipline.
Thank you, this is really helpful.
Anna
Ann C
Learning & Development, Software, Administrative, Tech, Systems
52
Answers
Atlanta, Georgia
Updated
Ann’s Answer
You remind me of myself at your stage in life. You would be GREAT at office or analytical work. I started as an assistant and did that for years after attending an administrative assistant school. I’ve always done office/computer/operations work and still love it decades later. You could consider remote work if you aren’t extremely social. I’ve done quite well in this field of work in many different types of companies. You will too! Happy to answer any other questions for you.
Hi Ann, thank you so much for your kind and encouraging message. It really means a lot to me to hear this from someone with real experience. Starting as an assistant sounds like something that would suit me very well, and it’s reassuring to know this type of work can be long-term and stable. If you don’t mind, I would love to ask what skills or habits were most important for you when you were just starting out. Thank you again!
Anna