Brooke
What is the best resource to narrow down my career path?
I am interested in Medicine but want to know my options. #career-paths
2 answers
John H. Noble, III
John H.’s Answer
Hi, Brooke: sounds as if you're starting that very important journey to discover a career path for yourself -- good work! The best way to gain confidence in your search is to start talking to people who occupy the careers you have already identified. So, as for medicine, talking to your doctor and those who work in his/her office is a good way to begin. If you're in high school, talking to the school nurse is worthwhile. Do you have family friends in the healthcare field? There are also numerous online resources with info about careers. Here's one example: https://www.bls.gov/ooh/. It's a little overwhelming, but has a ton of good info if you have the patience to wade through it a bit. Here's another: https://www.mynextmove.org/explore/ip
Another very important thing to do is talk to your school guidance counselors, or if you're in college, go to your college's career center. Talking with people is always so much more inspiring and encouraging than simply looking online, so whenever you have a choice between looking online or talking with a person, choose the person. As you begin to focus, keep asking questions and seeking information from people who are doing the job in which you have an interest. Good luck and let me know if you have more questions!
I agree with John that being curious and willing to speak to others who are doing a certain job, is a great way to understand if you think it's a good fit for you. Folks in the job can also give you insights about what their path was to get there, how much work/time is takes and what their day to day is like now. This will be great input for you to see if you can imagine yourself going down that road
Teresa Brzozowski
nicole Nehmeh
nicole’s Answer
I believe the most important thing to narrow down your choices is doing internships or summer jobs. In fact, It will help you know what you like and what you don't like.
Moreover, talking to experienced people about their experience and professional career will help you understand the field better. For example, if you are interested in medicine, you can have a summer internship in a clinic or hospital that will help you understand more the daily tasks and different parts of the job, as well as talking to some doctors, nurses about their personal experiences.
Another important thing that can be really helpful, is career counseling whether you are in high school or college. Talking to someone who knows you and is able to customize his questions based on your previous experience and academic background can be really helpful as well.