Thoughtful self-assessment can streamline the steps of your job search. Three aspects important to consider when choosing a career are your interests, values, and skills.
Interests
Our interest in the work we do is a key motivating factor for work. If we are interested in our work, we will find it more enjoyable, be more motivated to learn about it, develop relevant skills, work hard, and persist through difficult challenges, all of which increase our chances of success and job satisfaction.
Below are two interest assessment tools that you may wish to try out.
- The Career Assessment Guide from Counselling Services at Camosun College.
- The Holland Code Quiz from Rogue Community College.
Work Values
In planning your career, it is important to consider what you value most about your work.
- What qualities and activities must your work have to make it rewarding for you?
- What kind of responsibilities do you need?
- Do you want to work with people or work alone?
The answers to these questions and others may depend on your personal work values.
Try out this Work Values Checklist on monster.com to help you prioritize what you feel are important qualities in choosing where you would like to work.
Skills
Your top skills and natural talents will bring you success in your career: Identify and learn to articulate your marketable skills.
Using the Employability Skills 2000+ from the Conference Board of Canada will guide you.
You begin to develop 80% of the skills you need when you are young, and continue to hone these transferable skills throughout your academic life and career.