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How do i find my perfect job?

I am a high school student who needs to start thinking about her future and i do not know where to start. #job #student #college

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Thank you comment icon Hi Trina: As a Talent Acquisition Specialist, my advise for you is to write down at least 3 professions your are interested or like. Seek information of them. Look for your passion, your interests ,imagine yourself being that professional , the importance of it, what will be your contribution? Do you see yourself in that profession? Will it make you happy? Wish you the best of luck. Johovana Ruiz
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Doc’s Answer

Great Question Trina. With a thousands of options it can't be that hard, Right?

SELF ASSESSMENT – https://www.whatcareerisrightforme.com/
Before you can choose the right career(Job), you must learn about yourself. Your values, interests, soft skills, and aptitudes, in combination with your personality type, make some occupations a good fit for you and others completely inappropriate.

√ What skills do have? – Communication, Technology, Sports.
√ What are your interests? – Teaching, Law, Chef, Artisan.
√ What your work style? – Collaborative, Mentoring, Independent
√ What are your core values? – Recognition, Supportive, Guarding.

CAREER ASSESSMENT – https://www.careerfitter.com/
CareerFitter has a comprehensive career test that will provide you with a full career profile. So, not only do you learn more about what kinds of career paths might be right for you, you’ll also learn the kind of work environment and culture that suit you the best.

√ Careers that fit your personality, interests and skills.
√ Your work personality.
√ Your strengths at work.
√ Your preferred management style.

1) MAKE A LIST OF OCCUPATIONS TO EXPLORE – You probably have multiple lists of occupations in front of you at this point—one generated by each of the self-assessment tools you used. To keep yourself organized, you should combine them into one master list.

2) CREATE A "SHORT LIST" – Now you have more information, start to narrow down your list even further. Based on what you learned from your research so far, begin eliminating the careers you don't want to pursue any further. You should end up with two to five occupations on your "short list."

3) NETWORK – When you have only a few occupations left on your list, start doing more in-depth research. The more people you meet, the more insight you can get into what the work environment is like, what the people are like, and how they enjoy the work. And if you are looking for that next job, networking is crucial.

4) FIND A MENTOR – Never underestimate the value and power of a good mentor! When I made my career shift, I knew I couldn’t go at it alone. I decided I wanted to learn from the best — so I started working with mentors.

5) IDENTIFY YOUR GOALS –Finally, after doing all your research, you are probably ready to make your choice. Pick the occupation that you think will bring you the most satisfaction based on all the information you have gathered. Realize that you are allowed do-overs if you change your mind about your choice at any point in your life.

YOUR COLLEGE BOND – Based on all your research and self-assessment of the first five stops on your journey, you should now have a better idea of the careers/majors you are not interested in pursuing, as well as a handful of potential careers/majors that do interest you. What are the typical majors found at a comprehensive university?

Trina, below are some tips to help pick the right university

Doc recommends the following next steps:

College's Course Catalog
College's Career Center
College's Alumni
Professors
Family and Friends
Thank you comment icon Great advice, John! Caitlin Walker, CMP
Thank you comment icon Thank You Angel. “Volunteers are the only human beings on the face of the earth who reflect this nation’s compassion, unselfish caring, patience, and just plain loving one another.” – Erma Bombeck Doc Frick
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Aya’s Answer

Hi Trina. I don't think you're alone because most high school students (and even college students) don't know what path they want to to take for their career. Some people who are in their 20s, 30s and I'm sure even in their 40s, will keep reflecting on their career choices. This is because we as humans keep developing, and over time our priorities change. So ask yourself what your priorities are when you look for your first job. Is it financial security? Working for a reputable organisation? Working for a smaller organisation that will give you freedom or a larger organisation that will be more structured and give you direction? Working with mentors that you can learn from? Having a good work/life balance? Being able to learn continuously?

Some people will encourage you to follow your passion, but not everybody has the luxury to do that. I spent my 20s working in an industry that I am passionate about (doing sales related to food and wine) but recently I made the decision to take on a job in the tech space and I'm really enjoying it. Learning a lot as well. One thing I can tell you is that as long as you work on the basic skills that employers are looking for, you can succeed in almost any industry (as long as you're willing to learn new things). And what this pandemic has taught us is that agility and adaptability are key for people to do well.

What I've also found is that you really should choose your employer wisely. When you start going for interviews, remember that you have every right to interview them as much as they are interviewing you. Finding an employer who understands the value that you bring, and allows you to grow continuously is very important.

Like everything in life, people will give you difference advice about this but don't be too hard on yourself for not knowing what you want at your age. Enjoy your youth and focus on what makes you happy.

Aya recommends the following next steps:

Maybe look for personality assessments to see what kinds of careers would suit you
Browse through LinkedIn and look at the profiles of people that interest you (whether it be a CEO of a company or any other position)- and look at their job history
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Teresa’s Answer

Read the book, What Color is my Parachute. This is a book that asks you many questions about what you like. There is a version for teens as well as a workbook and several online tools. Keep thinking and dreaming about it every day and it will come to you.
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Ashley’s Answer

Hi Trina,

I hope you are doing well. As a fellow student, I completely understand the hardships you are going through. I advice starting a list of things and topics that interest you. You can start start searching up jobs using keywords and then see the steps you need to take to achieve that job. In terms of looking for employment, these are some websites that might help:

1. https://www.indeed.com/

2. https://www.joinhandshake.com/

3. https://www.usajobs.gov/

Best of luck and Stay Safe!

Kind regards,
Ashley Garcia
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John’s Answer

Figure out what one or two things you are most passionate about. Then see if there are careers in them. I'm betting there are. Your passion can be your profession.
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Xavier’s Answer

Don't look for a job. Do something that you love, and build a career from it.
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Stacy’s Answer

Hello Trina! There is no one perfect job but more about "Pursuing Your Passionate and Being Passionate About What You Pursue"!
People have already provided you with some great tools to help identify your Skills, Passions, Learning & Communication Styles and those are all very helpful to help you figure yourself out and then will help you tap into those areas you feel passionate about.

There are very few people that graduate high school knowing what they want to do and if they do, there are very few of those people that actually stick with that field all the way through college and graduate in that field. College and/or any type of post high school studies/trade school, etc. are great opportunities to explore careers that exist while learning about yourself!

Good Luck and Enjoy the Adventure!
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Kriss’s Answer

What kind of people do you want to be around all day, 40 hours a week? The general public, technical types, artsy types, those in need of help, etc. you will be successful in anything that makes you happy. And spending time with people you can relate to will make you happy.
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Rachel’s Answer

This is a great question!

I would say the best way to figure this out early in your career is to try a lot of roles and take notes. Make a journal for your career and note down when you are doing things that make you energized or stimulate your brain, and write down things that are draining or you dread doing. Pay attention to whether it's the subject of the work or the type of activity.

Two books that have helped me hone in what areas I want to take my career have been "What Color is my Parachute?" by Richard N. Bolles and StrengthsFinder 2.0 by Tom Rath.

What Color Is My Parachute has a "flower" activity that is very helpful in identifying your interests, what kinds of work environments you like, how you like to spend your time, etc. It also has tips and tricks for job hunting that may be helpful for someone new to searching.

StrengthsFinder has a fantastic online quiz (there's a code for it in the book) that helps identify the ways you can tap into your natural strengths benefits / cons. I found that it provided really detailed insights that provided me with a lot of "Ah ha! That's so true and I did not know that!" realizations for myself.
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Quintessence’s Answer

I think you have a lot of great answers for "how to figure it out" with some important caveats since you're still in high school / not in college yet. To add to that, I wanted to add some thoughts about what it looks like on the other side - after decisions have been made, etc.

For me: I went to college for physics + mathematics, worked in technical support (now typically called Customer Success), then as a database admin, then a (jr) software programmer, then as a cloud engineer of a few seniority levels, before landing on my current role in Developer Relations (keeping it succinct: teaching what I've learned). What I want to show you by saying this is that my "career" is a very circuitous path. I didn't, for example, go to ugrad, then grad for physics and go do research or build rockets for Space X (et al). I'm not alone either - many professionals, especially with how often people change jobs now vs 10 vs 20 years ago (or more), have careers that are not "static" or "linear". So as you're taking the above advice to know where to start, please remember that advice never stops: you'll need to iterate. Maybe you'll start in a career you were passionate about but the lived reality wasn't what you expected. That's ok! Be open to change and pursue a new path. Maybe you'll start on a path and stay there for 5, 10 yrs or more and find that suddenly it's no longer a fit, either because you changed or other circumstances changed. That's ok too! It's never to late to change or find a new passion.

It's also ok to work at a job that is "just a job" and choose a job that lets you financially support hobbies that fulfill you. Remember that your job is only one aspect of you, and it should be only a part of the whole of your life rather than the entirety of it.
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Curt’s Answer

Start with writing down what your likes and dislikes are. No detail is too small because it gives insight into what you want to do vs what you want to avoid. Truth is you will not likely find something that meets all the things you like but it at least gives you an idea of what your career (or educational) pursuit should look like. You can even go with categorizing by "must have/be", "should have/be", "can have/be", shouldn't have/be" and "must not have/be". The further up the scale the more priority placed on that characteristic being present and the further down the scale the more priority on that characteristic being absent. All that said you mentioned you are in high school so at this stage of life it is great you want to start thinking along the lines of the "perfect job" but you have so much to experience in front of you that will help shape what you like and dislike. Those things will evolve as you have your experiences. Best of luck and go explore the possibilities. Your primary objective right now is do not unnecessarily close any doors - meaning think about your choices (all sizes) and do your best to make good ones.
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Cody’s Answer

In order to find your perfect job, I would recommend taking various tests to see what are your best attributes and things that you love to do. Another way to find out would be by throwing yourself into different experiences and see what you enjoy the most. By experiencing different jobs/internships etc., you will find out the little things in each that make you happy and try to add those things together and BOOM!
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Riley’s Answer

The best way to start this process is by looking at what school subjects you are best at. This will most likely set you up to not only do well in your college course but you will also most likely find them interesting. For example, if you have always been really good at science classes but terrible at writing papers, you would probably be much happier in any STEM major than something like communications.

Furthermore, it is helpful to look at your hobbies. For example, if you love the outdoors and are passionate about saving the environment then maybe something in the environmental field would be a good major for you.
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Julie’s Answer

Don't worry about fitting yourself into a box, for the most part, the first 2 years of your journey will be general classes, take different types of humanities, arts, and science electives to see where you find passion. It's pretty easy to change your major in the first two years without a loss of time.

Also, like others have said follow your passions, many folks look for what will make them the most money, but being in a field/career you are passionate about is what will lead to long-term success.

Also checkout meetup.com to see if you can find some meetups that align with your interests, this will allow you to network with folks who are in various stages of their careers and ask them what path they took to get there.
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Li’s Answer

You are still in high school. Studying is the most important things. There are so many possibilities ahead of you.
To ask you the questions: What are you interests? What are you good at? What do you love? Then you can find three or four areas. You can do more research and figure out the real one you love. Also don't forget to get some suggestion from your parents, they are always wishing you the best.
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Simeon’s Answer

I would recommend going to the Department of Labor's website and looking at the careers with the most growth in the job market. See if any of them call out to you and pique your interest. It's fine if not, but it can give you a starting point if you're completely at a loss about which jobs to consider. Self-assessment inventories aren't always the most helpful for career ideas because they will include exotic careers or fields that are either fading out of existence or not hiring almost anyone at all. These websites will make every single career option sound equally viable. The truth is that you'll want to make sure that a career actually exists before pursuing it. After finding some starting ideas, look up videos online about people in those fields and see what they describe as the pros and cons of working in that industry. Then, reflect upon if you would enjoy working in a similar situation.
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Jamie’s Answer

What are your interests? What are you good at? You can start searching for courses related to that. You could also try searching for college programs and what they offer to broaden your horizon.

What is important is that you could see yourself doing that profession years from now, and think if you could be happy with it.
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Chris’s Answer

The most important aspect of finding what you want to do when you grow up is to understand that making that decision today might change 10-20 times in the next couple of years. Being exposed to parents and relatives at an early age that have professional jobs can certainly have an impact. That's not to say that if you don't have that early exposure that you can't find you way to a long, successful and happy career, I did. One thing you can do without much effort at all is to begin to ask people around you how they decided what they were going to do in life. Ask everyone and anyone, be bold and fearless and learn to speak to 'grown ups.' I promise we aren't as different from you as you may think. My final suggestion is to focus broadly on what interests you. When you go to college take a wide variety of classes early on but keep in mind that a classroom setting really doesn't look much like a real life job. The key is ask lots of questions, leave yourself open to options and understand that if you don't make a decision today about the rest of your life, that's ok.
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Felipe’s Answer

Hello Trina,

there are only a handful people who know at early stages what they want to do for life. keep in mind what we think of professions rarely match the daily activities actually performed.

With so many great answers already posted I will keep mine short! ;)

personally I am a big fan of rolling up the sleeves and starting with what you have in front of you. the perfect job should be a consequence of your goals.

best of luck
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Donna’s Answer

Trina,

Very smart of you to start thinking about what you want for your future, although your ideal job may change over time as you expand your horizons and get into your college classes. Right now, make a list of all the things you are passionate about. Start thinking about career opportunities that may allow you to work within your passion. Look up companies in your passion fields and reach out to see if they offer job shadowing or even volunteer opportunities. This will give you an idea if this is really something you want to pursue. You may also learn a thing or two about yourself and find other passions along the way. Good luck!
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Scott’s Answer

Find something to do that you are passionate about and follow your heart. Also, consider more than one option, multiple streams of income is beneficial to navigating changes in the world/economy.
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Nitasha’s Answer

Try to look for what drives you the most, your passion, it could be in any field but really think what qualities you have. are you a team player, collaborator, great communicator, you love reading, writing, you love science, maths, etc Find that passion and start looking for opportunities in that area. At your age, its very easy to get distracted by multiple options out there and what others are doing well. Really look for what drives you and how you can find opportunities, look for a great mentor as well.
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Cara’s Answer

Great question and very relevant for most high school students (I know I felt the same way)!

First, use the resources your school and community have available to you. Guidance counselors, teachers, mentors, friends, and family. These people know you best and always give great advice on next steps and where that can take you.

Second, think about what subjects you excel at and what you enjoy the most. If you're passionate about something and you're naturally good at it (or with some hard work & dedication), things will come easier than trying to fit into others' paths and expectations.

Third, know that you do not need to have everything figured out in high school. If you follow what you're passionate about and work hard at it, everything will fall into place. You'll find a path unique to you and opportunities will appear where you least expect it. Just be open to the journey.

Good luck!
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Nadia’s Answer

As I said in one of my comments, (luckily) there is no such thing as the perfect career :) Or, to be more precise, it is possible to work in one job in your life and love it, but it's hard to confirm if this is the case if your are at the beginning of your career. In most cases, our job interests changes, as our lives are not constant as well. Even changing your company and keeping the same work title may result in changes, as each employer may have a different approach and expectations. The conclusion is quite simple: try to find your preferences (I think all above suggestions are great!), but don't put too much pressure on yourself. Treat it as a journey and keep your mind open, be aware of your priorities and listen to your heart and mind.
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Folasade’s Answer

Finding a perfect job depends on your definition of the 'perfect job. You need to find a job that matches the qualities required by the employer and that fits into your life. You need to take into account your motivation, the offer and how the job fits into how you want to live your life within and outside the office. You need to identify the risk involved and the benefits that it will yield for you. Be informed about the field you want to get into by learning as much as possible online. Go ahead with all your energy.
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Gloria’s Answer

Hi Trina,

This is a challenging question and one only you can answer. I say that by your use of the word "perfect". I don't know your definition of that word for you. Is it about a perfect salary, a perfect location, a perfect job that uses your talents and skills? The right job begins with what the right job means to you. Your challenge will be defining perfect and figuring out how close you are to that perfection, or the steps that you would need to take to reach that perfection. For example, I am in my perfect job. It is not a perfection that I could have achieved right out of high school. It took work, trial and error. I do a job that I had never heard of when I was first entering college. I just knew that writing was my talent and communication skills was an extension of that. So I did call center jobs, then I became a corporate trainer, and now I write for a living. It was a road that required me to be patient and to go back to college when I needed to.

Gloria
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