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What should my dream career be?

Hello there! I'm a student and i'm a little all over the place when it comes to my dream career. I know what I'm good at- I just don't what job I could use most of my skills in. When watching TV shows, I end up wanting to be the job in that TV show. But- not all of them made me feel that way. So, I'm just gonna name the skills or jobs I may be good at- then somebody could reply with a good job that uses most of those skills. CEO (I guess I'm really good at being a boss or being in charge.) Writing, Investigating, Theatre, Talking (I'm good with the words because of my writing skills.) I'm better in a team, or with people I'm friends with. I don't want to be a police officer though- but FBI is a yes. Okay- so I'm really picky, but any advice?

#college #general #jobs #career #first-job #job #law #FBI #job-search #job-search

Thank you comment icon Hi Oriana, I reformatted your question so that it was more direct Gurpreet Lally, Admin
Thank you comment icon Sound like you would be great in a business related field. You named most qualities that business people have. You should look into marketing or management carriers. It can give you flexibility to explore your skills while strengthing what you bring in. Tsion

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Subject: Career question for you

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Doc’s Answer

MAYBE BECOME AN INVESTIGATIVE JOURNALIST

Oriana the job of an investigative journalist often includes working odd or irregular hours and traveling to conduct research or interviews. Some reporters also put themselves in dangerous situations, such as disaster sites or war zones, in order to get a story. Investigative journalists demonstrate strong writing and communication skills, as well as thorough investigative techniques. They are proficient in using word processing, digital photo, and video editing software, as well as digital cameras and photo equipment. They may be expected to have some familiarity with website design software.

STEP 1: OBTAIN YOUR DERGEE
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), most employers prefer individuals with a bachelor's degree in communication, broadcasting, journalism, or a related field. Most programs cover journalism in general, rather than investigative journalism. Courses offered typically include law and ethics, writing and editing, communication, visual journalism, and reporting. Due to the growth of digital media, many journalism programs include courses in multimedia news reporting. Most investigative journalists have at least a bachelor's degree in a journalism-related field with training in written, visual, and digital methods of recording.

STEP 2: BUILD A PORTFOLIO OF YOUR INVESTIGATIVE STORIES
Employers often request applicants to submit clips of their work when they apply for a position. Many journalism programs require the student to create a portfolio as part of the graduation requirement. This portfolio contains samples of the journalist's best work so that prospective employers can assess an individual's writing style, technical proficiency, and news-gathering ability. Include work showing investigative reporting skills. Aspiring investigative journalists should include some articles that prove investigative experience in their portfolio.

STEP 3: OBTAIN EXPERIENCE
Most employers prefer applicants who have experience that is relevant to the type of stories their organization covers. The BLS indicates that the best opportunities will be with smaller newspapers, television, and radio stations. After an individual has gained experience at a smaller organization, they may be able to find work with a larger company.

Oriana your affinity for digging into the evidence and becoming an armchair detective has had you pondering another mystery lately: Could you be cut out for a crime-solving career? Your sleuthing skills might be breadcrumbs pointing the way to a possible new career path as an investigative journalist. But it takes more than CSI reruns to be an ideal candidate for the job, So... Oriana do you want to Investigate this as a possible future career?

Hope this was Helpful

Doc recommends the following next steps:

Complete an internship or work for the school paper. The BLS indicates most employers want individuals with experience from an internship or working on the school paper. Many schools have career centers that offer students leads for internships.
Find resources for investigative journalists. Students who wish to go into investigative journalism should supplement their undergraduate program with classes or workshops that delve into the esoteric knowledge and information gathering skills utilized by these watchdog journalists. Investigative journalism organizations and journalism schools offer these courses and workshops.
Enter investigative journalist competitions. There are many opportunities for students or graduates to enter an investigative article into competitions sponsored by investigative journalism organizations like the Center for Investigative Reporting or the Online Journalism Awards. If you win an award, you can use the writing sample for your portfolio, and add the credential to your resume.
Thank you comment icon Thank You Paul. “Life’s most persistent and urgent question is, What are you doing for others?” — Martin Luther King, Jr. Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You Dexter for your continued support. One word, one action, one thought can reduce another persons suffering and bring that person joy. Doc Frick
Thank you comment icon Thank You Tsion. There is no royal road to anything. One thing at a time, all things in succession. That which grows fast, withers as rapidly. That which grows slowly, endures. Doc Frick
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Elle’s Answer

The most important aspect of finding a future career is experience. Learn how to network early, intern, start a LinkedIn account and use it well. Take experience seriously as it will teach you what you work best at. Sometimes we have to pay our dues and learn on the job, so it's easier on you if you practice outside of an actual job setting by taking on an internship. An internship is an invaluable way to get your foot in the door and learn on the job. It's essential that you take your internship seriously, even if it doesn't pay much, because it is the small situations that prepare us for the big ones. And in the end, you will be glad you have added professional experience to your resume as it all adds up and sets you apart from a peer who hasn't bothered to do anything with his or her's free time.

And remember, as important as experience is, it is also important to network. Try to make a new acquaintance every time you begin your experiences as an intern. And for those times in between, make sure to keep in touch with vital contacts you meet in school and in your everyday life. You never know who knows whom, and where that person might end up. You could be talking to your best contact at that company you're trying to crack. So stay positive and be experimental, go for experiences, and network. Eventually, after some self -reflection and evaluating your professional talents and personal desires, you will reach a conclusion to what you want to do for your life as a career. Good Luck!
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Emily’s Answer

First, just remember that it is okay to be all over the place as a student. This is the time to dive into different electives to start to figure out what interests you and what does not. From my understanding it sounds like you might be more of an extrovert instead of an introvert so working on teams will be important for you and you will be more successful with a team that you have rapport with. If you would like to be in charge I would consider position where you are able to lead teams. It is important to note that you might have some of these skills but they don't need to fit perfectly with a job/position, consider using some of these skills as a hobby or as part of an outside of work interests. The more you use and balance your skills the overall happy you will be. Having strong communication skills as well as writing skills consider looking into journalism, potentially investigative, or marketing jobs, these are a few suggestions. The best way to get a feel for what you want to do is get involved in internships, volunteer positions, or informational interviews.
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B.K.’s Answer

I definitely understand your situation. Exploration of careers is a great way to gain exposure to different careers of interest. Having such a curiosity, as you do is great. Now, the challenge is using the curiosity to increase your knowledge of these careers that interest you. You can look at careers online, or talk to your school counselors about job shadowing opportunities. One advantage you have is awareness of your strengths. Knowing this allows you to consider these strengths when looking at careers. Another to remember is this, you might change careers, you have that flexibility in life. You might enter a career and find that it is not for you. This is okay. We all want to find our niche, and exposure helps us to accomplish this.

B.K. recommends the following next steps:

Make a list of likes and dislikes
Conduct career basic research on onetonline.com
Talk with your counselor after researching careers of interest
With your parent send emails to companies to learn about career exploration opportunities for students
Maintain the likes and dislikes record that you created and use it as a resource as you explore careers
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David’s Answer

The answer to this question depends on your interests. For myself, I found I loved using computers and would spend all of my free time using them, so I decided to become a software developer. This means I can do what I enjoy everyday. Make your hobby your job and you will actually enjoy your job
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Michele’s Answer

Making a career decision is something that requires research. What you like to do, what you are good at, and what's available are just some of the factors to be considered. It's not a quick decision process, and doing the exploration is actually part of the fun of determining where you should focus your career interests. There are some things you can do to evaluate different options that are available - some steps noted here. What's important is to remember that you have time and you can explore multiple options and make an informed decision. Good luck!

Michele recommends the following next steps:

Take some career inventory tests/surveys - you may think you know what you are good at and what you like but these tools are useful in honing your insights
Search out some opportunities to shadow professionals in a few of your top areas of interest
Narrow down your interests and consider applying for an internship or interim assignment to get hands-on and behind the scenes experiences
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Mona’s Answer

I've been in this boat before so I know what it feels like, I would recommend looking into Business since you mentioned you'd be good in that kind of role. Here are some more specific roles you can look into that pay well, and are for people with good communication skills: Product Owner, Product Manager, and Scrum Master. These are great roles to be in with flexibility, you can also demonstrate leadership skills, and be compensated well.
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Krasti’s Answer

Hi Oriana,
It can be very difficult trying to choose a profession that you will like. I had that same challenge when I was in school. I would suggest trying to explore as many areas as you can until you find something that interests you. You can talk to people about their jobs to see if what they do interest you. Start out by talking to family members, friends, teachers, neighbors. You want to talk to people who have different job experiences so that way you can get a variety of experiences from multiple occupations. It would be great if you could even go to their workplace to follow and see how their day to day job is. Otherwise, you could always do research and see what is available. There are tons of opportunities and can be difficult to narrow down on a dream career, but if you find something that interests you, you will enjoy working. So don't worry about changing your mind too much as a student. This is your time to explore.
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Steve’s Answer

To "live the dream" try take an inventory of your needs, desires and assets. Think about what motivates you to get out of bed each morning. Ask lots of questions when shadowing people in many roles. Find your passion and then make it happen by really thinking hard about what makes you happy and content/fulfilled. When you find that job that you love and you're making money at it, you are well on your way to a fulfilling career.
Remember to "do more than you are paid to do, and eventually you will be paid more for what you do." (Napoleon Hill)
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