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3 ways to help someone choose the right career

3 ways to help someone choose the right career
Advisors are great resources for helping someone discover their career options.

Choosing a career path can be daunting. Job-seekers can often focus on getting "a job" as opposed to "the job." When deciding on a career path, it's important the job hunter understand who they are, what they really want and what they're good at. Determining these things will have a major impact on their ability to succeed in a career and in life.

Here are three ways to help someone choose the career that's right for them:

1. LOOK

Encourage them to take a look at their life. Do they have any interests that have persisted over time? Perhaps they’re particularly organized or good at math. Maybe they prefer being outdoors to working at a computer?

Taking a look at the patterns and themes in one’s life can reveal a lot about a career that may be right for them.

The online career-planning tool Career in Gear (temporarily unavailable due to upgrading/maintenance for 2022-23) can help unveil the essentials to true job satisfaction.

2. LEARN

Once they discover what makes them tick, encourage them to learn about the jobs that could be right for them.

Reading books, visiting career websites, looking at labour market information, talking to a career counsellor, and asking people in those jobs about their experiences can help job-seekers determine if they’ve found the right fit.

3. LEAP

There are many ways to make the leap into a possible career of choice without closing the door on your other options. Get them to try a career on for size and see what they think. Here’s how they can get started:

  • Sign up for a Test Drive
  • Volunteer
  • Get a part-time position in the field

Learn more about helping others make good career decisions 

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