Jobs, Career and Money

Whether you just graduated high school or you’re struggling to find a career that keeps you satisfied, there’s no doubt that deciding on a career path is one of the most important decisions you’ll ever make. However, making up your mind is difficult when there are so many enticing options that you could take.

Even something that seems adventurous and fulfilling could turn out to be a nightmare job. So, how do you decide on the path that makes you smile every day when you go into work? The following looks like the scientific formula for conducting an experiment, and indeed it is. A job is an experiment, the problem is predicting the outcome that supports your initial research. Here are a few ways you can narrow the list down and pinpoint the career that is perfect for you:

1. Identify the Project.
Your first step to deciding on the right career path is to identify what you’re trying to accomplish. This means putting your goals in writing, putting a timeframe to them, and signing the paper. By scheduling a timeframe, you’re allowing yourself to structure the job search process. Signing is just a way to commit yourself to the process.

2. Know Yourself Inside and Out.
Take a sheet of paper out and immediately start jotting down your interests, skills, abilities, and passions. What are you good at? Is there any talent you have? What are some things that interest you? Are you passionate about anything? The list can be as long as you want it. In fact, the longer, the better.

3. Research Options.
Once you’ve made a list of your interests and skills, organize the list by degree of interest. Take the list and divide it in half: one list is things you’re most interested in and the other list is not quite as interesting. Research the first list. Beside each item, list what type of occupation, opportunity, or career you could have by pursuing this particular subject. Also, research and list the type of education or experience that’s necessary to pursue this field.

4. Evaluate Your Options.
This is the biggest step. This is the step where the majority of your list will be eliminated and narrowed down to just a few fields. Start off by evaluating the list and identifying the advantages and disadvantages of each career you’re considering. For instance, if some of the occupations require you to travel and you don’t want to be away from your family then you may want to dismiss it as a possibility. If some require you to work eighty hour weeks and you want to start a family then it’s probably not the best fit for you.

Choose something that makes you feel right. If your eye keeps wondering to a particular career then I would do more research on that one. Talk to others about the career choice and ask for their input. Be open to criticism. Also, research the different salaries with the career options. Let’s face it, you’re in this for money too, so let that be another deciding factor.

5. Choose One of the Options.
Normally, the hardest step in deciding what career path to take is the actual decision. You’re never sure if you made the right choice and you’ll always question whether there was something else out there that better suits you. The good news is that if you’ve already performed Steps 1 through 4 then you’re ahead of the game.

The decision is narrowed down to just a few career options. There are a few things that you can take into consideration to help with the decision. How high up were some of the career choices on your original list? The higher you listed them, the more passionate you are about them. Could you see yourself working this particular career twenty years down the road or is this just something you’re temporarily interested in?

In each career, it’s also important to keep in mind how much potential you have to climb the corporate ladder and grow within the company. You don’t want to be stuck in one spot the rest of your life.

6. Develop a Plan.
Once you’ve made the hard decision, you must set up a plan in motion and implement it. Most importantly, this includes your time frame. Write your goals and time frame down on paper. Most of the time when you write your goals down then you intend to stick by them. For instance, by next Spring you want to be working at this particular career at a salary of $45,000 per year. If you’re a recent high school graduate, plan out what courses for the major are necessary in order to graduate and pursue the field.

Plan how you intend to get the job. For example, send out ten resumes every day for two months and prepare for a minimum of two interviews every week. This is a great way to track the numbers and keep a numbered log of your progress. Your plan and goals should be long and short term. The short term is the actual process of obtaining the position while long term will analyze where you are in ten years and whether or not you’re meeting or exceeding your personal and company goals.

When attempting to negotiate salary and benefits with an employer, you should be aware that it is a delicate situation. If you back off too quickly, you could lose out on more money or better benefits; however, if you push the issue too far, you’ll wind up without a job at all. Following are several helpful tips on how to negotiate salary and benefits.

1. The Earlier the Better

When interviewing for a new job, your prospective employer should already know the salary and benefits you are requesting. Most professionals put salary objectives on their resume while others prefer to discuss it in person; either way, the sooner the employer knows your bottom line, the better.

There is no reason to waste your time or the employer’s when your salary and benefit requirements aren’t compatible. Further, you will establish early on that you have an objective, which will give the employer a heads-up that you plan to negotiate the first offer.

2. Maintain a Respectful Decorum

You shouldn’t enter into salary and benefits negotiations with the mindset that you are doing battle with an adversary. Instead, approach it from a mutually beneficial standpoint; higher salary and better benefits equal a more productive employee. Never make demands or issue ultimatums because, not only is it counter-productive, but employers will not waste time with someone they don’t consider a team player. If you notice that the employer is getting peeved, back off right away. You’ll have to use communication and interpersonal skills to gauge your progress.

3. Look at the Big Picture

It is rare for an employee to be offered both salary and benefits commensurate with what he or she desires. Something will have to go give, so you should be sure to look at the big picture. For example, let’s say that an employer’s final offer is 15% lower than your objective. Right off the bat, you might not be interested in the offer because it is significantly lower than what you desire. However, analyze other aspects of the job. For example, is there an employee evaluation in six months? If so, you could easily close that 15% gap just six short months into your employment. Things like that should have bearing on your final decision.

4. Give the Employer a Reason

If you are attempting to negotiate salary and benefits after you’ve already started work — for example, one year later — your negotiation platform is slightly different. At that point, you have had an opportunity to demonstrate your skills in the position for which you have hired, which may or may not give you a bargaining chip.

Evaluate your strengths and weaknesses and document the progressive, positive changes you have made. If the number of employees under your command has increased, this is a significant negotiation benefit. If you can give your employer hard data that shows you have been a major asset to the company, you’ll be more likely to obtain a raise.

Further, you shouldn’t assume that your employee has noticed everything that you have done. He or she oversees a large group of people.

5. Get it in Writing

If you have been offered a higher salary or better benefits, make sure to get that promise on paper right next to your employer’s signature. As I’ve mentioned before, employers have a lot on their plate, and they may not remember making such a promise. Others are unscrupulous and may try to back out a few weeks down the road. As soon as you have been promised something concerning compensation, have your employer draft an agreement to that end.

Career counselors are in very high demand, as so many people are interested in going to one. There are many scenarios in which a person may choose to visit a career counselor. Whether you are a college student or someone who is in a transitional period between jobs, chances are that visiting a career counselor may be effective for you. With so many career counselors that are available for you to choose from, selecting the right one can be very difficult. Here, we will take a much closer look at some of the main things that you should be sure to take into consideration before choosing a specific career counselor.

Tip #1: Figure Out Why You Need to Visit a Career Counselor

Are you trying to figure out what is required of you to complete your career goals? Or maybe you want to take some evaluations in order to help determine what type of career you may be good at. Maybe you even need some tips on how to write the best resume. No matter what the case is, it is important for you to figure out why you need to visit a career counselor in the first place. Until you know why you may want to visit a career counselor, you will never be able to find one which is perfect for you.

Tip #2: Choose a Career Counselor Who is Highly Qualified

One of the main problems with this field is that it is rapidly increasing. Many career counselors are unqualified. Choosing a career counselor which is qualified is one of the main keys to choosing the one which will work the best for you. One of the qualifications that you should look for is a Bachelor’s Degree at the very minimum, but preferably a Master’s Degree or higher. It is also important for the career counselor to be a member of the National Career Development Association. The career counselor should have credentials which qualify him or her as a NCC, LPC, RPCC, or psychologist. Experience counseling is also necessary, of course.

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