How to Become – Choosing the right job or profession

Just a cursory glance through the graduate job advertisements is enough to dazzle you with umpteen possibilities.

Should you choose a job with further training or further study? Could you impress your friends by getting a job with the highest paid salary? Or should you just forget the whole job issue for this year and take that ‘year off’ to travel because it seems an ideal opportunity?

Would it just be simpler and easier to follow in mum or dad’s footsteps and do what they’ve been telling you to do for years? Well, the choice is yours and it is up to you to make the best possible choice. One thing you should consider is that choosing the right profession for you is the first step to getting the job you really want and actually doing this job could change your life anyway. There is a strong possibility that you could not only get further training and an excellent salary but you could also get to travel. So, don’t despair the perfect job is out there for you, it is just a matter of knowing how to make the right selection decisions. To help you make the right choices you need to consider things such as the profession itself, field of work, glamour jobs, salary and the types of company you want to work for. A few key points are listed under each heading to help you make the best selection choices.

1. Choosing Your Profession.

 Firstly you need to have a profession in mind when choosing the career you want to pursue. A profession is the title given to all the jobs under the category. For example, Accountancy is a profession, Design is a profession, and Civil Engineering is a profession. However, the different job titles or specialities of work under the profession itself are called the fields of work. So, Taxation is a field of Accountancy and Interior Design is the field of Design and Public Health is the field of Civil Engineering. When making your career choice, spend more time thinking about the profession you want to be in, rather than the exact job you want to be doing because the former secures the latter.

2. Choosing a Field of Work within a Profession.

Once you have chosen your profession, then think about specifics such as the fields of work. However, the beauty of graduate recruitment or entering the job market at the degree stage is that employers are often more flexible about the job offer itself. Many employers offer graduate training schemes or jobs with training attached, in order to enable graduates to learn as much as possible about the profession itself and to give them a good grounding in the many fields within the profession. This all-round training philosophy allows graduates to take their time to select their preferred and most suited field of work.

3. Deciding whether to apply for glamour jobs or not

Some fields of work are more attractive or glamorous than others but this doesn’t necessarily mean that the jobs are any better. In fact, often because of the ‘glamour’ aspect the demand for the job is higher so the company can often offer less in terms of training, prospects or perks. Glamour jobs exist especially in fields such as publishing, public relations (PR) and advertising and the list goes on and on. So, when making job choices be aware of the glamour bit and choose a job which will offer you long-term satisfaction and prospects, not just glamour. Remember it is the job and not the field that determines job satisfaction.

4. Deciding whether salary is an important factor in your job choice.

Salary is an important part of job choice so consider the salary figure carefully. You need to secure a job, which pays a salary which reflects your value, input and contribution to the organisation. Your salary also needs to cover living expenses and leave you enough to enjoy your activities and pursuits. So, include a desired salary figure in your job search.

5. Choosing your preferred type of company.

 So who do you want to work for? There are many options open to you but try to avoid setting your sights on certain companies as this can lead to disappointment and don’t eliminate other companies on what you have heard because it might not be your perception of the company. Your choices are:

• A large national limited or public company. Here your role would be structured and defined and could involve relocation to gain the necessary experience.
• A smaller headquartered company. Here you’d have greater involvement but fewer opportunities for career changes.
• A family-owned company or partnership. Here you’d have to take into account the family bit or the partnership element. Excellent if you want to be heavily involved and gain hands on experience but you may have to accept on occasions that the family or partners just stick together on key issues of business.
• A social conscience company. Here you would have to embrace the issue of the company as your own and therefore it could be very rewarding.
• A competitive international company. Here you’d be expected to travel to gain knowledge and experience and to contribute to the business to help it maintain and gain market share.

From this small sample of types of companies you may be able to define your needs or you may want to add your preferred choice to the list. So, approach companies that you want to work for. So, remember make sure you pick the right job for you. Include any special requirements that you may have such as flexible working hours, a company close to home or a company with a ‘known’ name. Whatever you want, you can have it, so include it in your job search. To help you in your choice follow your guide to the cool jobs and thoroughly uncool jobs in the UK this season.

Find out what job your are best suited to by completing our Career Choice Profile