How to Select your Career in the 21st Century
The career prospects are no longer the same as they were back in the 1990s or earlier. A false piece of advice or lack of extensive research may hamper your entire career if you take a wrong turn. It is a digital era signifying the importance of using data to make the right career decisions in the 21st century.
Working around like-minded individuals will help you stay happy and find a work-life balance. Taking a short break is encouraged when you are unsure about the next move. However, it is noteworthy that the dynamic job market witnessed the worst-hit sectors during the Covid-19 pandemic revealing the growing issues regarding building a satisfying career. Then, this flexible choice forces you to compromise your career path forming one more trap you should soon get out of if your cup of tea is something else.
A research study on the U.S.A young population stated that 59% of participants lost their jobs as soon as the coronavirus news flashed worldwide. The fear of losing a job is a psychological condition that turned out to be true for them because being insecure about a career is connected to poor mental health. However, there are significant ways to curb such problems for which you have to be mindful of who you truly are and what relevant job opportunities are available in your local area or global landscape.
This article will expose you to the importance of self-assessment via an accurate personality test. Also, you will learn to identify which career you seem to fit in, even if several employers have rejected you or you have made the wrong choices.
As you try to navigate further, you will find that there is a systematic approach to take your career from mere scratch to enduring success. You ought to be clear from the first day; if you are not, your job is not done while trying to fall asleep. Everyone should live with a sense of purpose in mind that tend to be a replacement for sleeping pills. According to research, you can sleep peacefully when you know why you want to wake up in the morning.
Let's explore how you can also create your development plan to find work-life balance while staying a workaholic. If you are starting, it is high time you make the next move with sheer confidence, as the following strategies will help every career-oriented person:
MBTI Personality Test: After taking birth around different planetary positions, it is evident that you are unique. Albert Einstein once said it would be illogical to judge a fish by its inability to climb up a tree. You must be unbiased while making career choices for which you get fewer attempts.
You will learn more about yourself while scrolling through the detailed results of attempting the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) personality test. You should honestly answer a list of questions about certain behaviors, reflecting on how you act and react in social settings. The curated results will justify why you behave in a certain way that decides the entire course of your life. The good news is that you can still adopt new skills after analyzing your weaknesses. It is insightful to acknowledge why someone lacks public speaking skills while writing is not a cup of tea for someone else. The next step is to consider the thoughts that cross your mind or discuss the problems with someone who can consistently give you honest feedback. You can also optimize your strengths by focusing more on what makes you stand out among the crowd.
This test will be the starting point for evaluating various career options that you can choose from an endless list. Whether you want to become a Journalist, Doctor, Scientist, Pilot, Engineer or Teacher, you will hold clarity backed with evidence leading to starting the critical path early on. If you are not so sure, it will be the time you will get a gut feeling about why a specific career choice will lead you to success. If your mind is focused daily, you will accomplish your goals by working in the right direction, motivating you to work smartly and more in less time.
If you have already lost track of the path you should have chosen due to unfavorable situations, there is still a ray of hope to get back on track. Recent research discovered that 49% of professionals considered switching the industry a right decision. Your goal should be to take less time for this phenomenal transition as it can take many years to acquire more skills, become financially stable and form a strong network.
Take training to sharpen your skills: The alternative career options are vast in the 21st century leading to accepting uncertainty, compromise and an unconscious approach. The individuals must choose what suits their personality the most so that this process will not become regretful. When you consider getting trained in one or more job-oriented skills, you raise your chances of getting employed. However, make sure you choose those skills that are relevant for you rather than copying anyone else, as their priorities might be way different.
The subject-specific skills are not enough to sustain competition in the workplace. Concentrating on soft skills is an emerging need to develop as a growth-seeking professional in any career. You possess soft skills when you can communicate effectively, maintain positive behaviour, follow work ethics, exhibit several leadership styles, manage time, and understand the importance of teamwork.
The transition from one workplace to another should be undoubtful and it also requires extensive training as a necessary step. For example, you may learn Microsoft Office online or at any reputed institute. When you join an organization, you get to learn more. Such events make you realize there are always some shortcomings you should aim to overcome by being mindful of them.
Implement a Backup plan with Conscious Mind: The results of 2 worldwide surveys resulted in a keen desire of approximately 75% and 78% of PhD students to start a career in academics even though there are fewer options to work globally. These students could earn well too while working in the relevant industry. However, the national circumstances were not so favorable to stick to just one decision despite being talented in their chosen areas.
It is an undeniable fact that not everything goes according to plan. It is always better to stay flexible and stick to multitasking, as it is the nature of almost all job roles. However, stability leads to maximum happiness when your career path is according to your suitable personality, not what the person sitting next to you is into.
The dynamic job market in the 21st century can also inspire individuals to become flexible when they cannot get into what kind of career they want due to national and international economic conditions, financial constraints or emotional support. However, the first and last attempt should be to opt for a career that you will love. The external factors may dominate, suggesting it might not be easy to start your business early on, get a dream job or leave the job you don't love. There are always ways to move on from a dissatisfactory job by switching the company or industries for all right reasons. The lack of time, unwillingness to change and cruel voices pulling you back might be major obstacles. However, try to take actions that reverse your negative voice and you can sound more confident. If things still do not settle down, you should prefer to take the help of a professional career counsellor and mentor.
Take help of a Career Counsellor: An expert career counsellor may change your perspectives about yourself and the job market, which also fluctuates daily, similar to the stock market. Our thoughts may tend to be unstable too. Most students in developing countries remain unaware of the lucrative and achievable career options while completing their graduation. You must not follow the same practice.
Steve Jobs is known as not only a founder of Apple Company but an inspiring leader who addressed the University students despite mostly staying away from public speech. He said it would be better to find your unique voice as it could last longer than living someone else's life. He emphasized that one should strive to keep learning, coming up with his famous saying 'Stay Hungry Stay Foolish' so that people tend to be curious and excited to explore more. Every successful personality tends to repeat this ideology of finding a passion and nurturing it rather than running endlessly among the crowd, not knowing where you will end up. While growing up, such business leaders we admire tend to be our heroes too because they listen to their gut feeling.
Stay in touch with a Mentor: A well-chosen mentor can help you push forward while going through the right path, showing empathy when you need it the most. Their expert guidance can also divert you from negligence to acknowledgement as you will get the specific answer to resolve a critical career problem. After making some difficult choices at a later age, the emotional and financial struggle may not be easy to cope up with.
Photography or any other vocational career interests can be perused anytime as there is no age factor. It might be just an excuse to repeat the pattern you need to break away from. It is the 21st century suggesting a lot of skills can be learned having just a mobile phone and reliable data plan. You might be just one search away from making one right decision as you can learn something new on LinkedIn Learning, Udemy, Coursera and many more platforms. You can still rely on getting mentors' help to ask them rarely asked questions. They are passionate about helping you grow rapidly in a fast-paced world because at least they will not judge you.
As there is no fixed pattern to settling down in a lucrative career, your distinct qualities ensure that there must be a systematic process to plan your career. However, suppose you are still running relentlessly, thinking it is not the right direction. In that case, there is a possibility of implementing permanent changes in your professional life if you follow all the above-listed steps.
Key Takeaways
· Uncertainty is the major cause of anxiety and depression and many young minds are suffering due to a lack of relevant jobs and job dissatisfaction.
· The external barriers are peer pressure, society and unwillingness that restrict making new decisions.
· You can succeed if there is no internal barrier and you identify your gut feeling. The tendency to attract success is when you figure out your shortcomings and carve out your niche.
· Self-confidence and a positive internal voice support instincts. Whoever is against you, turn their side once you start repeating the benefits.
· You will need to begin by assessing your personality, taking industry-relevant training, being flexible and taking help from career counsellors including mentors to up your career game.
In conclusion, getting rejected multiple times is the harsh reality that even educated and talented individuals face. But when they do not lose hope, they move on easily from any difficult situation as they tend to be resilient, having the courage to try once again. Young people need to face their worst fear by increasing their motivation level and awareness of internal and external factors. If you are preparing for job interviews or worrying about doubtful career decision-making, you should also start making important decisions. After taking some strategic steps, the situation turns around while your entire focus is on developing soft skills based on your self-assessment. The real solutions suggest that planning a successful career takes a holistic approach in the 21st century, including expertise and interest that you develop around professional career counselling and dedicated mentorship.
