Week 10 - Choosing Where to Work

This blog is following up on the previous blog, containing the information about the "flower"method to find out what you want to do. Upon completion of the flower one may analyze their answers and know immediately what they want to do with their career and life. For some there is more steps to follow. The additional steps are from chapter eight of What Color is your Parachute, by Richard N. Bolles.

Step One - Find What Career or Jobs Your Flower Sprouts To

First, choose your top three Knowlegdes, or fields of interests. Next, select your top five Transferable Skills (All Verbs). Once doing this you will want to ask friends, family, and co-workers too look at your top selections and give their opinion of what jobs they suggest based off your answers. Helpful or not, make sure to collect all of the data. After collecting all of your data circle any of the job or careers that stand out to you. Now its time to do some information digging. 

Step Two - Testing the Careers

In this step you will be taking all of your circled suggestions and following up with people in this field. You will be asking them questions to see if the job is in fact tailored to you and your wants/needs. Bolles suggests asking the following questions,

"How did you get into this work?"

"What do you like the most about it?"

"What do you like the least about it?"

"Where else can I find people in the similar field of work?"

These questions will help get a better insight in the possible career choices. 

Step Three - Finding Out Which Organizations Have Such Jobs

Here you will want to think outside of the box to find alternative routes. For example if one wanted to go into teaching they may think that going to a school is their only option. Wrong. Be creative and think or do some research. For example if one wanted to be a teacher there are many possibilities; corporate training and educational departments, workshops, foundations, private firms, teaching assistants, military, fire or police training and so forth. Just try to think of other options, or "kinds of places" as Bolles says. 

Step Four - Which Places Best Fit You

Taking a look at all the possibilities select the locations that you would want to work for. Referring back to the teaching scenario, if you know you would never be interested in police or fire training do not select it as a place to work. 

Step Five - Research The Company

Before approaching a company or organization for employment, do some homework about them. Find out what the company's beliefs are. Look for employee satisfaction. Is there room for growth within the company. Just make sure to find out if the company you want to approach is going to be compatible with your interests and needs. 

It is important to follow these additional steps in order to truly get an understanding of what it is you want to do for a career based off of your personality. No one would want to get up and go to work every day if they dreaded waking up every morning. and having the feeling of being stuck at work. You can always change your career choices down the road, but for the time being, find a job that attracts you to want to become the best that you can be.
-STURCO