Christine C.
Acostan BSIS IV
Choosing a career can be very satisfying if you have made the right choice. Like the
famous adage goes, if you choose the job you love, you don’t have to work a single day
in your life. On the other hand, a wrong decision can leave you wishing that you had
trodden a different path.
While doing a career search it is imperative to have the correct career information. An
informed choice is always a better bet than an uninformed one. The right career advice
can help you to choose a career to suit your personality as well as your aspirations.
Education, of course, plays an important role in getting you the right job in your chosen
field. The stepping stones or pre-requisites for choosing your dream career are of course,
the qualifications required to achieve it. With the right qualifications, the top careers are
open to you and the power of choice would be with you.
Career counseling can guide you in selecting the courses suitable for you. It could be an
undergraduate course or an Associate Bachelor’s, the choice depends on various factors
including convenience and requirements. For some careers, a Bachelor’s degree will do,
but others may require a Master’s or even a PhD.
The choice of the university is vital as well, as each one differs in its outlook and
approach. The choice offered by various universities is also vast; with some of them
offering Associate Degrees and online degrees, which make pursuing the requisite
qualifications that much easier. This is especially so, if you are already in a job, and
looking for a career change. The same is also helpful, if you are planning to pursue
multiple courses at the same time.
Match Your Personality with Careers
"What career would fit me best?" How many times have you asked yourself this
question? It is a common question, and a good one. Research shows that the match
between your job and your personality plays a major role in your job satisfaction and
success.
Here you will find the careers that match your Holland personality type. In addition, you
will learn a great deal about each of them -- accurate information about such things as
what workers does in them, what they pay, and their job outlook.
You will use the personality types identified by the internationally known and respected
career psychologist, Dr. John Holland. There are six types: Realistic, Investigative,
Artistic, Social, Enterprising, and Conventional. Hundreds of studies have investigated
his theory with positive results. It is the most widely used in career guidance and
counseling today.
Choose a Career Cluster, Career Field, or Career Pathway
Are you a student in a "career pathway"? A "career cluster" or "career field"? If so, are
you in the one that best fits you?
This is an important decision. It is no exaggeration to say, “Your choice will affect the
rest of your life.”
You should consider several things in making your decision. One of the most important is
“Which one matches my interests?”
A good match affects,
The grades you get,
How much you enjoy school,
Whether you can find a job, and
How satisfied and successful you are in a career.
A major longitudinal study of 80,000+ students in 87 colleges, found that the closer
students' majors matched their personality/interests, the better grades they got. And for
many, this "interest-major match" predicted whether they graduated or not (J. of
Vocational Behavior, Tracey & Robbins, 2006).
A study of students in 13 community colleges and 154-year colleges found that "interest-
major match" predicted whether they graduated on time (J. of Counseling Psychology,
Allen & Robbins, 2010). The better the match, the more likely they were to graduate
when expected.
It stands to reason: the more interested you are in the courses you take; the more time and
effort you put in; the more confidence you feel, and the better grades you get.
Research also shows that this match predicts job satisfaction and success. Yes, there are
other factors that are important, too, but there is no doubt about it. This matching strategy
is a good one. So, you want to choose the career pathway or career field that best matches
your personality and interests.
Keep in mind, however, that all of these studies were done with valid career tests.
Scientific studies show that they truly measure the Holland personality types. You will
not get the benefit of a good match if you use an invalid career test -- inventory, profiler,
sorter, etc. Read more in the "Second Step" on this page.
