Confused About Your Career?

Let us begin with the basic definition of a career. According to Wikipedia, the career is an individual’s metaphorical “journey” through learning, work, and other aspects of life. Career is the phase of life that is concerned with employment. To choose a career, you need to choose a suitable field of study for the eligibility of the dream career. The problem of choice lies with the career, not the study. For the question of the study, the choice of career is the answer itself.

Why Is Building A Career So Important?

The career ladder is not an independent one to climb if you choose to. It’s a part of the ladder of life, one which is compulsory to climb. Building a career is not about making money, it’s about implementing the acquired skills and make oneself a useful human resource. Building a career is very crucial because a career is about learning, earning, and staying motivated to do more. It’s the factor that decides the condition of the individual when he transforms from a youth to a man. A career is about self-development and growth intending to improve the skills and prospects of growth.

A career is a point where the productive side of a human starts bearing fruit. Hence, it’s very important to make a wise decision when you are thinking about building your career.

Why Are Most People Confused?      

Deciding on a career is not a cakewalk for all. This decision involves typical analysis and interpretation of a huge number of alternatives available for the career. A person gets perplexed while choosing a career because of multiple reasons like not being able to know what their actual interest is, which field they want to get into or what they want as a job profile in the future. Choosing a career depends on many factors that a person may not be clear about. Such things form the basis of confusion in the mind of the individual which combined with many external factors, generates a chain of thoughts that makes the decision more laborious.

Sometimes, the confusion is about whether to go towards the interest or towards the occupation carried on by family roots and sometimes it’s about choosing the road less traveled or the one frequently traveled.

Most Common Trends On Deciding A Career

There are trends in fashion, trends in marketing, or trends in food, but have you ever wondered, there are trends in deciding a career too? Yes, they exist. While there are trends like following the same career line as your father, there are also trends like some “hot” jobs which are always highlighted uniquely and always catch the light. Trends also include the currently growing industries which will expand and pay you more in the near future.

Let’s cast light on some of the commonly followed trends in deciding a career.

Usual Trends:

There are some professions that are like water in a river. They will always be a part of the on-going trend and a particular section of the population will always prefer it while deciding a career, e.g. health-care-related jobs, skilled trades, science fields, etc. They are a permanent member of the “currently-preferred careers” list on the web and minds. The items included in the list of usual trends form an ever-growing industry. We can see a large youth population today, which will turn old tomorrow and, at some point in time, will need health care facilities. In the modern era, technology up-gradation is a daily affair. Not only a developed country, but the whole world needs engineers in every field for development, whether it’s front-end or back-end. So, usual trends are an unending story. They were growing, they are growing and they will continue to grow in the future.

Hot Jobs:

If I want to explain this to today’s generation, I can simply say that these are the #trending ones. This deals with making a career in those industries or fields which are presently growing and developing like the IT Industry in India and Computer System Industry in the USA. So, this is a rapid decision. You see the electronics industry is growing; you take your career ball and run into the court of electronics. It’s a common trend in deciding a career.

Trends by Geographic region:

The trends in deciding a career differ from country to country or from state to state. The difference occurs because of the kind of industries developing in that region. Sometimes, one area of the country is very famous for its shopping hubs, like New York city for Times Square and San Francisco for the famous Silicon Valley. So, it depends on what one chooses to do. If you want to work where you live, you need to choose the field which is accessible to you in your city or state.

Trends in employment:

Employment trends change frequently. Sometimes there are minor changes and sometimes there are major ones. A shift in the employment trends brings a change in the required skill and knowledge of the workforce. While choosing a career, one can go to the study of employment trends to see what the current working requirements are in the preferred sector. At times, there is a major requirement of the unskilled labor force for the development of basic infrastructure in a large area and after some time, that area would require investors, software engineers, and many other skilled professionals and specialists.

Like father like son:

This is a common phrase that means that a son’s behavior, character, or preferences can be expected to resemble that of his father. Though the better saying would be “like parent like a child” since we no longer live in a sexist world. Several times, we come across this common fact that a doctor’s child is a doctor and a CPA’s child is a CPA. Some people say it is in the genes while the fact may be otherwise. Talking about generation Z, the experts are certain the jobs they would be in would be more like the ones we have never heard of before. This relates to almost all skilled jobs, even a carpenter’s son is a carpenter and a farmer’s son is a farmer.

If you are one of those kids who always peep when your parents work and have always been interested in and getting curious, you can go for the same career line as your parents. This has dual benefits: it is easy to choose and you will get ample free guidance and a great mentor to support you.

What To Do To Decide A Career?

We saw several trends followed in deciding a career. There are some ideas and techniques which can be used if you are still not able to decide what you need to do. We will introduce you to some scientific techniques and crazy ideas that can help you in taking this tough call within a few minutes. Here are some ideas and techniques followed by their short description:

IKIGAI:

This is a very famous technique used for choosing an ideal career. This is a Japanese concept that means “a reason for being”. It is a way of finding a reason to get out of bed every morning. It is a choice made by the intersection of what you love, what the world needs, what you can be paid for, and what you are good at. Out of these, some parts are difficult to think of. Some people aren’t able to realize what they are good at and some don’t know what they love. Something you can be paid for is still an easy part as compared to the other three.

If you choose to do what comes in the crisscrossing of all the four facts, you will find a perfect career to choose. Imagine doing something that you love and what you are good at and realizing that it’s helping the world too. In addition to this, you are also getting paid well for it. Doesn’t that sound perfect?

Remove the what-ifs:

First of all, remove all the what-ifs in your mind which makes your career choice more difficult to make. Just say a bye to all the doubts burning flames of negativity in your mind. These doubts don’t let you say yes to any career option which you explore. Once you remove them and start with a free mind, it will be very easy for you to make a wise choice. These disturbing thoughts are like clouds, once you remove them, your mind gets as clear as the sky and you’ll be able to think better. Explore new things and think of new ideas. You can search on the web or learn about more options available for a career by brainstorming with some seniors.

Take a test:

Just go to Google and ask it “Which career is right for me?” and it will give you a never-ending list of links like it does always. There are links to aptitude tests and tests for choosing the most suitable career. You can take one of these or some of these. What you have to do is just click any one of them and answer the following questions correctly. The questions will ask about your interests, your likes, and dislikes, your values, etc., and will generate a report based on your answers. If you answered all the questions correctly as per your preferences, they will give you the best career suitable for you, a career which is made for you and for whom, you are made.

If one result doesn’t satisfy you, try some other ones. After two or three attempts, you will find the perfect one for you. Doesn’t it resemble the choice of a life partner? You see and know two or three or maybe some more and finally, you get your perfect one. The same is the case with deciding on a career also. Explore some options and get some knowledge about them and you will get your perfect career.

Top Trending Careers

Every decade witnesses some new emerging careers in the economy. The newborn ones always catch the focus light among the pre-existing ones.  In the last decade, we saw major changes in technology and trade which completely altered the way we work, the way we travel, and the way we live. The titles of the trending careers changed over time but some of them were always in demand. Top trending careers are not the ones paying the highest; the list includes those jobs which are in demand in the market. Tech-based jobs were in the trend all around the decade, with changes in the main focus of work, sometimes the industries demanded hardware engineers and technicians while other times they wanted software engineers and hackers. So, let’s have a look at the top trending jobs today:

Software Engineer:

To start with, software engineering is a branch of computer science. A software engineer is a person who writes codes to instruct the computer. This may include coding graphical interfaces, directing users through a product flow, or even managing how a computer functions in the background. A software engineer applies the principles and knowledge of software engineering to design, develop, maintain, test, and evaluate computer software. Due to the increasing reliance on mobile technology, emerging industries, and the growing complexity of technology, there is a lot of investment going into this area.

According to Career Explorer, when working with a client, a software engineer will typically analyze the client’s needs, then design, test, and develop the computer software to meet those needs. They are experts in computing systems, software structure, and recognizing the limitations of the existing hardware. To become a software engineer, you should fulfill the basic requirement of having a bachelor’s degree in computer science.

Nurse Practitioner:

According to Wikipedia, A nurse practitioner (NP) is an advanced practice registered nurse and a type of mid-level practitioner. They are trained to assess patient needs, order and interpret diagnostic and laboratory tests, diagnose disease, formulate, and prescribe treatment plans. There are specialized nurse practitioners also including pediatric, dermatology, and women’s health. They provide high-quality healthcare. These professionals serve as mentors, counselors, educators, researchers, and consultants along with healthcare providers to patients. To be a nurse practitioner, one must have a Master of Science in Nursing and experience as a registered nurse. If you always had a wish to serve and treat people, you can go for a career as a Nurse Practitioner. This profession is like noble work where you can use your knowledge and skill to serve sick people.

Web Developer:

As per Techopedia, A Web developer is a kind of programmer who specializes in the development of applications relating to the World Wide Web or distributed network applications, which typically run protocols like HTTP from a Web server to a client browser using associated programming languages like HTML/CSS, C#, Ruby and PHP to name a few. Their skill is concerned with the back end or the programming aspect of creating a web application or a website. He is different from a Web designer, who deals only with the aesthetics of an application or website. They are found in different types of organizations and some may also work as freelance developers.

A web developer can come from various educational backgrounds because once a person learns a programming language; the rest of the skill can be acquired through practice. Employers prefer those people who come from a computer science background. The required skills include programming, mathematics web design, and networking.

Operations Manager:

The requirement for this post is all-pervasive. An operations manager is a person in charge of the planning and execution of routine activities and functions of an organization. This area of management is concerned with designing and controlling the process of production and redesigning business operations. An operation manager oversees all the regular tasks of an organization and works for the smooth functioning of the firm. Their role is not included in the specialized managers of the organization, but he is like salt in the food, which is not visible but without him, the specialized ones won’t be able to accomplish their goals. A bachelor’s degree in operations management and an understanding of general record-keeping, budgeting, and financing is enough to help you in starting a career as an operations manager.

Data Scientist:

Ever wondered how you start getting messages and ad links whenever you search for flights, colleges, etc.? These data scientists are behind those texts and ads. They use scientific methods, processes, algorithms, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from many structured and unstructured data. They are analytical experts. Data scientists utilize their skills in both technology and social science to find trends and manage data. They use industry knowledge, contextual understanding, and skepticism of existing assumptions – to uncover solutions to business challenges. They collect and analyze data to convert it into useful sources that can be used further to carry out operations.

Today when we are in a place surrounded by gadgets and technology controlling us, the data scientists extract the data from multiple sources and analyze and interpret it to use it in the best way possible. To become a data scientist, one must have a bachelor’s degree in IT, computer science, mathematics, or any other related field. With the increasing focus on Information Technology, data science is growing simultaneously.

Information Security Analyst:

Here is another career you can pursue in the field of Information Technology. Companies hire these professionals to secure their sensitive data from cyber hackers, especially mission-critical data. They do this by inventing innovative solutions to prevent critical information from being stolen, damaged, or compromised by hackers. Same as a data scientist, for becoming an Information Security Analyst, you need to have a bachelor’s degree in computer science, programming, or a related field. You can also go for MBA in information systems. They work to secure the information networks and systems of the organization. As the number of cyber-attacks is increasing, the demand for Information Security Analysts is constantly rising.

Surgeon:

With the increasing pollution levels and degrading quality of air and water, diseases are spreading at a faster pace than ever. Viruses and bacteria damage human organs. Surgeries are carried out to cure patients in case of diseases or accidents. A surgeon can remove diseased organs or tissues, repair body systems, or replace diseased organs with transplants. There are general surgeons and specialized surgeons also like heart surgeons, brain surgeons, etc. who specialize in a particular complex organ. To become a surgeon, you need to pursue MBBS after 10+2 in Physics, Chemistry, and Biology. Then, one must go for one year and six months of training proceeded by a Master of Surgery Degree. After the qualification and compulsory training, surgeons can choose to work for a private hospital or a government hospital. The demand for surgeons is ever increasing with the increasing growth and development in the health sector.

Physical Therapist:

Physical therapy deals with body movements with prescribed exercise, hands-on care, and patient education. According to the American Physical Therapy Association, Physical therapists teach patients how to prevent or manage their condition so that they will achieve long-term health benefits. PTs examine each individual and develop a plan, using treatment techniques to promote the ability to move, reduce pain, restore function, and prevent disability. Physical therapy is generally recommended in case of joint and bone-related problems. If you want to become a physical therapist, you need to have a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree. If you have always been into physical exercises and want to pursue the medical side, then you can combine both of them and go for a career as a Physical Therapist.

IT Manager:

An IT Manager is the head of the IT Department of the organization who helps in fulfilling the company’s information systems requirements. He is responsible for the overall performance of the company’s electronics network. He recruits and trains computer programmers, system administrators, and database administrators. They are experts in selecting the hardware and software needed for the network, updating internal servers, or looking at other electronic support systems, evaluating new hardware, running cables for new networks, and other related tasks. To be an IT manager you need to have a Bachelor’s or Master’s degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Science, or any other related field as per the requirement of the employer. You need to have job experience in the same field as managing and leading IT projects in the past.

Statistician:

A statistician who specializes in theoretical and applied statistics. According to some trusted sources, statisticians are professionals who apply statistical methods and models to real-world problems. They gather, analyze, and interpret data to aid in many business decision-making processes. Since businesses are collecting data from much wider sources than ever, they need statisticians as experts to arrange, analyze, and interpret the collected data. They interpret data and arrange it according to the organization’s demand, to understand trends, and making comparable reports. To be a statistician, typically, you need to have a unique combination of technical, analytical, communication, and leadership skills. You need to have a master’s degree in statistics or mathematics. A statistician uses mathematical techniques to conclude.

Most of the trending careers either belong to the IT sector or the medical sector. This is how you can know about the trends. In the past two years, both these sectors have grown tremendously and are still growing. If you are interested, you can go for a career in these two sectors.

Career Counseling:                                  

Still, confused? You can get some advice which can make your decision faster. Just look for an expert who can help you out. There are experts who have a piece of good knowledge about psychology and career. They can recommend you the best suitable career based on your skills and interests. These professionals are known as Career counselors.

Career counseling is a type of advice-giving and support provided by career counselors to their clients, to help the clients manage their journey through life, learning, and work changes. You can understand your own self, as well as work trends so that you can take an informed decision about career and education. What you have to do is just look for a good career counselor around you, visit them. When you’ll talk to them, they’ll interpret your answers to know more about you. Once they get to know you completely, they’ll give you advice about what career you should pursue and what lines can you choose.

Conclusion

Be calm, think about yourself, and talk to yourself for a while. Ask some questions and answer them. This will help you to get to know many new things hidden inside yourself. Choosing a career is a crucial decision about life, either you can make it or you can break it. Think wisely and make a good choice.

You can choose your career on the basis of your favorite subjects like Mathematics, Statistics, or Chemistry or on the basis of your skills like writing or cooking. If you are good at science, you can go for becoming an engineer, doctor, or scientist. Are you good at writing? then you can become an author or go for creative writing or for Journalism and Mass Communication. If you have always been into drawing and sketching, you can go for fine arts or design. Similarly, there are many skill-related career options. Just remember, “Do what you enjoy and enjoy what you do.”