No one goes searching for a dead-end job. They want a job with potential, preferably one that's in demand and showing growth. That kind of job leads to a career, personal satisfaction, financial security and advancement. So how do you find that kind of job? Ask an expert. Darlene Martin, MSCP, NCC, assistant director of Continuing Education at Kennesaw State University, is a master career counselor and a certified global career development facilitator, instructor and master trainer.
"There's an abundance of job market information on the Web. If you know where to go, it's easy to do your own career research," Martin said. "But if you want to find your best options, you don't start with a "hot" occupations list. You start with knowing yourself."
Knowing what you like and don't like to do, your skills, personality, education level and interests will put you on the right track for jobs that will give you the most satisfaction. Books like "What Color Is Your Parachute?" by Richard Nelson Bowles can help you explore your personality and aptitudes. So can self-assessment tools found through the Georgia Career Information System at www.gcic.peachnet.edu, available in schools, colleges and libraries.
A career counselor can guide you through the process, asking questions and using assessment tools to help you focus. "A counselor's job isn't to find someone a new career, so much as to pull of out of them what's already inside, so that they can see it and act on it," Martin said. Realizing why you hate your present position or why you're always drawn to "helping" jobs can be a defining moment in your search. For more about career counseling and a list of counselors, see the National Career Development Association at www.ncda.org.
"Understanding the world of work is the second smart career search strategy," Martin said. Two sites can take you a long way in learning about major industries, occupations and how to prepare for them: The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Information Network at www.onetcenter.org and America's Career InfoNet at www.acinet.org. "On the America's Career InfoNet site you can click on 'occupation information' to find the fastest growing occupations in the U.S. or by state, and further define that search by education level," Martin said. You'll learn that in Georgia many of the fastest growing jobs are in health care, information systems technology, hospitality and home improvement (contractors, heating and air-conditioning technologists, plumbers, etc.)
Georgia's fastest growing occupation is medical assistant (69 percent between 2002-2012), but there are at least a dozen other jobs in the health care field among the top 25 for all education levels. You can read job profiles, learn education requirements, see average salaries and read trends for a vast number of jobs. You can read more about these occupations at online.onetcenter.org or in the DOL Occupational Outlook Handbook, located at www.bls.gov.
"Here's where knowing your interests and personality can help you decide if you belong in health care, and if so, whether you'd fit better in a job caring for patients or transcribing medical records," Martin said. "These sites will also link you to places where you can get education or training for the occupation that interests you," Martin said. In Georgia, a good site to explore educational opportunities and financial aid is www.gacollege411.org.
Before you invest in an education, however, Martin suggests you do some informational interviews. "One of the biggest career search mistakes is that people don't research the occupation enough. Talk to some people who are actually working in the field to see how they got into it, what they really do, what they like about it and what they don't," she said.
Martin offers an career assessment introduction ($99) and a four-hour career assessment counseling package ($399) for individuals whose careers are in transition. Call 770-423-6369.