do Dr. Patrick C Horton
take a look
- Choosing the right career can help you build skills, earn a quality salary, and find fulfillment.
- When choosing a career, consider factors such as globalization and field of study, as well as your personality and priorities.
- Military veterans can use the skills they acquired during their service to find a complementary career in the civilian world.
- Get more pro tips whenapply to the University of PhoenixRace With Confidence™ newsletteris LinkedIn®!
How to choose a profession
As writer Annie Dillard observed, "How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives." Whether it's good news or bad news depends on what you're doing most days. hence the old question"What job suits me?"
When choosing a career, it's important to think strategically and identify the goals you want to achieve in your 20-50 career. The sooner you decide on a functional career, the more options you generally have.Develop Skills, Build WealthYfind job satisfaction.
Choosing the right career is an inherently personal decision that often depends on who you are and where you are in life. For example, maybe you are ajust graduatedYou want to maximize your salary and earning potential and impact in your community. Or maybe this is what you're looking forarmy transitionto the private sphere. Or maybe you're in the middle of your career and looking for both.switch to administrationocareer changeno total.
Wherever you are, read on. We'll explore a wide range of motivations, topics and tips to help you narrow your choices, seize opportunities and make the best possible career decision.
Choose a career with globalization in mind
The world that used to function by city, state or even country is now global. When you enter the workforce today, you're not just competing with people in your hometown for a job. They arecompeting with top-tier candidates from every region of the United States and sometimes around the world. According to a study by the Institute of Economic PolicyGlobalization has lowered wages for American workers. At the same time, globalization has increased demand in the United States for professionals, skilled labor, and capital, which increases earnings for educated workers while widening the gap between rich and poor.
What is more,Entry-level jobs are becoming increasingly automated and outsourcedforeign workers to save cost. That's one of the reasons why, whenever possible, it's a good idea to develop skills that will keep you going.career longevity. You can do this through education or experience. (Or both!)
If you can, select a basic careercan be used all over the worldand what it offersgrowth opportunities. This way you optimize your salary increase opportunities and minimize the risk of your professional area becoming obsolete.
Some basic professional fields in this field are:
- project management
- internet security
- finance
- information technologies
- business operations
- mechanical Engineering
- contract management
- human Resources
- software development
- production engineering
- product quality engineering
- supply chain management
Choose a career based on your title
After graduation with aBachelor of Science in Information TechnologyWhat kind of career would you aspire to? What skills have you learned throughout your college career that will help you get your foot in the door? In other words, to get the best return on your college education investment, here's what to doChoose a career option in your field of study.
So if you have an information technology degree, chances are you have acquired specific skills and experience in areas such as PC technical support, Microsoft systems, Cisco networking, and information assurance. So it makes sense that you would pursue a position as an IT manager. Your bachelor's degree, along with a year or two of PC helpdesk skills and perhaps a certification or two, can help you stand out to hiring managers as a high caliber candidate with the right skills and experience to the work.
Choose a career based on who you are as a person
Aligning your career interests with your personality type and what you like is the first step in finding a career. Do you like video games and everything related to technology? Then you might decide to become a software engineer. Can you "get a cat out of a fish cart"? Then becoming a business development manager or entrepreneur could be a good option.
Are you a philanthropist? Do you like working with your hands? Or are you more intellectual? Maybe you can do a lot of things, but in the end you want to be a digital nomad and work from anywhere in the world. Yes you canrecognize who you are as a personyou can understand how you want to spend your career. In an ideal world, this career would suit your personality and inspire you to get up every day, while giving you opportunities to do so.grow intellectually and experientially.
read similar articles
How far can you go
keep reading
Choose a career based on what you want and need out of life
My grandmother only made it to the third grade because she had to prioritize family survival and a full-time job. Two generations later, that decision has remained my own priority to get multiple degrees, climb the corporate ladder, and start my own business. I also prioritized survival and safety, but I had more options because of the decisions my grandmother and mother made.
That's not to say I haven't made sacrifices along the way. I did. But my story shows how many of us, especially when we come from disadvantaged backgrounds, feel compelled to prioritize economic security. To achieve this, we can choose a career field with higher income and growth potential.
Life isn't all about money, of course, but pursuing a career in a better-paying field can create the life experiences that lead to happiness.
There's a new saying: "Travel is cheaper than therapy!" While not meant to be literal, it does point to a universal truth: being able to do what you love, whether it's traveling, volunteering, or something very different, brings personal happiness. A big part of it comes down to having the right financial resources for the things you are passionate about.
Choose a career based on your military experience
Many people join the military to gain self-discipline and skills. For soldiers looking to transition into a civilian career, military experience can serve as a useful starting point in deciding where to go next.
If you come from a military specialty, such as a cybersecurity analyst, satellite systems specialist or supply chain worker, consider using these skills in your civilian job search. That military experience, when translated into job skills that a civilian employer understands, can help you find a position where you're ready to advance. In addition to transition services offered by the military, consider contacting a career counselor at your school or independently, or a specialist mentoring program such asamerican corporate partnersfor leadership.
read similar articles
Leave the army? Education can help!
keep reading
Choose a career after working in management
If you are in a leadership position and want to climb the corporate ladder to the managerial level, you need to evaluate your functional career path.
First, you need to determine which functional career path you are working on. Do you have a background in business operations, project management, customer service, engineering, finance, contracts or human resources?
Next, you need to determine which functional career path you want to pursue at the management level and whether you have the right experience. Consider again your area of expertise. Whether it's engineering, finance, contracts, project management or a combination of these, as a manager you likely have skills that can translate into executive career opportunities.
Determine what experience you have, decide which leadership path you want to take, and make sure your management-level experience aligns with your leadership potential and career plans if you haven't already.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
dr. Patrick C. Horton, MBA, DM/IST, is Vice President of Program Management at Tampa Microwave, Associate University Professor and Senior Staff Sergeant in the US Army. your Ph.D. in Business with a minor in Information Systems from the University of Phoenix. He launched Professional Career Transformations in 2021 to guide and encourage others to greater career success. A member of the Vistage Executive Training Group and a Purple Heart recipient in Operation Iraqi Freedom, he lives in sunny Florida. Learn more about dr. Horton and his dedication to helping others reach their highest level of success by visiting himSite web.
The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the advice of the University of Phoenix.