1. The attitude towards the choice of a profession is unchangeable.
In any sphere of activity there is a change of occupations, positions as a person’s qualification grows. At the same time, the greatest success is achieved by the one who has passed the initial stages well.
Analyze the situation in the labor market. Pay attention to the fact that every year there are more and more new professions. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to regularly improve your skills, learn related professions. Do not be afraid that choosing a profession now, while you are still in school, will fatalistically determine your whole destiny.
Changing your choice and learning a new profession will make you a valuable specialist in an interdisciplinary field. Your first profession, even if you later change your mind and find something more attractive, comes in handy in unexpected situations. For example, a first degree in art history will help a lawyer with his second degree to understand the complex issues of inheritance of antique valuables.
2. Prevailing opinions about the prestige of the profession.
Prejudices about a profession manifest themselves in the fact that some professions and occupations important to society are considered undignified, indecent. You have probably heard how children who are not very diligent in their studies are frightened of a terrible future.
An economist or psychologist is no more useful to society than a turner, a nurse, or an electrician. The prestige of the profession, of course, should be considered – but only after taking into account your interests and abilities. Do you want to master a “fashionable” but not joyful and enjoyable profession?
3. Choosing a profession under the influence of comrades (for a company or to keep up)
We choose a profession according to our “taste” and “size” just like things, music, hobbies… Look back at others, comparing yourself to your friends, not blindly repeating yourself. Try to see what makes you different from your comrades – and where you are similar.
4. Transferring one’s attitude toward a person, a representative of a particular profession, to the profession itself
When choosing a profession, one should take into account, first, the peculiarities of the given type of activity, and not choose a profession only because you like or dislike the person who is engaged in the given type of activity. Especially dangerous is the fascination with a teacher or an idol – an artist or an athlete, which happens quite often.
5. Fascination only with the external or some private side of the profession
Almost always behind the ease of performance is strenuous, mundane work.
6. Identification of a school subject with a profession or poor distinction of these concepts
There is such a subject as a foreign language, and there are many professions where language ability is required – translator, tour guide, telephone operator of international communication, etc. Therefore, when choosing a profession, it is necessary to consider what real occupations and professions are behind this subject.
To do this, it is best to analyze the newspapers with vacancies at the employment exchange (there it is usually stated what kind of education is required for a particular job). Keep in mind that there are more professions than school subjects.
7. Outdated ideas about the nature of work in material production
All occupations, and above all workers, have long since introduced sophisticated and interesting technology.
8. Inability or unwillingness to understand their personal qualities, aptitudes, abilities
Professional consultants, parents, teachers, comrades will help to understand themselves.
Psychological tests, as well as articles and publications on popular psychology, can also be useful. However, keep in mind that the task of popular tests – to activate the activity of self-knowledge – self-observation, self-analysis, but not giving out a ready answer to the question of who you want to be, and not sticking a label on what you are.
9. Ignorance and, more often, underestimation of one’s physical features and shortcomings, which are essential when choosing a profession.
Some professions may be contraindicated to you because they can worsen your health. However, such professions are few and mostly include those that require prolonged strain of certain physiological systems.
And, finally, about the main thing. Everyone has probably heard: “A good person is not a profession.” But this is the basis of professionalism. Remember that professional competence is not reduced to the arithmetic sum of professionally important qualities, knowledge, skills, and abilities. Each of us is warmed by the memory of meetings with real teachers, builders, doctors, managers.
10. Listening to the opinion of people who are incompetent in matters of career choice
It is possible to reasonably recommend something in such a serious sphere as professional self-determination only if several conditions coincide.
These are knowledge of the specifics of the professions in question, as well as the situation on the labor market; knowledge of the individual-psychological features of the person making the choice; understanding of the essence of psychological problems that arise at different stages of professional self-determination.
A specially trained professional (psychologist, an employment service worker) or someone who knows you very well and is familiar with a certain group of professions from their own experience can reasonably argue about this.
11. Choosing a profession without trying to understand the details
Even if it seems to you that you can (and want to!) become a lawyer, but all the information about the profession is a set of templates from the movies, it is also worth delving into the subject. If an MBA seems like the path for you, your first steps might be to acquire a Bachelor’s of finance, which can be done online at Rasmussen University. Make sure to understand the steps it takes to get to your end goal. Click here to learn more.
We recommend paying attention not only to the pros but also to the cons of the profession, to talk to real representatives and form a more complete picture. And do not be afraid to be disappointed in the profession! It is better to realize right away that the profession was chosen by mistake than to waste your opportunity of free education in the university on an irrelevant profession. By the way, sometimes you can study different subjects that will not be useful for your profession. In this case, you’ll probably need help of McEssay writing service.
The foundations are the qualities laid down in the family and developed at school that distinguishes a good person and a good professional. They are known to all. They are kindness, honesty, responsibility… Ignoring the distinction between good and evil, people make a clear choice in favor of the latter (A. Steinsaltz, Simple Words).