Deciding what course to take in college is one of the critical periods of one’s career. Herein you’ll need personal reckoning. The course you choose can ultimately affect your long-term career prospects. The importance of career preparedness can’t be ignored because of high perceived examples of new graduates who aren’t prepared in the Job world. According to a Strada-Gallup survey, a third of students out of 32,000 believe that they have strong knowledge and skills to survive in the job market. Knowing what is the best course to choose will save you tons of time and money.

Research the industry

Researching the industry means finding facts, lists and statistics about the specific job sector. This task can help you find your niche when you select the course. You can also ask a resource person or an expert in their field. For example, an education industry makes up the following jobs:

• Academic writer
• Librarian
• Online English teacher
• Professor
• Teacher
• Teacher aide
• Tutor

The Information technology industry has these specific jobs:

• Back-end web developer
• Front-end web developer
• Database Administrator
• Network administrator
• Content Writer
• Graphic designer
• SEO Specialist
• Technical writer
• Video editor

Research the job market

Researching the job market can help you decide whether to switch college courses or stick with it. Should I continue accountancy or shift to nursing? Job markets can be affected by these factors:

• Technology advances

Certain jobs that are menial can be easily automated by programs and robots. An example is a cashier who could be replaced by automated payment gates connected to a smartphone. In countries with higher technological penetration - that could be a reality in the near future. An increase in the use of robots in factories could send workers into the jobless zone and advances in accounting software may modify the daily tasks of auditors and bookkeepers.

• Economic factors that affect employment

Job growth depends on the temporary projects available and the economic performance of a city, region, province and country. For example, a developed tourist site (beaches, waterfall, mountainous treks) will increase tourist arrivals and so too the number of restaurants, hotels, and handicraft production. A surge in tourists arrivals will also positively affect the number of airline and vehicle operations. On the other hand, a failing economy by changing demand for products and services can make it harder for companies to retain employees.

Take note that job markets change and what is true for the present time may not be true in the future.

Take personality tests

Personality test refers to the method that assesses human personality. Such tests may differ in length and type of questions. Using tests may help you find your dislike, likes, passion and personality type. 

How personality tests can help you choose a career

Personality tests can help you narrow down your choices on a career path or job that is compatible with your personality, interests, values and skills. Keep in mind that some of these tests aren’t scientifically validated. 

Here are some free personality tests online such as:

• 123test.com
• 16personalities.com
• PersonalityPerfect.com

The most well-known personality test is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) and covers these four categories:

• Extroversion and introversion
• Judging and perceiving
• Sense and intuition
• Thinking and feeling

Build a career capital instead of following your passion

You might have already asked your teacher, a friend, parent, sibling or a mentor, and they may all have told you “follow your passion”. Sounds like ultimate advice, but the problem with this mantra is that it assumes that your passion and interests are fixed instead of changing or fluid. Here are the reasons not to follow your passion but instead develop it and build a career capital. 

• Following your passion will likely make you give up soon once you hit a consistent and hard obstacle. 
• Hobbies and passions don’t always translate to successful careers
• It ignores the job market. It’s like putting all eggs in one basket.

Develop your career capital by:

• Identify your values or beliefs
• Identify market needs
• Consistently improve your skills 
• Deliberately practice
• Pursue a craftsman mindset (a combo of learning and consistent hard work)
• Persist through hard times
• Re-evaluate your progress
• Invest in another time and energy

Developing your passion by identifying strengths and weaknesses

Unlike the common perception that strengths are something that you’re good at, an accurate definition of strength is something which makes you feel strong.  You can be good at one skill but at the same time, you don’t like doing it. A strength energizes you and a weakness weakens your feelings.

Here’s how to find your strength and weaknesses

• Try a free test online or from your school - richardstep.com and 123test.com
• Use a professional test from career assessment centres in your locality.
• Find your weakness by finding your hard vs soft skills. Hard refers to technical skills such as programming, auto repair, cooking, etc. Soft skills pertain to emotional intelligence such as negotiation and anger management. Once you find your weaknesses on each of these types of skills, you can work on them to enhance hard and soft skills.
• Find tasks that let you forget your sense of time.

Weigh the pros and cons of each course/job

Each course or job could have pros and cons depending on its demand and availability in nearby schools. A specific course such as civil engineering and political science has this profile:

Ask a mentor or veteran

A mentor or veteran refers to a person who is already in such a profession. So if you’re thinking of enrolling in a nursing course, you could ask for advice from nurses who are already working in clinics and hospitals. If you’re into graphic design or coding, you may set up some time with an experienced web developer or graphic designer to see how they are doing their job. To get most the advantage of a mentor’s advice, follow these:

• Set up a regular meeting
• Watch how your mentor is doing
• Keep your relationship and contact open
• Try to be like them but not exactly identical

The pros of having a mentor are:

• You’ll get good advice from a professional.
• You’ll know the job trends.
• You may get a job right after graduation if that mentor decides or is willing to help you.
• You’ll get a second opinion.
• You’ll grow your network.