Explore the Right Career Path was originally published on American Corporate Partners (ACP).
Determining what career path is best for you is an important part of your transition to the civilian workforce.
Here are some suggestions and resources to help you in the process.
Step 1: Ask yourself these questions:
What do you enjoy? It is important to determine your primary interests and passions.
Consider your favorite hobbies, courses, volunteer opportunities and employment
experiences. What do they have in common?
What are your strengths? Take inventory of your skills. Identify the areas that you excel in
and the skills that set you apart from others.
What do you value? Think about the things that are going to be important to you in your next
career. Keep in mind things like work-life balance, compensation, location, travel and having a
desk job versus a field job.
Step 2: Research specific careers that interest you. Discover practical information that can help you
determine the stability of the field, estimated future growth and average salaries.
Step 3: Utilize these tools in order to learn more about yourself and the options available to you in
the corporate world.
- Books: The following books offer a diverse perspective on getting started in a new career
path.- What Color is Your Parachute? by Richard Nelson Bolles
- Encore Career by Marci Alboher
- I Could Do Anything if I Only Knew What It Was: What You Really Want and How to Get
It by Barbara Sher - Now, Discover Your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham and Donald O. Clinton
- Tests: Career and personality tests can help you pinpoint your areas of interest as well as your
natural strengths and abilities.
