By PETER KAMURI
The most common question career counsellors or advisor get from fresh school leavers is: what is the right career path for me?
Indeed, choosing the right career path can be a daunting task, even for the experienced.
Making career decisions is an important step towards realising your professional dreams, and those who make mistakes at the preliminary stages may live to regret their choices or be forced to make changes later on life, which can be very expensive.
Know yourself
There are many things to consider as you chart your career path, but perhaps the best way to assess your future is to know yourself.
To do this, start with a self-assessment. Ask yourself what skills you have, what holds your interests, what values you hold dear and what personal qualities you possess.
Find out what skills you have by analysing what you are capable of doing using the knowledge you have acquired over time. Are you good at computer programming? Repairing equipment? Asking yourself such questions can help make your decision easier as you can find a career as closely related to what you are already good at.
Your interests are what you like doing during your free time. For example, an interest in writing can land you a career in journalism, publishing and other related areas; an interest in watching movies can help you get into filming, directing, producing or even acting. Do you enjoy camping, outdoor activities, travelling? Consider something in tourism or hospitality.
Another clue to guide you is your values — the characteristics you hold dear. They define who you are and how others perceive you. Are you trustworthy? You could get into accounting. Are you interested in fighting for the poor? You may want to consider getting into civil society, charity organisations or Government institutions.
Personal qualities are closely related to values and refer to those things that drive you — your attitudes and general traits. Are you tolerant, dependable or outgoing? List the traits you think best define you, or ask those close to you to assist you.
If you are extroverted, you may want to think of something in broadcast journalism, customer care or sales.
