The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

The Independent Voice of Southern Methodist University Since 1915

The Daily Campus

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Where to Find the Best Career Advice: A Guide

Where+to+Find+the+Best+Career+Advice%3A+A+Guide

It’s not uncommon to find yourself in a job position that you don’t care for or to find yourself fresh out of high school or college with no direct career path. Not everyone knows exactly what they want to do once completing school. You might even find yourself working in a career field that brings you no happiness.

Some of the best career advice would be to never stop searching until you find a career that brings you fulfillment across the board. This is something that could take time, however.

Not knowing what you want to do with your life can place a lot of strain on yourself. You have bills to pay, maybe a family to take care of, and you want to do something that makes you happy. It’s not always easy finding a dream job, but you owe it to yourself to put in the effort to discover what you enjoy doing.

Continue reading below to learn where to go for career advice!

Meet With a Mentor

Mentors are great career advisors because they’ve been in your exact position before. Depending on what it is you believe you want to do, a mentor can help you either discover your passion or learn that you might enjoy doing something else.

One of the great things about mentors is that they normally come at no cost to you and eventually become a life-long friend. If you have an idea of what you want to do but aren’t sure how to get started or what all the career requires of you, then be sure to find a mentor in that career field.

Seek Out a Career Coach

A career coach is another essential person in helping you find the career of your dreams. Let’s say you have no idea what you enjoy doing or what you want to do for the rest of your life. A career coach will help you discover your true potential.

Career coaches help you reinvent yourself and reach all your career goals. Even if you don’t know what you want to do, a career coach will ask you all the right questions to unravel your passion, skill sets, and much more. They can guide you in the right direction until you’ve found your dream job.

Speak With an Adviser

College isn’t right for everyone and college isn’t the only path to a successful career. Many successful people didn’t attend college, but many other successful people did. If you’re one of those people who attended college or is currently attending college, then be sure to use all the resources given to you.

When you’re not sure where your place in the world is, your college career can help you sort it out, and your advisers are there to guide you along the way. Take the time to schedule an appointment with your college adviser and speak with them about your different options.

They’ll be able to take what they learn from you and place you into a program or degree major that they believe you’d enjoy. Give it some time and if it doesn’t work out, you can always go back to your adviser for redirection.

Begin to Network

Networking is one of the best ways to get one foot in the door at a company you want to work for. Networking can also be a great way to learn about different career fields and jobs. Create an account on different professional networking sites and begin to build your profile.

These sites have you put in information about yourself such as education, experience, skills, interests, and more. You can then connect with people with similarities. Ask them what they enjoy most about their current position and what a normal workday looks like for them.

You can get some good information from these people, which might help you make a decision.

Interview Experts

Speaking with successful people about how they became successful and what they do each workday can be one of your biggest resources. Write down a few ideas of different career fields you think you may be interested in. You should then begin to schedule interviews with experts in these fields.

Call these companies and ask if you’re able to set up an interview with the manager, director, or even the CEO. You might be surprised at how many people are willing to speak with you, especially if you explain your interest in the field.

Write up a few interview questions and have them ready to go. You can even consider asking to shadow someone in the business. Having the opportunity to follow someone around and see what an average day is like in that job position might be a huge eye-opener for you.

Communicate With Your Boss

If you’re currently working a part-time job to get you through college, or are currently working at a job that isn’t your dream job, then you can consider speaking with your boss about your career path. No one wants to tell their boss that they have plans of leaving, but you should keep clear communication with your current boss.

Keeping open communication with your boss is respectable and they should understand. Ask them how they got to where they are and ask them what skills and strengths they see in you. Your boss might see things in you that you don’t see in yourself, and they could lend you some amazing career advice.

Who Gives the Best Career Advice?

The final question is not where to go to find career advice, but who gives the best career advice. That answer is not the same for everyone. You might need to seek advice from multiple people before you find someone who’s willing to help you the most.

Start with this guide and these people to begin your career search. Go down the list and you’re sure to find a great career advisor!

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