People starting out in today’s job market have a much wider range of opportunities available to them than previous generations. As Indonesia continues to prosper more jobs are created in a wider variety of Industries. While many young professionals are encouraged by their families to join stable and prestigious industries such as banking or oil and gas, it is important to consider a greater number of industries and functions before deciding which path to take.
Starting out, the choices may seem a little overwhelming so it is important to carefully weigh your options and think about what kind of work really inspires you. We spend a lot of time working so it is important to find the perfect career for your unique skills, talents and interests, which will ensure you are happy and successful. Here are some basic points to consider:
Personality
Your personality can affect how you work with others and what kind of work environment you are best suited for. There are a number of free online personality tests available but I would encourage some self-assessment. If you are an extrovert the chances are that you are not suited to being an accountant, buried behind a desk and a stack of excel spread sheets. It is more likely that you will be happier and more successful in a people-driven position that allows you the freedom to engage with a wide variety of people.
Education
When looking for the right career, you need to take into account the amount of education your chosen career requires. Some people are born academics and will happily spend many years getting advanced degrees in order to achieve their larger career goals. Other people are not interested in staying in school for longer than is necessary. Part of finding the perfect career for you is choosing a career that requires an amount of schooling you are comfortable with.
Skills and Talents
We all have something that we are good at or enjoy doing, and these unique skills and talents can help people find the right career. If you have always enjoyed being creative and demonstrated artistic talent, then a career as a graphic artist might be more suitable than becoming a health and safety coordinator. By selecting a career that matches your natural talents you are giving yourself the opportunity to be successful in your field.
Interests
The luckiest people in the world are those who get paid for doing something that they love. Following a career path that incorporates your passions and interests will make your working life more fulfilling. However, when considering your interests and how they intersect with your career path, you should make sure that you have true interests and not just a passing fancy for a certain field. You can only find the right career if your interests last as long as your career.
Opportunities
Talk to people in various industries to gage which is expected to have high demand for talent over the next 10 to 15 years. By entering the right market at the right time you could find your career accelerates at a far greater pace. For example, the online and digital marketing industry in Indonesia is likely to be one of the areas that will have a shortage of skilled people. The world has been watching the online numbers from Indonesia and can see a vast amount of untapped potential. We have seen large internet companies such as Rocket, Yahoo and Multiply make large investments in the country recently. There is a long line of other online companies ready to enter the market and yet nowhere near the required numbers of experienced professionals available. These companies will be forced to promote and develop talent locally at a greater pace than they normally would in an established market.
Once you have considered these 5 points you should have enough information to make a considered choice of the right career path for you.