Eight steps to identifying your ideal career

April 2, 7:54 AMEntry Level Careers ExaminerHeather Huhman

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College teaches you many things, but just because you earn a degree doesn’t mean you know the career path you should take. Particularly with “generic” degrees, like communication, global studies, business, etc., you have many different options—and it’s up to you to determine your fit.

In a recent interview with Anne Brown, co-author of “Grad to Great: Discover the Secrets to Success in Your First Career,” she offered eight tips for students to help narrow their choices.

1. Seek professional advice from true experts. Be selective about who you go to for advice about your future. Many college career centers employ Ph.D's in counseling psychology. These are true experts who will help you pinpoint in which careers you are most likely to succeed. If you already know which type of career you want, career strategists can give you much needed assistance with networking, résumés, cover letters and interviewing skills.

2. Read. Get your hands on as many books, online career columns, newspaper and magazine articles as possible. Read about what professions are out there and pursue a field that resonates with you on some level. 

3. Search the alumni database. If your school has one, search the alumni database for people who graduated with the same degree as you. Take a look at what they're doing now. Could you follow a similar path?

4. Identify your transferable skills. What are your core competencies that are intrinsic to your personality? Are you an extremely resourceful person? Are you never late? Could you organize a tornado? Identify these skills, and read company Web sites to see which companies value your skills most. 

5. Identify your personal strengths, and pursue jobs where you can put them into practice. If you don't know how to identify your own skills, write down everything you do well—even if you don't consider it an actual job skill. A good career strategist can turn that list into a résumé in a matter of hours and help you target companies that need those skills.  

6. Realize that you don't have to be a business major to excel in business. Graduation is right around the corner, and you're wishing you majored in something else? If this is you, do yourself a favor—acknowledge and honor this realization now. Don't spend the next 30 years working in a field you're not passionate about just because you majored in it. Most employers don't care about your major as much as they value work experience, drive and a willingness to learn. 

7. Pay more attention to job descriptions than titles. After you write down all your skills, write down everything you like to do. Some examples are talking to people, creating presentations, troubleshooting, researching and analyzing data. Seek out jobs that allow you to do what you enjoy. Forget about trying to make your first job a career. Take a job where you'll gain the experience necessary to build a solid foundation for your career. 

8. Conduct online searches using "jobs," "career" and keywords from your list of skills and likes. Google, LinkedIn and even Twitter can be an amazing resource for career discovery. When using Google, rather than entering "What is a good job in technology where I can meet people", try "Technology careers customer relations," etc. Try several different queries, and you'll be surprised at what types of careers you'll discover.