How to Explore Possible Career Options When Feeling Lost
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Not sure what your next career move is? Or, do you believe your skills and experience don’t match your current job but are unaware of where you’ll feel at home? Don’t worry, you’re not the only one. Most professionals run into a roadblock at some point in their careers, which can be due to not having any opportunities for growth at their current job or losing passion for a job they once loved.
If you know you need a career change but aren’t sure where to start, try the approaches below.
Take a course
If you’re curious about a career path but don’t know which skills are needed to succeed in the field, try taking a course. You can take several free or accessible online courses to get an excellent introduction to a skill or career. For example, if you’re interested in computer science, Harvard University offers the course “Introduction to Computer Science.” It’s free and lasts 11 weeks. On the other hand, if you know a skill you want to acquire or learn more about, a quick Google search or visiting course sites like Coursera are a great starting place. Overall, courses are a great way to dip your toes into a new field before fully committing to a new direction.
Do an informational interview
One of the best ways to learn about a new career field of interest is to talk to someone already working in the field. A great way to connect with professionals who are already working in a profession that you’re curious about is to message them via LinkedIn and ask to do an informational interview. You can use these conversations to ask about someone’s career journey and get tips for making a transition. Many professionals are more generous than you’d think! Often times, you’ll learn things from talking to people that you’d never be able to figure out from a google search.
Follow social media accounts about career exploration
If you’re already on social media for hours a day, why not add some professional development into the mix? Social media can be a great way to learn about different jobs that may interest you. There are thousands of career pages on TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram where career experts and other professionals share their career journeys, provide advice, and much more. Use the hashtags #careerexploration or #careertips on any platform to get started.
Use The HBCU Career Center’s Career Insights Tool