Getting Your First Job For Dummies

Chapter 3

Figuring Out What You Want to Do

IN THIS CHAPTER

Using assessments to learn about yourself

Leveraging online tools to uncover interesting careers

Learning from others about their work

Finding your first job is an important task in life. Even more important is knowing what you want to do in your career. Most of us struggle to find the job that will truly make us happy. And many people go through life at a job that may earn them good income, but not necessarily give them satisfaction or a sense of accomplishment.

If you’ve already figured out what path you want to take, then you’re farther ahead than most and you should consider yourself lucky. If you’ve always known you wanted to be a flight attendant, a cardiologist, a dentist, a pharmacist, or a police officer, then you’re already on a well-defined path.

On the other hand, if you studied business, marketing, or math, you have a wide array of possibilities you can pursue. Even if you’re studying nursing, a very noble and defined profession, you still need to figure out your specialty, whether it’s pediatrics, NICU, ER, or another area. The same decisions go with just about any other field or major.

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