How to use a careers database to help your career and study choices
Unsure of what you want to do as you start on your career path? In need of a strategy to kick-start your career?
The first step to building your great career is to think about careers that might suit your personality, interests and desires. Using a Careers Database in this process can be a great help. You will also want to maintain your lifestyle preferences, as well as maintaining your career satisfaction and keeping motivated.
Completing career tests and quizzes or using career planning tools such as the CareerHQ Compass can help you identify what types of careers would be the best fit for you based on your strengths, personality and lifestyle choices.
Once you have thought about your range of career options, you will then want to develop your career strategy further by researching these options, learning more about them, and understanding what you might need to do next to pursue one or more of them.
This is where careers databases such as the CareerHQ careers database can help.
1. Find out what is involved in a particular job
A good careers database will have a broad range of job descriptions, covering the activities you would likely do on a day-to-day basis, the skills you need to do that job, working hours and job conditions, what qualifications you need, and the future outlook for that occupation.
You can look at individual jobs, and maybe also related occupations that require similar skills.
2. Research jobs in an industry
If you have always been interested in a certain industry, you might also be able to explore a range of jobs within this, or other industry, categories. This can be a great way to understand the broad choice of roles right across an industry – for example, the various types of engineering roles.
Once you look at a range of jobs, you might also be able to filter out those with stronger employment outlooks or prospects to keep that new career going for much longer!
3. Explore study choices
If the careers database that you are using is also linked to educational or training data, you could also explore career options based on the course you were studying, or intending to study.
The database may help you answer questions such as:
- What sort of careers could I pursue based on a particular degree?
- Can I choose a vocational or degree qualification to start on a particular career path?
- What courses are available at a particular tertiary institution to help me achieve my career goals?
Using the right career tools is one of the keys to making well-informed career decisions.
A well-constructed careers database is one such tool that can assist you in a variety of ways to explore career options and study choices, as well as expose you to careers you might not have previously considered, or that might be very different to the career you are currently in.
Note: Careers databases available in Australia are
- CareerHQ Careers Database at: www.careerhq.com.au/careers-database/
- Myfuture at www.myfuture.edu.au
- Job Outlook at http://joboutlook.gov.au/A-Z.aspx