For many people one of the most haunting questions they begin hearing in secondary school is; "so what are you going to do with your life". The question often implies that there is an ideal job out there and they just have to find it.

However, those who buy into such an assumption are setting themselves up for the "Needle in a Haystack" approach to career decision making. This involves researching hundreds, if not thousands of jobs, to discover the one with an ideal fit. Unfortunately, as doubts creep into this monumental decision rather than feeling energized about future job opportunities, individuals begin seeing career decision making as a negative experience.

Those experiencing career decision making paralysis are often not helped when they see friends confidently asserting that they are going to become teachers, doctors, actors or some other well-known job title. Although it is true that the odd person is able to confidently pick a career at a young age, for the vast majority of people their careers are something they grow into. So, with this in mind here are some points for those experiencing difficulty with finding a career direction:

1. Don't put too much faith in career assessment tests. Such tests should only confirm areas of personal strength not uncover personal skills you had no idea existed. Too often, when these assessments fail to aid individuals in better understanding themselves, the career seeker is left feeling they are to blame. This is simply not the case; assessment tools are only a small piece of the career development puzzle.

2. Job growth and satisfaction has a lot to do with building your skill set. Employers are looking for broad transferable skills along with job specific skills. Abilities such as good communication skills, basic computer literacy and a commitment to build on areas of personal strength are basic building blocks for employment.

3. If at all possible, don't delay going to post-secondary education. There is no better place to starting building up a skill set than in a vocational, career, technical or academic program. The jobs of tomorrow are increasingly requiring advanced education and the idea that you are going to find a fulfilling job without some form of training are fading each year.

4. When looking for a career direction, think subject area rather than occupation. It is estimated that a significant percentage of jobs that will be available in 10+ years have not been invented yet. We only need to look at the impact of the Internet and jobs of this past decade to know that this is a likely scenario. If you are to think of your ideal occupation as a seat at an entertainment event, your education is what will get into the desired venue (ballpark, Broadway theatre, concert hall). Your career path will work you towards the best seat in the house.

5. Think about the things you like to do. For instance do you like: fixing things working with your hands, working outdoors, interacting with lots of people, analyzing data, public speaking, or persuading others then look at the job duties associated with a wide variety of occupations to see if these skills are involved. If you are able to build up a skill base of things you like to do and combine it with skills that are in demand, you may have the opportunity to design your ideal job as you gain work experience.

Job titles will come and go. Some jobs that are common today will disappear in upcoming decades. Other jobs that are only beginning to emerge today will become main stream in years to come. This point is brought home by a popular genealogy (i.e.-roughly defined as the investigation of a one's family history) website which explains old occupational titles that are not commonly understood today.

These titles include:

• chiffonier (wig maker);
• cordwainer (shoemaker);
• colporteur (peddler of books);
• drayman (someone who drives a strong cart without fixed sides for carrying heavy loads);
• draper (a dealer of dry goods);
• dresser (a surgeon's assistant in a hospital); and
• hillier (roof tiler).

As history shows some of these occupations have disappeared, others have become specialty areas, and others still exist with new names and responsibilities. These changes show us that occupations are born with specific economies. Some occupations will adapt to remain relevant as economies unfold, and some disappear.

It makes you realize that there has to be a lot more to career decisions than choosing the right occupational title. We cannot condense the career planning process into finding the magic needle in the haystack (i.e.-ideal occupation). As time passes and changes in the economy diminish the occupations that were one time ideal now need a much broader outlook.  In effect, those who pay attention to the haystack (i.e.-labour market) and focus on the skills needed to navigate it will be the ones who come out ahead.

Tagged In: Adult Learners , Career , Parents , Planning , Success Strategies , Youth