By Dr. Sophia Protopapa, Director-Career Development Office, HAEC, and Eleni Tsirigoti, Co-ordinator, Professional Development, HAU
Here are some questions to help you explore your career preferences:
Explore your career needs and values
What do you want from your career? What is most important for you in the workplace? You may want and value money more than teamwork, travelling more than personal development, or free time more than effort
and achievement. You may decide that you want a job that allows you to pay the bills but not be very demanding on you, a job that allows you to spend time with you family and friends, or one that makes you feel proud of yourself.
Know your talents and skills
Your talents are the things that come naturally to you and give you energy (like, for example, communication, persistence, focus). Skills are expressed in the things you do well (for example, you may have good speaking skills, excellent computer skills). Identify that talent, skill, competence, preference or specialty that will make you the right choice for a potential employer.
Once you identify it, practice more so that you excel at it! Your talents and skills may be expressed in your Unique Identity Point (UIP), the one thing that will differentiate you from the competition. That thing may not be a talent or skill entirely unique to you or in the career path you wish to pursue, but it is that thing that will make you stand out probably because of the way you express it. It is that thing that makes you happy and satisfied to practice, talk about, and excel in.
It is not enough for you to know your UIP, potential employers must learn about it too
After you have identified your talents and skills, you need to explore whether they match the needs of the employer or the career path of your preference. Do research in the labor market, speak with people who know what employers are looking for in their employees.
Then, note down your achievements, mention them in your CV, present them during an interview. In any case, focus on your talents and skills and make a plan with specific actions and objectives towards cultivating them and promoting them appropriately to the right employer.
Be open to new opportunities
You have probably heard the popular saying: "The beginning is almost half the journey". In order to make a strong, positive beginning you have to be aware of opportunities, to be open and well prepared for them. Do research, know what it is needed to succeed. Even if you don't see opportunities ready in front of you to grasp, go ahead and create them!
Have a clear mind and a broad perspective of what could be an opportunity for you. Don't expect to be hired to a managerial position at the age of 23, seek to work at junior positions. Don't wait until you graduate from University to start working, do volunteer work. Don't go to an internship thinking that it is only for 3 months because it is up to you to keep the job or be recommended to another one.
And finally, network, network, network.
Find out which is the most effective network practice in the career path you have chosen. For example, create an attractive professional profile on Linkedin, update it will information about your qualifications and skills, work experience and career interests, your aspirations for the future. Stay connected with other professionals, attend relevant conferences or lectures, or go to business events.
And if you follow all of the above, ask yourself one more question: Would you hire yourself?
If you're having second thoughts, or you are not still confident of your career choices, values and plans, go over the above questions once more. Alternatively, visit the Career Development Office at Massalias 22, 6th floor!
