Now is the time to use what you've learned about yourself to choose a career. The results of your self-assessment will include a list of occupations that are considered suitable based on your personality, values, skills, and interests. Investigate fully each career your self-assessment may have indicated is appropriate for you in order to determine if it is a good match. Once you've done that, your job search will be much more focused and easier; if you try to pursue too many different avenues, you'll only frustrate yourself. Having a well-developed plan based on objectives you've taken time to think about is easier on you — and will make you a stronger candidate.

Your first course of action when researching occupations is to get some basic information such as job descriptions, working conditions, job and industry outlooks, education and training requirements, and earnings. You can use government resources available both in print and on the Internet to accomplish this. Before making your final decision, get a personal perspective by talking to those working in a particular field.

Job Outlook

Once you've figured out what occupations you would enjoy, you need to figure out which one is the best option in terms of the outlook for that occupation over time. Will there be many job opportunities available or are there more applicants than there are jobs? In addition to considering what the competition will be like to get the job, you must also think about what the competition will be like to advance.

Whatever you do, don't jump into a particular field just because it appears on a list of the hottest careers for this decade. You need to choose a career in terms of whether it is suitable for you based on what you've learned about your interests, skills, values, and personality, and whether it will offer good opportunities for you.

Industry Outlook

You should also look at the industry in which you want to work, keeping in mind that your occupation may allow you to work in a variety of industries. For example, an accountant can work in the timber industry or in the health care industry. The government publishes data on both job outlook and industry outlook.

If an industry is flourishing, it could mean many more exciting challenges and better opportunities — but it could also mean that the industry is going to be in flux for a while. You may have to jump from one company to the next throughout your career. Sometimes it's a good idea to consider careers in industries that are slowing down or maturing, because they're more likely to have greater opportunities for advancement than industries that are booming and flooded with applicants. Sometimes an industry may be doing poorly in one geographical area but well in another. This is no reason to give up on that industry, but you may have to consider relocating.