- What interests me? …
- What are my current skills? …
- What kind of personality do I have? …
- What education or training do I need to fulfill my career goals? …
- What is the job outlook for this career? …
- What’s my ideal work-life balance? …
- How happy am I with my current career?
Top Ten Questions To Ask Yourself Before You Make Your Next Career Move
What’s the importance of evaluating your career?
No matter where you are in your career, it’s critical to constantly evaluate your professional objectives, skill level, major strengths and weaknesses, and how your personal and professional lives mesh. You constantly have the chance to make small improvements that can help you get closer to your short- and long-term goals, which is one of the main benefits of doing this. You can also determine if your current line of work is appropriate for your overall professional aspirations by asking yourself questions about your career path.
12 questions to ask yourself about your career
Think about the following inquiries you can pose to yourself about your career path:
1. What interests me?
You might gain insight into the kinds of careers that would be best for you from some of the leisure activities you enjoy. Finding these qualities in a potential career can boost your career prospects because doing something you enjoy increases productivity and long-term satisfaction. The most pertinent inquiries you can pose to yourself include the following:
2. What are my current skills?
It is helpful to ascertain which jobs you are currently qualified to perform in addition to determining the types of jobs you may enjoy doing. Additionally, you can determine which of your skills would be beneficial in a new field of work if you were to change careers now or in the future. Depending on how well they fit a given role, skills can be:
3. What kind of personality do I have?
Your career decision is typically strongly influenced by the way you think and act. Try to evaluate some of your personality traits as you consider your career. You can figure out whether you prefer to take the initiative or follow orders, whether you prefer to work with others or on your own, and other personality traits that may be relevant to your professional life.
4. What education or training do I need to fulfill my career goals?
Choosing what to learn to achieve your career goals is a crucial step when setting them. While some jobs have very specific educational requirements, others are more flexible. You can make a more wise choice if you are aware of the time and money required to pursue a career.
5. What is the job outlook for this career?
It may be useful to look into the predicted job outlook for the foreseeable future when evaluating a potential career path. A well-liked profession might pay more, but there might be more competition for jobs. Choosing a less well-liked one may not seem like the best option at first, but it might increase your chances of having a successful career in the future.
6. Whats my ideal work-life balance?
When deciding your career goals, deciding how much time you want to devote to your career is crucial. The greater your chance of career advancement, the more time you spend working or honing your skills. You must make time for yourself otherwise you risk burning out or losing motivation. Finding your personality’s sweet spot can be a crucial career decision.
7. How happy am I with my current career?
You can decide if you need a change and how much by evaluating your career path. You can assess your level of satisfaction with your career path and your chosen field of work in general. Depending on your findings, you can decide to stick with the status quo, change careers, or work to advance in your current position by honing your skills.
8. Do I enjoy working indoors, outdoors or remotely?
Different professional settings typically require different soft skills. The majority of outdoor jobs demand a fit body and the capacity to endure a variety of weather conditions. You might need strong interpersonal and communication skills if you work in an office environment to get along with coworkers and superiors. Working from home requires some self-discipline. You can take this into account when evaluating the working environment of a potential job when you ask questions about your career.
9. Am I willing to relocate for a better career opportunity?
There may be positions that fit your profile but are located elsewhere. Additionally, certain locations have high job concentrations for certain occupations. When evaluating a career, figuring out whether you can relocate for a potential career opportunity can help you determine whether a particular career path is suitable for you or not.
10. What am I willing to give up for better career opportunities?
Find out how much you’re willing to give up in order to advance your career when you talk about it. To determine how much certain factors affect you and whether you would accept a job despite it having those factors, you can use your prior work experiences. You can choose your career by figuring out what compromises you are and aren’t willing to make.
11. How is my current job helping me develop my skills?
A crucial step in your professional development is typically evaluating whether your current position is aiding you in achieving your long-term career goals. You may come to the conclusion that while your current position is satisfying, it isn’t enabling you to reach your full potential. You might be able to tell when a particular job doesn’t offer you opportunities for advancement with it as well.
12. How important is money to me?
Although making money is typically the goal of a job, this may not always be the case for each employee. Some might prefer a steady job over a higher salary, while others might seek out slower-paced, less stressful roles. Knowing how much you value money over other aspects of your job will help you choose the careers that are best for you.
FAQ
What is a good question to ask yourself about your future career?
Interests, Values, and Personality Traits To identify your interests, consider the following questions: What are some of your favorite hobbies? Do you prefer to spend time outdoors or indoors? Do you prefer working with people, animals, data, or books?
What questions should I ask about my career?
- What has your career path been? …
- Why [this industry]? …
- What is your current role like? …
- What does an average week look like for you? …
- What are your career aspirations? …
- Do you believe your work is having an impact?
What are the five questions you need to ask yourself when deciding if this career cluster fits your talents and dreams?
- What are my skills, personal strengths and interests? …
- Is this something that I love to do? …
- How much will I earn? …
- What kind of training do I need? …
- What are my career goals?
