What are some effective ways to evaluate your career options?

1 Identify your values

Your values are the principles and beliefs that guide your actions and choices. They reflect what is important to you, what motivates you, and what satisfies you. To evaluate your career options, you need to identify your values and rank them in order of priority. For example, do you value autonomy, creativity, stability, impact, recognition, or balance? How do these values align with the expectations and rewards of different financial services roles?

2 Explore your interests

Your interests are the topics and activities that you enjoy and find stimulating. They indicate what you are curious and passionate about, and what you can excel at. To evaluate your career options, you need to explore your interests and see how they relate to the skills and knowledge required for different financial services roles. For example, are you interested in accounting, investing, banking, insurance, or financial planning? How do these interests fit with the tasks and challenges of different financial services roles?

3 Assess your skills

Your skills are the abilities and competencies that you have developed through education, training, and experience. They show what you can do and how well you can do it. To evaluate your career options, you need to assess your skills and see how they match with the qualifications and demands of different financial services roles. For example, do you have skills in analysis, communication, problem-solving, technology, or leadership? How do these skills meet the standards and expectations of different financial services roles?

5 Seek feedback

Feedback is the information and advice that you receive from others who have relevant knowledge and experience in the field of financial services. It helps you to validate your assumptions, learn from different perspectives, and discover new possibilities. To evaluate your career options, you need to seek feedback from various sources, such as mentors, peers, managers, clients, or recruiters. For example, what are the strengths and weaknesses of different financial services roles? What are the best practices and common pitfalls of different financial services roles?

6 Experiment with options

Experimenting with options is the process of trying out different financial services roles or projects that interest you and suit your values, interests, and skills. It allows you to gain firsthand experience, test your fit, and expand your network. To evaluate your career options, you need to experiment with options that are realistic, feasible, and accessible. For example, you can take on a temporary assignment, a volunteer role, a side hustle, or a training course related to different financial services roles.