The Career Compass

Do you feel lost or confused about your career path? Do you also feel you're just going through the motions, without any real direction or purpose? If so, you're not alone. Many people struggle to find their way in the working world, but there is hope. By using your "Career Compass," you can chart a course towards a fulfilling and satisfying career.

What is Your Career Compass?

Your Career Compass is a tool that can help you navigate the choppy waters of the job market. It's a way of looking at your skills, interests, values, and goals to find a career that's right for you. Think of it as a map that can guide you towards your destination.

Assess Your Skills

Before you can set your compass, you need to know where you're starting from. Take some time to assess your skills and abilities. What are you good at? What do you enjoy doing? What tasks come quickly to you? These are all clues to your ideal career path. If you’re good at writing, pay attention to detail and probably start writing some journals, articles, and blogs on your favorite platforms. It could be poems; write the poems you love, compile all of them, and make it your journal. I was having a conversation with my mom today, and we both talked about skills, passion, and interest. How can one find their skill and make a living out of it? Then she told me a story about my older sister - how she ended up studying “Home Economics” instead of any other course. My sister had already mentioned it before but I still listened to my mom. She told me that when my older Sister was in Secondary School back then, she had the opportunity to change her course in the first year which my mum was happy about because she didn’t want her to study “Home Economics.” so, my mom asked my dad to go and change the course for her. My Dad had a different agenda, hmmmm he didn’t show up at school.

My sister came home sad and asked my mom why Daddy didn’t come to change her course. To cut a long story short, they blame my dad for not changing the course because she wanted to study Nursing. Today, my sister is the best caterer. She never thought she would be able to make different dishes and even make money out of it. After listening to the story, I pointed out some key important things to my mother. I used the quote “Everything happens for a reason.” Maybe she is destined to be a cook. God wanted her to realize her potential. She now takes orders from people for their occasions and oh she’s a nurse too. Yes, her interest was in nursing but she didn’t know she could also make a career out of her cooking skill. So, I told my mom not to blame my Dad. She’s a good cook because the course, Home Economics, helped her to explore her cooking skills and today she’s making a living out of it. There’s nothing like navigating through your career journey, finding what you love, and taking a keen interest in it.?

Identify Your Interests

Your interests are also important to consider when setting your Career Compass. What topics do you enjoy reading or learning about? What hobbies do you have? What gets you excited and energized? By identifying your interests, you can find a career that aligns with your passions. Maybe yours is basketball. Why don’t you explore that? It will amaze you that the things you least pay attention to become a long-term career for you. If your interest is always creating stories. For example, you’re good at coming up with a nice story like fiction and enjoy putting stories together to make it great. You can start writing movie scripts for producers or Join a production team to get paid for your services. Your Interest can be discovered by paying attention to what you do every day. Take a look at the things you do daily. The things that get you to learn something new every day or discover something great. These things can become a career if you love it and can make money out of it.?

Define Your Values

Your values are the things that are most important to you in life. They guide your decisions and shape your worldview. When it comes to your career, it's important to find a job that aligns with your values. Do you value work-life balance? Social responsibility? Autonomy? By defining your values, you can find a career that's in line with what matters most to you. If you work a 9 to 5 job just to pay bills, have you thought about what you do if it aligns with your values? Your values are important, they shape you and guide you in the process of becoming who you want to be. If you are working in a space where what you do does not align with your personal goals, then you may have to question your instinct again and again to make sure you’re at the right place. Finally, always know that your principles must not be taken for granted. You must have something you stand for and make sure the environment allows you to exhibit it. It helps you to be assertive in your work.?

Set Your Goals

Finally, it's essential to set clear, measurable goals for your career. Where do you want to be in five years? Ten years? What steps do you need to take to get there? Make sure your goals are SMART. They are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant, and Time-bound.

• Specific: Write down a clear and well-planned goal that is straight to the point with key information.
• Measurable: write goals that can be quantified, meaningful, and motivating. Also, make sure it is easier to track your goals.
• Achievable: Write attainable goals, your goal should be realistic, something that can be achieved. Yes, I know everything is possible but don’t write unrealistic goals which you may not be able to accomplish.?
• Relevant: Here, you ask yourself why it is important to set that goal, and why you are aiming at achieving that objective. Is it relevant and worth investing resources into?
• Time-bound: When do you plan to start working on your goal? It is three to six months? Also, when do you intend to finish the project?? Setting a timeline helps you track your progress and can be a good way to tell if you can meet deadlines. By setting goals, you can ensure that your Career Compass stays on track.?

Finding your way in the working world can be a daunting task, but by using your Career Compass, you can chart a course towards a fulfilling and satisfying career. By assessing your skills, identifying your interests, defining your values, and setting your goals, you can find a job that aligns with who you are and where you want to go. Remember, your Career Compass is your guide. Use it well, and you'll be well on your way to success.

Best,

Rosemary