Before diving into your job search, it’s crucial to thoroughly research your career field. Staying updated on the latest trends, advancements, and changes in your industry will enable you to tailor your resume to match your current needs. Researching organizations that align with your values, interests, and career goals will help you focus your job search efforts on organizations where you can thrive both professionally and personally.
As you begin to secure interviews, having a deep understanding of industry trends, challenges, and best practices will empower you to engage with confidence. This knowledge will allow you to effectively communicate your expertise and demonstrate how your skills can contribute to the success of potential employers.
Conducting career research will help you see any potential challenges, such as skill gaps or market fluctuations, and prepare proactive strategies to address them.
Sites to use when researching careers:
How to Research Career Fields:
- Make a list of job titles or career fields of interest that you are exploring
- Research each job title or field of interest making sure to find information on the following:
- Knowledge needed by people in this field
- Skills typical of people in this field
- Abilities used by people in this field
- Personalities of people in this field
- Technological skills used in this field
- Educational background of people in this field
- The job outlook for this field
- Typical salary: starting, mid-level, advanced level
- Career path; growth opportunities
- Working conditions (inside, outside, etc.)
- Where to learn more about this field (professional associations, etc.)
The best way to learn about a career field is to find someone doing what you want to do and talk to them. This is called an Informational Interview.
Ready to start researching? Equip yourself with knowledge, strategy, and confidence. Your dream job awaits—let’s go get it!
This post is part of our ten-part series on Mastering Your Job Search in Ten Essential Steps. You can find the initial post with an overview, along with each of the ten steps here.
Prefer to watch or listen? Head on over to the Authentic Career + Life Design YouTube Channel.
Leave a Reply