5 Top Tips to Discover the Career That Matches Your Skills

Which careers match your skills? It seems that many people ask themselves that question, seeing as a simple Google search will return a myriad of tests to help you find your match. This is fine if you’re a student or a young adult just starting out and have absolutely no idea where you’re heading with your life. But as a professional, maybe you’re looking for a little more than your current vocation.

Fortunately, there are many opportunities to try out different career paths, especially if you’re tech-savvy. There are numerous remote jobs you can try at home risk-free and decide whether it suits you.

Here are some steps to undertake to ensure you’re on the right path — even if you decide to change careers later on down the road.

1. Focus on careers aligned with your personality

We all know the basic difference between introverts and extroverts, but when it comes to different personalities, there’s really so much more to discover.

Many psychologists have tried to summarize personality types with varying levels of success. The two most popular tests around are the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI), which defines personality types based on the interactions among the preferences, and the Jung personality test, which defines personality types based on the Jung typology. Some employers ask the applicants to undertake the first, so it’s a good idea to familiarize yourself with it.

It’s only natural to expect that your preferences will steer you towards one career path or the other and also influence your strengths and weaknesses. Some tests list common career choices for each personality type, so if you have no idea where to start, these may come handy.

2. Set your career goals

When it comes to planning, goals should come first. Don’t worry if you don’t have a clear idea yet — a simple outline will do. For example, you can ask yourself some of the following questions:

• What am I hoping to achieve with my career?
• Which tasks do I enjoy the most?
• Which activities do I enjoy the most in my spare time?
• What are my soft and hard skills?
• Am I interested in managerial roles?

Questions of this type will help you narrow down your career path, but make sure to include answers to questions that are important to you but aren’t listed here.

For example, freelancers often put their freedom and flexible scheduling first. For people with such aptitudes, the whole slew of 9-5 jobs gets discarded without a second thought. Keep your interests in mind, as they can help you fine-tune your career choices.

3. Work on your skill set

Once you have at least a general idea of the careers you’re likely to enjoy, think about your skill set. Which skills do you already possess and which ones are needed for the chosen career path?

Be realistic when assessing your skills; after all, it’s only you who’ll be doing the checklist. Take into account all diplomas and certificates, as well as all hobbies that may help you. Soft skills are also tremendously important, especially those related to attitude and critical thinking. If you’re considering managerial roles, you should also work on your leadership skills.

You should also focus on the skills you think you might need in the future. Nobody knows everything when starting out (nor indeed later on), so don’t stress over it. Many soft skills (such as introducing employee apps, teamwork and work ethics) can be polished with experience, so you need to be aware of the situation at all times and test different approaches. Pretty much everyone does exactly that. As for hard skills, you’ll need to learn them.

4. Set your desired salary range

Thinking about your interests, skills and values is noble and important, but – the bottom-line is getting a paycheck. It might be a blunt way of putting it, but it’s true nevertheless. In fact, it’s exactly because of that that finding a career that aligns with your interests is essential, otherwise you’ll be stuck in an endless limbo of hateful tasks and bothersome social events. Sadly, many people find themselves in this vicious circle, so think ahead.

First, think about the salary range you should be aiming for but, again, be realistic. Everyone wants to progress; it’s a natural thing to expect, but everyone also has to start somewhere.

Many people who’ve just obtained a degree have unrealistic dreams about their first job. The truth is that a degree is only the prerequisite for a job; the real skills are learned on the go.

5. Think outside the box

There may be more careers that fit your interests than you think. Depending on where in the world you live, there may be additional options (e.g., mammal centers are unlikely to be found in land-locked countries).

For example, do you excel at bookkeeping and taxes, but also know a lot about living and working abroad? Then US taxes for expats might just be your career calling.

Here’s an idea: why not undertake the Holland Codes career tests? It’s fast, easy and educational (not to mention that many employers use it). The Holland codes, also known by the acronym RIASEC, determine the dominant traits of a personality, as follows: realistic, artistic, investigative, social, enterprising and conventional.

You can probably guess some careers for each personality type, right? E.g., realistic people may like chemistry and email marketing, artistic people may like journalism and design, investigative people may like medicine and counseling, social people may like social advocacy and so on.

These are but the first careers that come to mind, but there are actually many career paths you might have not heard about, so it’s worth taking a look. An in-depth career list can be found online, so why not explore all of your options?

Conclusion

When choosing a career path, you need to consider both your skills and interests (including hobbies) if you want to be truly happy with your vocation (and who doesn’t?).

We’re not saying you should be relying on tests and psychological assessments exclusively, but it’s a good start, especially if you have difficulties narrowing down the choices.

No matter where you start, remember to work on your soft skills and additional learning and, above all, be mindful of your surroundings. Even if you do the greatest of jobs, if you’re having difficulties fitting in, you won’t be happy.

Basically, it all comes down to knowing yourself and being honest about your expectations… and lots of planning!