Your Step by Step Guide to Getting Started
STEP ONE: Think big!
When you are considering your future career, you want to have lots of options.
Consider the subjects you enjoy at school. Make lists of your hobbies, your interests, your favourite experiences, and the kind of skills you have or would like to develop. Think about the kind of problems you like to solve and the sorts of issues you would like to be able to address.
To really think broadly, you can also try career exploration quizzes or career research worksheets like the ones available below. They add some extra fun to career exploration by suggesting career possibilities based on your personality.
Once you have done some exploration, you can use the results to find out about the kinds of careers that combine your interests and skills and that would allow you to work on the kinds of problems and issues that intrigue you.
Career Exploration Quizzes
When you are considering your future career, you want to have lots of options. To really think broadly, you can try career exploration quizzes like the ones listed here. They add some extra fun to career exploration by suggesting career possibilities based on your personality.
STEP TWO: Dig Deeper!
Once you have figured out a few possibilities, it’s time to research questions like:
What are the post secondary education requirements and what schools offer the program? What does the day-to-day life of a professional in that career look like? What kind of advancement opportunities are available in that career?
You can explore these questions and more with the Career Research Worksheets available below.
These worksheets guide your through questions to research online and questions to ask professionals working in the field you’re exploring!
Career Research Worksheets
Researching without a guideline can get overwhelming. Use worksheets like these to guide your questions, stay focused, and stay on track with your career research.
STEP THREE: Get the Details!
Now that you have done your big thinking and dug a little deeper, you can get more specific.
Here are some career research resources that can guide you to the sort of detailed information that can help you make an informed decision.
And, of course, if you want the most accurate information about a potential career, it’s always a good idea to double check your information with someone working in the field. Sometimes there is a big difference between the way things are described and how they work in the real world.
Career Research Resources
As you know from your research papers at school, the best way to get accurate information is to consult a variety of sources. Check out these ‘secondary’ sources to gather information and then confirm with a primary source – one of our STEM Role Models.