The choice of a career path is important for many people and helps develop a working strategy for success. Choosing a career path involves a fair and unbiased assessment of your interests, skills, experiences, and abilities.
Types of Career Paths
Basically, there are three types of career paths, one based on mastering skills and crafts, another based on building a network of relationships, and a third one that involves becoming a star performer to climb up the ladder to top levels of management. The choice of career also depends on your personality type. Some people are idealists and inspirers, others are performers and doers, and still others – givers, visionaries, caregivers, and nurturers. The list of careers is quite long, and the requirements, schooling, experience, and job outlook vary for different occupations. The list of occupations includes:
Sectors and Occupations
There are hundreds and thousands of career paths to choose from, whether you want to work in the public sector, finance and lending, social sciences, manufacturing, etc. Depending on your work experience and educational level, jobs are available in the tertiary, secondary, and primary sectors. Companies in the primary sector engage in processing and packaging of raw materials, quarrying, fishing, farming, forestry, mining, and agriculture. The secondary sector pools together businesses engaged in construction, processing, and manufacturing, including shipbuilding, utilities, engineering and chemical, textile production, vehicle manufacturing, and others. The quaternary sector includes intellectual occupations such as scientific research, academics, research and development, government, new technologies, and education. The tertiary sector pools together businesses that offer services to the public, including legal, financial and insurance, secured credit and lending, dining and entertainment, transportation, healthcare, tourism and adventure and so on. Finally, the quinary sector includes occupations in media and culture, non-profit organizations and associations, institutions of higher learning, government, and others. There is plenty of choice when it comes to sectors, fields, and occupations, especially in developed, postindustrial economies.
Factors to Consider
When choosing a career path, there are several factors to take into account – mid-term and short-term goals, career development and planning, educational level, and family considerations. For many people, it is important to achieve a good work-life balance which can be a challenge if you frequently go on business trips and work long hours. Having a satisfactory career is also important or otherwise you risk moving from job to job in the long run.