One important step or factor in defining your ideal career is identifying your interests. Research has found that:
Your interests are an important source of information to use in exploring career options.
You are more likely to be interested in things you are good at, you enjoy doing, or that are important to you.
Your interests can accurately guide you to explore careers that are most likely to meet your needs.
Career interest list:
Agriculture and Natural Resources:
An interest in working with plants, animals, forests, or mineral resources for agriculture, horticulture, conservation, extraction, and other purposes. You can fulfill this interest by working in farming, landscaping, forestry, fishing, mining, and related fields. You may like doing physical work outdoors, such as on a farm or ranch, in a forest, or on a drilling rig. If you have scientific curiosity, you could study plants and animals or analyze biological or rock samples in a lab. If you have management ability, you could own, operate, or manage a fish hatchery, a landscaping business, or a greenhouse.
Architecture and Construction:
An interest in designing, assembling, and maintaining components of buildings and other structures. You may want to be part of the team of architects, drafters, and others who design buildings and render the plans. If construction interests you, you can find fulfillment in the many building projects that are being undertaken at all times. If you like to organize and plan, you can find careers in managing these projects. Or you can play a more direct role in putting up and finishing buildings by doing jobs such as plumbing, carpentry, masonry, painting, or roofing, either as a skilled craftsworker or as a helper. You can prepare the building site by operating heavy equipment or install, maintain, and repair vital building equipment and systems such as electricity and heating.
Arts and Communication:
An interest in creatively expressing feelings or ideas, in communicating news or information, or in performing. You can fulfill this interest in creative, verbal, or performing activities. For example, if you enjoy literature, perhaps writing or editing would appeal to you. Journalism and public relations are other fields for people who like to use their writing or speaking skills. Do you prefer to work in the performing arts? If so, you could direct or perform in drama, music, or dance. If you especially enjoy the visual arts, you could create paintings, sculpture, or ceramics or design products or visual displays. A flair for technology might lead you to specialize in photography, broadcast production, or dispatching.
Business and Administration Organizer:
This would be an opportunity to create a business enterprise or operate a business organization and construct it to run smoothly. You can fulfill this interest by doing work in a role of leadership or by specializing in a procedure that adds to the total effort in a company, nonprofit organization, or government bureau. If you especially like working with individuals, you might obtain fulfillment from working in human resources. If your interest is in numbers this could direct you to look at accounting, finance, budgeting, billing, or financial record-keeping. Occupation as an administrative assistant might interest you if you enjoy a diverseness of employment in busy
surroundings. If you're skillful with particulars and word processing, you may prefer a line of work as a secretary or data entry keyer. Or maybe you would perform well as the manager of a business organization.
Education and Teaching Individuals:
This would be an opportunity in helping individuals learn. You can fulfill this interest by instructing students and adults, who could be comprised of preschoolers, retired people, or any age in between. You could specialize in a specific academic area or work with people of a particular age, with a specific concern, or individuals with a particular learning problem. Working in a library or museum could open up an opportunity for you to expand folks' understanding of the universe.
Finance and Insurance:
This would be an opportunity in helping companies and individuals be guaranteed of a financially secure future. You could fulfill this interest by working in a financial or insurance company in a leadership or financial support position. If you enjoy collecting and analyzing data, you might find fulfillment as an insurance claims adjuster or securities analyst. Or you could deal with information at the clerical level as a banking or insurance clerk or in one-on-one situations offering customer service. Some other methods to interact with people is to sell financial or insurance services that will fulfill their needs.
Government and Public Administration:
This would be an opportunity in helping government agencies serve the needs of the public. You could fulfill this interest by working in a role of leadership or by specializing in a function that contributes to the service of the government. You can help protect the public by working as an inspector or examiner to enforce standards. If you enjoy using clerical skills, you might work as a clerk in a court of law or government agency. Or maybe you favor the top-down position of a government administrator or urban planner.
