Target Industries for a Successful Career
Often, I hear the question, “Does ____ industry have opportunities right now?” And, while I don’t say it, I want to answer: “Who cares?” Is this the deciding factor on where you will take your career— what’s available now? Sounds like a great way to find a career you may hate. Your career choice is an important decision that will have a significant effect on your life. (Remember that there is little or no relationship between earnings and job satisfaction.) You must target industries for a successful career.
Before you decide to pursue a particular industry within your engineering discipline, ask yourself this question: Can I see myself performing these duties all day, every day? When you choose a specific industry, make sure it’s a good match for your interests, abilities, and purpose. You certainly don’t want to design meat processing facilities if you’re a vegetarian, or fire protection systems if you’re a pyromaniac. Find an industry that matches your interests.
Be sure to complete extensive research about the industry you are considering by reading company websites and asking your contacts in-depth questions.
I have had great luck on LinkedIn finding and asking questions of other engineers about their industries. People love talking about themselves, so be sure to ask.
Research companies
Once you have found an industry that suits you, it’s time to look at some companies. It’s important to consider not only the reputation, but the size of different companies, the projects they work on, the problems they solve, and the culture.
Identify a few companies you would like to work for and do some research. Find these companies’ career pages and regularly check for openings. Think about what about these companies inspires you to work for them.
Do careful research. How long have they been in business? Try contacting employees of the companies which you are interested in. How do they like what they do? What about past employees? Why did they leave? Has the company hired and let go numerous young people? Is the culture a fit for you?
Identify the job requirements
Once you’ve identified some companies that interest you, it’s time to figure out if you have the qualifications and skills to handle the position. Where do you look? Job descriptions.
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This really is a helpful list of things to do to make choosing a career best suited to your engineering degree a lot easier. It really is so simple but even people neglect to do this a lot sometimes. Thanks for sharing.
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This is just me I don’t go for an industry because every other person does, I go because it’s a good match for my interests, abilities, and purpose. This is the only way to succeed in life.
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I totally agree. Doing your research before embarking on a career is a major saver on the future stress. I can’t imagine waking up every day to do something I don’t like.
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The real job is done before you start working, Its like you need to complete your whole career journey before you have embarked on it to be successful.
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It would be a waste of time if you applied for a job only to find out you don’t have the qualifications required. Research goes a long way to help with that.
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Great article and very good advice to help people choose properly the career plan based in their real interests in order to have success and be happier.
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One must chose his career path very well. This article will help you realize where you belong.
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This is called due diligence, in which a lot of people fail to do. A career choice is extremely important, so making sure you check out an industry and potential position well before starting will save you a lot of stress and disappointment down the line.
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A lot of people get into careers out of influence from other people which is very wrong. A career is a life long commitment that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
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Your article is very informative. Nothing is as frustrating as getting stuck doing a job you don’t like for years on end.
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I am inn total agreement with you. Research into what you like is very important when picking a career.
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I have many friends who are unfulfilled simply because they ruched into picking a career. How I wish they had this information before hand.
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Knowing yourself and your abilities is the first and most important step in choosing the right career. It’s always best to get into a career that matches your specific skill set.
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A lot of factors goes into making a career. As for me, it all boils down to one thing. When it comes to choosing a career Put love first. That way you will and can be happy.
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