My "alter ego"

Career education starts with self-awareness to end up with the choice of a job. What are our interests? What skills do we have? What are our weaknesses? How important is high self-esteem to the right choice? The answers to these questions may lead to a vocational choice that will be the best possible for each of us!

Career orientation requires seeing yourself from many different perspectives. You may see yourself simply as a "student" or a "fast food cashier" or a "babysitter". But you are so much more.

In which sectors are you good at? To be able to plan your studies and career effectively, you need to know what you can do or what you can learn to do. "Skill" is the ability to do something well, which is developed through learning. Don't underestimate the number of your skills.

Learn to distinguish between job title (the name of a specific job), job responsibilities (the tasks performed within the specific job), and transferable skills (skills or abilities developed over time and which can be utilized in various educational, work, social or other situations). Knowing your transferable skills will help you identify career options that match your skills. For example, someone hired as a cashier at a fast food restaurant (job title) may perform specific duties (take orders, serve food and drinks, take orders from associates, clean, keep inventory, manage money, develop relationships with clients, etc.). To perform these duties well, they need to have certain transferable skills (communication skills, food and beverage preparation skills, supervisory or money management skills). These skills could probably be used in other positions, such as in retail sales or in restaurants and hotels. You can discover your transferable skills by looking at past successes or achievements.

When you choose a career sector or a career path, you are choosing more than a number of tasks or activities to accomplish. Also, you choose a lifestyle. You should not confuse interests with abilities. Abilities or aptitudes refer to what you can or could do based on training or experience. Interests are about what you like or dislike. This is something to keep in mind when discovering your interests. You should not only explore what you have done in the past or what you think you can do. You are also looking for things you would like to do. Also, think about what you don't like. What you don't like gives clues about what you like (if you don't like working outdoors you obviously like working indoors). When considering your interests, it's important to look back over your entire life. Consider areas of your life such as volunteer work, creative or leisure activities, your education (courses or programs you've taken), and your dreams (especially your “dream jobs”).

Values ​​refer to beliefs and feelings that direct a person's actions. They express what is really important to someone. Whether you realize it or not, your most critical decisions, including choosing a career, are often based on your values. So it's important to identify your values ​​when planning your career and ask yourself what you really want from your career. What would make you choose one job over another? Imagine that you have already started your career. Imagine what would make you feel satisfied and successful. Imagine what would make you decide to quit. Your answers (such as "If the pay was good..." or "If the working conditions were bad...") would state your values. As with the other factors, you should not only recognize work values, but also consider their relative importance. Rarely does any job cover all of a person's values. Compromise is usually necessary. Compare each of your values ​​with all the others. Think about how important each value is to you. Which are the most important? Despo Kyrmitsi, BSc, MA Career and Vocational Guidance Consultant