Questions: Your Career
Questions is a category designed to help technicians who are already working in the field figure out if their place of employment is getting it done for them.
What does the term career mean to you?
Have you considered whether or not you would be working alone?
Is working along side of others important to you?
Did your vo-tech teachers discuss the various aspects of a career?
Have any of these aspects matched up to what you’ve experienced?
Did you consciously choose the career you are in? (as opposed to a buddy getting you a job – and you never leaving)
Does your manager have a technician career philosophy?
Does the owner of your company have one?
Did anyone ever give you career advice prior to working for your present employer?
Did you follow it?
Was it of help?
Is there someone whose career you really admire?
Is it in the same field as yours?
If it is, have you asked them what they like and dislike about their career?
Do you have a career plan?
Do you have one for the following career-year intervals: 3, 5, 10, 20?
Did you develop it without the help of your present employer?
Did your present employer help you develop a career plan?
In planning your career did you take into account your talents, skills and passion?
Do you know what talents and skills are important to have for your position?
How about the position that you will have in five years?
Did you take into account your strengths and weaknesses?
Did you take into account what types of environments (working conditions) you would enjoy working in?
How do you feel about working in extreme weather conditions?
Are you aware of where you can progress within this career?
Is it possible to do so with your present employer?
Are there coworkers who are satisfied with their career progression?
Have you asked them why?
Are there coworkers who are not satisfied with their career progression?
Have you asked them why?
Are you aware of how much people can earn who have followed the career plan that you are on?
Are you familiar with various trade associations related to your profession?
Do they offer career advice?
Are you familiar with the various employment recruiters in your industry?
Do they offer career advice?
Are you familiar with any books that offer career advice?
Did you ever check out a library book on career advice?
Are you familiar with any trade or business maganzines that offer career advice?
How about Web sites?
Are there any consultants in your industry that offer career advice?
Have you contacted any?
Are you familiar with what an informational interview is?
Have you conducted any informational interviews?
Are you familiar with how people are supposed to dress in your career of choice?
Are you comfortable with that?
Is continuing education important in your career of choice?
Have you investigated whether or not people in your industry are subjected to stress?
How do they cope with this type of stress?
Are you capable of coping in this manner?
What sort of communication skills are necessary in your industry?
Are you capable of these?
What are the physical demands in your industry?
Can you fulfill them?
Are you familiar with the time demands of your particular profession?
How do you feel about performing emergency service (typically between the hours of 5 p.m. and 8 a.m., including weekends)?
How would you balance your work hours with your kids’ extracurricular activities?
Do you need credentials and or licenses to work in your industry?
Do you need to be certified?
Will that require continuing education?
Do employers in your industry typically finance employee education?
Are you prepared to finance a part of your own education?
Will your career of choice be able to finance your retirement?
Have you spoken to any individuals who have retired from your profession of choice?
How do you feel about the postive and negative aspects of what they discussed?
Pretend you are retired. Looking back over your career, what did you enjoy the most about it?
What did you enjoy the least?
