SMART TEACHING
www.SmartTeaching.org

11. Preferences & Career Paths
A Guide for Teenagers and Adults
© 2005 Ron Fitzgerald, D. Ed.
Every day two groups of people go to work - - those who enjoy it and those who only go to work because they must! A primary factor in determining the group to which you belong for 40 or more years of your work life is whether or not you have carefully matched your brain's style and thinking preferences to the general career path you enter. Those who arrange such a match are most apt to enjoy their careers. Those who experience a mismatch are more apt to be unhappy and less productive in their careers.

This sounds fundamental or basic, doesn't it? Yet many high school programs just prepare students for college without also giving them a critical gift needed before college - - the gift of a guidance and career exploration program designed to match individual talents and preferences to a career direction related to those talents and preferences.

Modern brain research tells us that individuals have different dominant or preferred learning styles. A learning style is the way you prefer to receive information.

Research also shows that individuals have different degrees of preference for the ways their brains can process information or think after the information is received. Dr. Howard Gardner of Harvard University calls these differences multiple intelligences or talents.

Consider the opposite experiences that can occur on the path to a career:
Those who enjoy their work:
or
Those who dislike their work:
Many members of this group -- Many members of this group drifted into a career--
  • Were fortunate to attend schools with strong career exploration programs.
  • Selected school and/or college courses by matching personal preferences to characteristics of broad career paths.
  • Were then able to concentrate on learning they liked
  • Are the real success stories in the world of careers.
  • Their schools did not help them explore career possibilities.
  • They selected a college or career path by following friends or by being swayed by the hopes of others.
  • Were often unenthusiastic about college study and their career fields.
  • Are living tragedies in the world of work.

If you have not yet done so, you can begin the process of productive matching in your life by printing-out and completing the Preference Test. Then go to Interpreting the Preference Test but do NOT peek at the interpretation page before you take the preference test. Interpret after taking the test. Next discuss results and your feelings and other factors with a counsellor and experienced adults. Do not use this one single and general preference test as the factor in making a career decision. At best, it should just be one factor in helping you to think ab out what career path you might truly enjoy. You also need to consider such factors as:

  • Your personal feelings about the career area.
  • Education required and our access to same.
  • Your performance is subject and/or work experiences related to the career field.
  • Projections of the future availability of jobs in the career area.
  • Information from persons already working in the career area (salary, working conditions, etc.).

Selecting a career path is serious business. Approach the task in a comprehensive manner.