Understanding Career Options

Career options, or career choices, are the various selections of careers available for you to choose from within a specific field. When we can group together the careers through their shared features and defining characteristics such as similar skills, background knowledge, or specialized trained they are considered  career fields. For example, a career in education will often require you to have some training in classroom management, best practices for lesson delivery, and a strong knowledge-base in your subject of expertise.

By understanding your career options through individual categories, you can identify your interests within a specific field easier and plan out your career path to fit your needs, skills, and educational background. Exploring your available career options can make transitioning from one job to another easier if you stay within the same career field. When making a career move, weigh your career options carefully to be content with your career choice.

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Career fields are the various categories that all jobs fall under. They are organized based on defining characteristics and similar subject matter. The six typical career fields are:

1. Agriculture, food, and natural resources
2. Business, management, and administration
3. Communications and information systems
4. Engineering, manufacturing, and technology
5. Health science technology
6. Human services

1. Agriculture, food, and natural resources

While working in this field, your focus will be on plants and animals. You can expect to grow crops, raise livestock (for food), support farmers in the production process, focus on food processing, or environmental conservation efforts. Working with people and animals, you will need the use of soft skills such as empathy and time management to help you succeed.

Career choices in this field are:

• Rancher
• Farmer
• Biochemist
• Irrigation specialist
• Landscaper
• Veterinarian
• Meat processor
• Forest geneticist
• Plant nursery worker
• Conservationist
• Animal breeder

2. Business, management, and administration

This career field is most acceptable for individuals who are adept at communication and have strong interpersonal skills. They work towards helping businesses function properly through providing various services and completing tasks associated with successfully operating and leading companies. Depending on your background and job description you may serve to hire and trainer employees, keep track of money and business expenditures, help hotel customers plan and enjoyable outing, work to plan and host an event, sell products and services, or lead a team in creating a marketing plan to launch new products.

Some occupational options in this field are:

• Chief executive officer
• Accountant
• Real estate agent
• Business administrator
• Small business owner
• Officer manager
• Controller
• Entrepreneur
• Retailer
• Sales associate
• Bookkeeper
• Marketing manager
• Convention planner
• Wedding planner
• Training specialist
• Human resources officer
• Business analyst

3. Communications and information systems

The career options in this field are varied. Skilled individuals within communications and information systems focus their efforts on effectively delivering a coherent message to a large audience of varied backgrounds. Performing artists, journalists, writers, and individuals who work in magazine or newspaper production fall within this field. Some positions you may consider in this career field are:

• Computer programmer
• Software designer
• Painter
• Fiction writer
• Journalist
• News reporter
• Graphic designer
• Network technician
• Copywriter
• Communications manager
• Brand manager
• Event planner
• Public relations manager
• Web developer
• Editor
• Back end developer
• Architect
• Museum curator
• Art auctioneer

4. Engineering, manufacturing, and technology

This career field is for creatives who enjoy designing new buildings and creating supportive environmental structures. A career within this field can may require driving machines such as trains or planes, or even require the researching, designing and developing of new products to serve a need for customers. Careers in this field may require some basic on-the-job training, trade school certifications, or advanced degrees for a college or university. Career options available to you based on your background are:

• Machine operator
• Cable installer
• Electrical apprentice
• Welder
• Inspector
• Mason
• Electrician
• Plumber
• Carpenter
• Programmer
• Service attendant
• Wind turbine technician
• Electrical engineer
• Software engineer
• Technical engineer
• Construction inspector
• Fabricator mechanic
• Sheet metal technician

5. Health science technology

Those interested in this field use critical thinking often to focus on identifying and treating patients for various diseases. The workplace environment is often a hospital or clinic setting. You may also specialize in keeping people healthy and work in gyms or health and fitness centers. Some jobs categorized under this field are:

• Dental hygienist
• Surgical technician
• Athletic trainer
• Audiologist
• Chiropractor
• Dentist
• Dermatologist
• Occupational therapy assistant
• Medical lab technician
• Cancer registrar
• Paramedic
• Sonographer
• Genetic counselor
• Neurologist
• Nurse practitioner
• Speech-language pathologist
• Archeologist
• Sport medicine physician
• Primary care physician
• Oncologist
• Orderlies

6. Human services

Those who choose a career in human services work to ensure the health of members of the community and are often advocates for others. They provide services to support community involvement and work to educate or train others to gain hard skills needed for a better quality of life. Human services are for those who seek to help others, advocate for children, or counselor others. Careers in human services are:

• Substance abuse counselor
• Case worker
• Child Protective Services officer
• Community service manager
• Librarian
• Social worker
• Probation officer
• Lawyer
• Labor relation specialist
• Family court advocate
• Marriage and family therapist
• Archivist
• College professor
• Secondary education instructor
• Elementary school teacher
• Tutor
• Compliance officer
• Tax examiner
• Urban planner
• Transportation inspector
• Barber
• Clergy
• Embalmer
• Massage therapist
• Tailor
• Crossing guard
• Firefighter
• Railroad inspector

Tips to help narrow your career options

Deciding on a career is an important step towards a fulfilling professional life. There are supports available for you to guide and inform your choice but the final decision is yours. Take the following tips into consideration to help you find the best career option for you.

• Identify your skills. Objectively review your own abilities to determine what you will feel comfortable with doing daily. A person prone to shyness would likely stay away from public speaking while someone who likes adventure would not thrive in an office environment. If you have strong interpersonal skills you may lean towards a career in human services or business. Being mathematically inclined may guide you towards technology or engineering.
• Evaluate your passions. Being good at something is one thing, but you must also decide on something you are passionate about. Look for things you care about and identify your values. For example, your concern about the deteriorate of the ozone layer can guide your work in environmental conservation.
• Explore your options. You can use internships, guided tours, or volunteer opportunities to help you gauge how a career might be.
• List your top criteria. Decide on what aspects of a career will make you happy. If you love the outdoors you will want to look for the ability to work in nature as a criteria.
• Set goals. Identify what you want to accomplish professionally to help guide your career path. Understanding your long-term goals will determine the short-term steps you can take in the present.
• Consider your lifestyle. Strive for a career that works with your lifestyle and not against your comforts. If you enjoy water, search for a career that gives you the opportunity to be in water. Marine biologists spend much time at sea. However, if you sunburn easily you may want a career in an office setting to protect your skin.
• Update your resume often. People often overlook volunteer experience or hobbies as items included on a resume. Keep your personal and work related information updated and review it often. Seeing your experience black and white can reveal aspects of yourself and your preferences you have not considered.

Learning about your available career options will give you an advantage when searching for and planning a career path that fits your unique skills, abilities, and needs. It is important to find a job that fits your lifestyle to ensure a greater work/life balance and overall job fulfillment.

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