Choosing a career path can be a weighty experience. Sometimes you think you have your career chosen, and you realize it's not really the path for you. Researching career paths is a valuable way to gather information so that you can clearly see the education, skills and responsibilities necessary to make a chosen career work. Through your own experience and by interviewing people who have followed a similar career path, you can get a well-rounded idea of a variety of career options.
Step 1
Weigh the options of a variety of careers, taking stock of your own interests and talents. Gather basic information about the career, suggests the UC Berkeley Career Center, like the typical job duties, salary range, employer options and training requirements. It's a good idea to keep a folder for each career path that you can add to as you get more information.
Step 2
Contact a professional in the field that you're researching, suggests Randall Hansen, psychologist and founder of Quintessential Careers. If you don't know someone directly, find a professional in your area and call to ask for a short interview. While you speak to the professional, ask questions about how she enjoys her job, what a typical day is like for her and her staff, and what she dislikes about her chosen career.
Step 3
Volunteer in the same field as the career that you've chosen to research. Volunteer work gives you invaluable insight into what a specific career entails, and whether or not it's a good choice for you. You may think that you want to work with young children, but after volunteering at a parks and recreation program discover that you prefer teenagers.
Step 4
Visit career fairs in your area to speak with potential employers. Ask the employers what they typically look for in an employee when it comes to skills, education and experience.
Step 5
Create a mock education and training plan so that you can decide whether or not your chosen career path is feasible. The Boise State University Career Center suggests making an appointment with an academic or career counselor to learn what type of education you'll need in order to take a certain career path. The information, together with the other research you've collected, should give you a well-rounded idea of whether or not a career is right for you.
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