MAKING A LIFE LONG DECISION

Out there, there are so many youngsters who seem to have all the answers, to have sighted their dreams and be well on their way. But when it comes to career, every single person is unique. We make choices in different ways, at different times, using different methods. And someone who has made a clear choice today may need to rethink that choice in the future. The goal is to manage your future, not let fate or chance plot your course for you.

The choices you make everyday -- to learn a new skill, do well in a particular class, look into a non-traditional career, find out about financial aid or students loan -- are all part of your career plan, and you need to know every avenue or way to succeed in getting your future on a higher grounds.

A good career decision is not a single decision, but a series of decisions over the course of your life. Good career decisions require that you understand yourself and, at the same time, understand the world in which you live, especially its work and educational opportunities. Good career decisions consider both and attempt to balance your needs and strengths with the realities of the labor market.

In its simplest form, career decision-making is a three step process - to know oneself, to know the world of work, and to make a decision based upon the two - one that you might repeat over and over again as you change your college major, make transitions between jobs, balance family and work, or move from school to school.

Making informed career decisions requires reliable information about opportunities in the future. Opportunities result from the relationships between the population, labor force, and the demand for goods and services.

POPULATION

Population ultimately limits the size of the labor force--individuals working or looking for work constrains how much can be produced. Demand for various goods and services determines employment in the industries providing them. Occupational employment opportunities, in turn, result from demand for skills needed within specific industries. Opportunities for medical assistants and other healthcare occupations, for example, have surged in response to rapid growth in demand for health services.

Population trends affect employment opportunities in a number of ways. Changes in population influence the demand for goods and services. For example, a growing and aging population has increased the demand for health services. Equally important, population changes produce corresponding changes in the size and demographic composition of the labor force.