What is the right career path for me?

Introduction

 

Hello, all, in this segment of Learning for All, I will be discussing how to properly choose a career path for someone with a learning difference.
 

In each blog post, I will introduce the topic, explain what the topic is, then share my experience with the particular topic. My sources of information will be hyperlinks throughout the blog.

 

Career searching is extremely exciting and something that should be a good experience. 

 

Although this is not the case, many times people rely on solely subject tests that will point them in the ‘right’ direction. People get frustrated with who they are and create panic.

 

Many times people feel as though because they have a learning difference they will never get a ‘real’ this is completely not true. 

 

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The average person spends around one-third of their life working, so it’s no surprise that many people want to find a career that will be a good fit for them.

 

Choosing a career first means learning as much as you can about yourself, your goals, and the larger context of work. 

 

I will show some tips and tricks on how to help people with career searching 

 

Change Your Thinking 

 

An open and closed door are very similar, both leads you to move forward and changes your direction. 

 

Figure out what interests you, what makes you happy, and what you enjoy.

 

Understand what you do not like to do, what frustrates you, and what you are least interested in.

 

Liking something and not liking something is crucial in career searching

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For example, if you do not want to be a landscaper because you hate pulling out weed (same!). Then, that will move you in another direction.

 

Every career is not ‘perfect’ there are going to be things about the job that you do not like (it is every job). However, you need to recognize what is a give and a take.

 

For example, you love to do math, and you have a job that involves a large portion of it, but you have to write about each math equation. 

 

Then the math job is the job you want, even though there is a little bit of writing. 

 

Keep Moving Forward

If you truly have no idea what you want to do for a living and feel as though you are destined for great things, ask for help.

 

There are many resources that can help you find a job/career, you can go to your counselor and talk about how to find a career. You can use state websites and resources online. 

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 By typing in a search engine jobs for _______. 

 

Speak with career services at your local high school, ask family member, parents or guardians.  

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Companies, such as Home Depot, hire people with learning differences and other differences. 

 

Everyone has been in your shoes, so do not feel as though you have a unique problem that can't be solved. There are so many resources for that specific reason. 

 

Personal Experience 

 

As stated in my last blog, I have always wanted to go to college, however, it took some time for me to realize what I wanted to do for a career.

 

 I originally went to college to do orthotics and prosthetics because I really wanted to help people with physical differences. 

 

I did a shadowing at UVA orthotics and prosthetics for two summers in my junior and senior years of high school. 

 

During my first semester of college, I realized that I was not interested in what I was learning and struggled with the material, I barely passed one of the beginning course requirements for Kinesiology majors.    

 

I got an email from the athletic department asking for interns that would help with promotional stuff and even work with the mascot.

 

I saw a few flyers around campus as well.

 

I called my parents asking them for advice, and they said if I am interested in it, I should go for it. 

 

I barely got accepted to be an athletic intern, however, it was the best decision of my life. 

 

I realized I needed to change my life direction, and with the help of my Mom, we decided that I should major in business.

 

However, that did not last long, in fact only one day, I went to accounting 101 and said nope I am out.   

 

I started to freak out a little bit because I had no idea what I wanted to do, lucky I had gone to the majors and minors fair at Longwood University.

 

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I really enjoyed the communication Studies Department because the jobs that you could get were so different. From a journalist to a sales advertiser and even a mascot 😉.

 

As an intern, with the athletic department, I soon realized that I wanted to do sports entertainment for the rest of my life. 

 

Thank you all for reading my blog posts, I am so appreciative of the readers. Doing Learning for All has been extremely therapeutic and helped me connect with some pretty amazing people. I hope that my personal stories and advice help anyone who has a learning difference.