Initial labor market research
- Begin from what your know
- Research those and keep a growing list of interesting options
- Start with online research but move quickly to informational interviewing so you aren’t filling in your knowledge gaps with fear-based assumptions about the field your or options
Potential information to uncover
- Typical on-the-job duties
- Qualifications
- Growth/decline of job availability
- Salary
- Methods of entry
Continually check in with yourself
How do your skills, values and interests correspond to the types of work you are considering? Are there responsibilities you have that disqualify certain options? Before you cross any options off your list seriously consider if barriers you believe are there are truly insurmountable or if there may be a creative way around it.
- How excited/interested are you about/in this opportunity?
- What are you doing/considering/writing off out of fear?
- How much would you be adapting to fit into this career field?
Option research worksheet