“I’m not sure what I want to be when I grow up.”

This is a statement often presented to me not only from students in high school, but also individuals who have been working for a while, as well as students who are currently enrolled in college but are considering changing career fields. There was a time when people would decide upon a career field and maintain that same career for 20-plus years until retirement. Today, however, people will change career fields five to six times during a lifetime.

For many individuals, career awareness is a challenging and difficult activity to engage in. It can often feel overwhelming, time-consuming, and intimidating. Career awareness is an individual process, and individuals should recognize that each person starts at different places when exploring career interests. One should begin the process early to help focus energy towards making better career choices, and this effort will lead to realistic options for success.

Time spent exploring one’s interest, values and abilities, as well as gaining more insight into what makes each person “unique” is considered to be a key component to career decision- making.

One of the main functions of the Career Center at FTCC is to help aid individuals in solving some of the crucial problems likely to be faced as they turn their career plans into a reality. We can offer and administer a variety of career interest inventories, which help to link personality types and abilities with careers. These assessments provide valuable background information for career planning.

Once the inventories are completed, the individual can sit and talk with a professionally trained counselor and work jointly in solving problems associated with career choices, daily living, and educational planning. The goal is to pull all of the relevant information together and formulate a plan of action!

The services within the FTCC Career Center are free and open to the public. You can contact us at www. faytechcc/counseling/CareerCenter.asp or 910-678-8205 or 910-678-8422

Photo: Career awareness is an individual process, and individuals should recognize that each person starts at different places when exploring career interests.