How can I find out more about careers that may interest me?

[Pandaroma]

The guidance counselors at school have provided CareerCruising.com, but it hasn't been very insightful. If you can help me, then it'd be much appreciated!

[TBA]

Sometimes it can take a long time to really figure out what suits you well. And note also that this can actually change throughout your life - the person who's 100% suited to being a firefighter right out of school might still be one in five years - or they might then be better suited to being a civil engineering assistant. Or an elephant trainer. Or a speedboat racer. So whatever you choose now, remember to do a life check again in five to ten years for some perspective.

Another issue is that most school-level career choice lists are hopelessly limited and outdated. Does your school list include the jobs of social media expert, youth culture consultant, fast food employee, interdepartmental liaison, governor general, stock market caller, sheep shearer, database administrator, forestry ranger, factory supervisor, or surveyor? Try looking in the classifieds section of the local paper (or online jobs board) for a better idea of what's really out there.

That said, sometimes a personality assessment can give you a rough idea of what kind of work environment would suit you. See if you can get a MBTI test, a Keirsey test, and maybe a PAPI-I test if your school counselors can dig it up. Keep in mind that the results are just approximations: no human being on the planet is mentally 100% inside any one of the test classifications, but it might be a useful guide to say "You'd probably be more into this kind of job than that kind of job, everything else being equal." MBTI results in particular are also able to be matched up with preferred job types on the internet - there are a number of sites which do this.

Note that job types are not split along industry lines. Just because you may not want to be (for example) a miner, that doesn't mean you can't work in the mining _sector_ - there are literally hundreds of job types and sub-types available in every area of human endeavor. If it turns out you have a personality type suitable for management or sales, for instance, you'll probably be able to find work anywhere on the planet, in any industry.

If you've ever seen someone on TV being interviewed, or a character in a film, or read about them on the net, and thought "Holy moley, I'd LOVE to have their job!", that may be a clue as to what would work for you. Even if it's a sci-fi job that hasn't been invented yet, the personality types still apply.

And finally, if you still can't decide, I'd recommend getting a job with a large organization. They usually pay you on time, you have lots of other people with career experience to talk to to find out where you want to go next, and there's a better chance you'll be able to get your dream job by an internal transfer. If nothing else, at least you'll have a brand name on your CV and be able to pay rent in the meantime. Keep your eyes open and remember to re-evaluate yourself in sixty months.