What Is Career Exploration?

Career exploration is the first step to finding a job you’ll be good at and enjoy doing. If you’re new to the workforce or are thinking of switching professions, taking the time to explore the careers you’re considering will focus your job search and make you a more informed and confident candidate for the positions you apply for. The career exploration process provides a structure for:
  • Defining your work-related personality traits and career goals
  • Researching the professional areas that are good matches for these traits and goals
  • Identifying the skills you’ll need to successfully pursue a given profession or job
This section of CareerConnect will take you through each step in the career exploration process—not only will you have fun along the way, you’ll end up with a clear roadmap for your job search.

The Benefits of Career Exploration

There are many benefits to doing thorough career exploration before you start your job search. Job seeking can be a long and challenging process, so it’s important that you’ve done the research to ensure that the positions you do pursue are right for you, your background, and your interests. Career exploration will help you avoid:
  • Applying for jobs for which you don’t meet minimum training or education requirements
  • Pursuing positions in a profession, field, or work environment not suited to your personality, values, or lifestyle
  • Going for jobs where the average salary and/or opportunities for promotion do not match your career plan
  • Ending up in a position where the reality of the work is not what you thought it would be

Career Exploration for the Job Seeker Who Is Blind or Visually Impaired

Career exploration can help you make a good, viable decision about your future in the workplace. Are you aware of the tremendous number of careers available to you as a person with vision loss? We know of at least 300 occupational fields in which blind or visually impaired workers are succeeding and finding delight in their work To learn more, browse Our Stories to read first-hand accounts of life in the workforce from workers with vision loss. Please feel free to reach out to us with your questions or comments at connectcenter@aph.org.