Career Focus: Exploring Professions

Choosing a career can feel completely overwhelming. Will you like your job? How much education do you need? How do you know if there will be jobs available when you graduate? 

A first step is to learn more about different career fields and identify which industries are growing in New Hampshire. 

(Video from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

Many people worry about getting a job after they graduate. What if there are no jobs available? It's helpful to review the data collected by New Hampshire Employment Security to determine whether or not a field is growing. 

NHTI has degree and certificate programs in many of the fastest growing fields. These are some of the careers listed by New Hampshire Employment Security as Top Career Prospects: 

• Dental Assistants
• Registered Nurses 
• Social and Human Service Assistants 
• Software Developers, Applications

You can find out more about these programs on our website. 

A second step is to research different careers and find a profession that matches your personality and skills. 

There are many free tools that allow you to take personality and skills assessments: 

• Career Coach has an assessment tool to find out which careers match your interests. The detailed assessment contains sixty questions and will provide you with a list of possible occupations. You can also use Career Coach to research occupations and NHTI programs. 
  
• Another helpful tool is the Skills Matcher on CareerOneStop.org. This tool uses forty key skills to rate your abilities and match you to the right career. After completing the assessment you will be given a list of possible careers including information about salary, outlook, and level of education. This tool is particularly helpful for people who have been in the workforce and want to explore a new career choice. 
  

The NHTI Library’s collection also contains eBooks that can help: 

• What’s Your Type of Career? by Donna Dunning*
• 50 Best Jobs for Your Personality by J.Michael Farr and Laurence Shatkin*

Lastly, it is important to learn as much as you can about a future career. Here are some ideas to get you started:  

• Explore The Occupational Outlook Handbook.  This website/book is an invaluable and comprehensive resource. 
• Browse the NHTI Library’s Career Resource Collection. It contains more than 100 up-to-date books about various careers and fields. 
• Meet with an advisor in the NHTI Advising Center to discuss career opportunities and NHTI programs. 

*Current NHTI student login required.