Need help planning my career

llg, PhD, RN · Jan 23, 2010

1. The first question you need to ask yourself is, "Why have you invested in an educational program that leads to a career you don't want?" "How did you get yourself into this mess to begin with?" Figuring that out might help you avoid making such mistakes in the future as you explore other possible career paths.

2. Then you need to do a thorough assessment of yourself. What are your strengths -- clinical, interpersonal, etc. ? What are your weaknesses? etc. Also assess your preferences. What types of work do you like to do? What types of work do you dislike doing? For example, if you hate paperwork, then that should tell you to avoid careers that require you to spend long hours in an office. If you hate going to meetings and serving on committees, then you should avoid jobs that require a lot of that, etc. That assessment process will help you identify the types of jobs you might like and the types of jobs that will probably NOT be a good fit for you.

3. You might it helpful to buy a few career-planning books -- particularly ones that specialize in nursing. There are a few by some folks, one of whom has the last name of Donner with a partner who's last name is Wheeler that are fairly good. They wrote one for students and new grads, but they also wrote one for experienced nurses. There are also other books on nursing careers you might want to explore. Many are readily available on Amazon.com.

4. Rather than ask, "What can I do with this degree?" ... "What type of career do I want?" Figure out your direction first and then figure out how you get there from where you are today. Don't let that one choice of taking those courses dictate your career choice. Choose a career path freely ... and then see if your past coursework can help you get there.