Participation Research:
Dress Rehearsal for a New Job
What You'll Find on This Page . . .
- Is Participation Research really necessary?
- Making Your Decision - A Final Check
- Step 4 - Taking Action With Career Planning
There is an Job Experience Worksheet which goes with this page, to help you keep track of each work experience, and the kind of workstyle you used in each job.
Go to Career Manual 2 and select the Donate Button to get the Job Experience Worksheet.
When you download it, go to page 7 and click on Appendix 5 and your Worksheet will come up immediately. Print it out as many times as you need.
All Tests, Inventories and Worksheet Templates for this site are available in an easily printable format in Career Manuals 1 and 2.
For a small donation, you can have access to all of them, including the Job Experience Worksheet, which you can use over and over again.
Is Participation Research really necessary?
I know people (including myself) who neglected to do this last step in the research process, and ended up wasting time and money in training programs, preparing for jobs that were not at all like they imagined.
Sometimes you can't really know what a job is like from books, websites and people you talk to. It takes a first-hand experience to bring it all home. Nothing can replace your own solid personal experience such as:
Guiding Comment:
This kind of research is not for everyone. Use it when you have questions about a job, that can't be answered any other way, than through an experience on-the-job.
'Participation Light'
A lighter version of involvement such as attending 'Open Houses', can sometimes be enough to get your questions answered, and give you a feel for that kind of workplace.
If you are clear about your Dream Job - that it matches your needs and personal requirements, you may not need to get more involved in participation research.
This is an option that is there if you need it.
Making Your Decision
A Final Check
After you've completed your research, remember to ask yourself:
Is this a job:
- that I feel personally suited to?
- where the people seem to be very much like me?
- where I am strongly attracted to the work itself?
At this point, it is not necessary to be skilled in the particular line of work, any training that is required comes next.
Are you ready with your Final Decision?
Field of Interest + Dream Job = Best Career Match
Your Best Career Match is always a combination of Your Field of Interest and your Dream Job.
Here is how to analyze the outcomes.
Example #1:
When the Field of Interest is Health Services
And the Dream Job selected is Dentist Hygienist
The Best Career Match = Dental Health
Example #2:
When the Field of Interest is Sales & Service
And the Dream Job selected is Travel Agent
The Best Career Match = Travel Services
Example #3:
When the Field of Interest is Paraprofessionals
And the Dream Job selected is a Paralegal
The Best Career Match = Legal Support Services
My Chosen Field of Interest is: ______________
My Dream Job is: ____________________________
My Best Career Match is: ______________________________
COMING UP NEXT . . .
STEP 4 - TAKING ACTION BY CAREER PLANNING
These Links Point the Way Through
Steps 1, 2, 3 & 4
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