1 . Advice on Choosing Your Career

You probably are very much concerned about which direction you take in your career, but before working through the process of generating and refining specific career choices, helicopter up to 10,000 feet from where you can view your overall career map, answer the big questions and set your overall direction.     1    What is your aim? How long have you got? Remember that there are no right answers, only the best choice for you, based on what you know now.

Having laid out your overall map, set boundaries and defined your personal targets, you can then turn to practical issues.     2     Write down examples of how you demonstrate key employability skills such as team work, leadership, and communication.

    3     Go out and meet people, attend talks, go to relevant lectures, watch videos about industries and organizations, seek out websites that can give you objective and general career advice, for example, the open access Oxford university careers website.

Over time you can start to narrow down your choices and then choose one.     4    

In 1804, Meriwether Lewis and William Clark set off with a compass and direction, and a general destination of mapping the new Louisiana territories in America. But they had no exact map.     5     Your career will be much longer but, like Lewis and Clark, it is about direction, not destination.

A．Where, roughly, are you going?

B．Their successful expedition took two years.

C．In any event, you have a few years to explore.

D．Identify what you are good at, based on your skills and experiences.

E．That way, you’ll be more focused and thus more likely to achieve your goal.

F．You are looking for a match to what might suit you now, but that changes over time.

G．Your career project might take some time, as now you are probably short of information.

2 . For high school students, just thinking about your career probably isn’t enough. You have to actively do some research and plan. Here are some of the best careers for the future and how you can get your foot in the door.

Registered Nurses

To become registered nurses, you’re going to need either an associate degree in nursing, a Bachelor of Science in nursing, or another officially approved diploma(文凭) from a nursing program. If you want to be a practicing physician, you’ll need a medical degree in your chosen field on top of your four-year degree.

Data Analysts

Big data is a growing field with profitable opportunities for college graduates. You are required to have a master’s degree in computer science or another related field. Data science is a traditionally male-dominated industry and only 26 percent are held by women. Thankfully, it is holding out an olive branch to females and there are some terrific programs specially designed for them to break into this dynamic field.

Plumbers (管道工) and Electricians

Not all of the best careers for the future will require a four-year undergraduate degree. There’s a serious demand for skilled positions jobs like plumbers and technicians. Many of these positions require a high school degree and often an associate degree in a related field, but don’t necessarily require graduation from a four-year university.

Cybersecurity (网络安全) Experts

The average salaries for cybersecurity experts can start at $80, 000 for IT Security Consultants and can reach six figures for other positions such as a security director. The best way to start your path in cybersecurity is with a bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, engineering, or other related fields.

1. In which job will the gender distribution probably be more balanced?

A．Data Analysts.	B．Registered Nurses.
C．Cybersecurity Experts.	D．Plumbers and Electricians.

2. To be a cybersecurity expert, which is the basic requirement?

A．A master’s degree in computer science.

B．A certificate of high school graduation.

C．A bachelor’s degree in information technology.

D．A diploma officially approved from a medical program.

3. Where is the text probably taken from?

A．A health lecture.	B．A school website.
C．A job advertisement.	D．A science magazine.

3 . Ten years ago, liberal arts majors were a hot proposition, but according to a recent report, engineering and science majors are more favored by Chinese university students nowadays.

The shift has happened since the country set its sights on growth powered by technological breakthroughs and high-end manufacturing.

The popularity of engineering has also been reflected in the annual adjustment of university majors by the Ministry of Education.

Since the ministry approved the establishment of AI-related undergraduate majors in 2018, 440 universities now offer them. When 180 universities set up AI majors in 2019, they became the top new majors of the year. Many engineering majors are associated with terms like “intelligent” and “smart”, with technological and scientific innovation in mind.

Financial and management majors were previously popular due to the capital’s role in driving social and economic progress. Rising geopolitical tensions have encouraged the turn toward engineering, as China has realized that technology will be the fundamental engine of future growth, and so engineering and science majors have become the most popular. More importantly, there are still many weak links and bottlenecks in China’s technological development, which require more talent to solve.

The development of AI in China still has a long way to go, so students are obliged to study properly and contribute to the sector’s rapid development.

A senior researcher said that students need to be more objective about popular majors as the demand for them might change based on societal demand and employment prospects. When choosing a major, they should focus more on their strengths and passions, he said, adding that if they pursue a popular major in which they are not interested, they will not learn professionally and will still find it hard to get a good job.

1. Why has engineering become popular recently?

A．Liberal arts majors are less popular.

B．Chinese universities favor engineering majors.

C．China has have aimed at developing high-end manufacturing.

D．The Ministry of Education makes adjustments annually.

2. How did the author explain the popularity of AI-related majors among the universities?

A．By listing the numbers.	B．By making experiments.
C．By giving a description.	D．By making a discussion.

3. Which is the most important factor to stimulate China to develop technology?

A．The capital’s role in the progress.	B．Rising geopolitical tensions.
C．Many weak links and bottlenecks.	D．Societal rapid development.

4. Which option may the senior researcher agree with?

A．Engineering leads to good jobs.	B．Choosing a major depends on its popularity.
C．People must follow the crowd.	D．Interest is the best teacher.

4 . When choosing your dream career, it is important that you first know yourself well. The best way to begin is through self-exploration which will allow you to uncover more about your personal interests, skills, personality, and values.     1    

Interests are important considerations when choosing a career. By focusing on your interests, you can determine which career options would provide you with the highest satisfaction and a sense of enjoyment.     2     Job satisfaction contributes to a positive attitude at work, which in turn will affect your chances of gaining success in your career.

The next thing you have to consider is the skills you own.     3     These skills can be either hard skills or soft skills. And you need to determine which of those skills are transferable (可转移的). Transferable skills are not specific to one job, so you can apply them to a variety of different jobs. Having the right skill set is the key that opens a whole new field of career possibilities for you. You may even be surprised at the number of career options that are a good fit with the skills you currently have.

    4     You will need to assess your individual personality, motivational drive, needs and attitudes to find a career that has the best fit with your personality. For example, a salesperson generally needs to be naturally outgoing.

Another important factor to consider in your decision when choosing a dream career is your values.     5     And the scale of your values is based on your attitudes and beliefs about what is important in life.

A．Values are relevant to your beliefs.

B．What are the things you are good at?

C．Interests are also important for your choice.

D．Choosing a dream career will have an influence on your skills.

E．If you enjoy your job, you will be more motivated to do your job well.

F．One or more of these factors may have a great influence on your choice of careers.

G．It’s equally important to take personality into account when you’re choosing the dream career.

5 . How to Choose the Right Career?

Choosing the right career can be difficult, and consequently you will find many of us can hardly find a suitable job in our daily life.     1    

    2    

Assess your hobbies. It is very easy to turn your hobbies or something you love doing into a future career. Many hobbies are related to real world needs and positions. Consider what you like to do and how that might fit into a career. Remain humble as you work toward your goal.

Assessing your skills

Consider what skills you are good at. If you are particularly good at certain skills, such as fixing things or making things, this can provide you with a great future career, since skilled labor is often in demand and you will find it fairly easy to find work.     3     People who interact with others well can easily get careers as social workers or in marketing and similar business positions.

Considering your current state

Explore yourself. Figuring out what you should do with your life may sometimes require you to get to know yourself better. If you want a career that will really make you happy, you have to have an impressive awareness of what you want and what you enjoy.     4    

Thinking about your future

Examine your future financial security. One of the most important things to consider is if the career path you're choosing will provide you with an acceptable level of financial security. In other words, will you be able to make enough money to support yourself and your family? Meanwhile, you are supposed to pay special attention to your future job stability,     5     Accordingly, you will need to consider if the career you choose is stable enough for you and your desires for the future.

Admittedly, the combination of the above four steps proved extremely effective when choosing the future career. Once you get started, you'll find it quite beneficial and even enjoyable!

A．Evaluating your interests

B．Assessing your personality

C．Therefore, having a defined career direction will help you achieve your goal.

D．Job markets changes a lot as society needs different things at different times.

E．For some people, this means taking some time off to decide what's vital to them.

F．If you have a good command of communicating with others, there are jobs for you as well.

G．However, with serious self-planning and self-reflection, you can set yourself on a path towards a fulfilling career.

6 . If you're not sure what career to pursue, here are some steps that can help you to choose a career.

Tastes and abilities.

To choose a career, you must separate two important concepts: tastes and abilities.    1    But if not, remember that you devote much of your life to the profession of your choice, so it must be something you're passionate about. Make two columns on a sheet of paper; write what you like to do in one column and your talents and abilities in the other. Draw a line to link the skills that relate to what you like to do, so you can clarify your options by identifying the skills you have and how they relate to what you want to do.

Personal decision.

It's your life; only you can choose your career.    2    If they hold different ideas from you, it is good to hear different opinions, but the ultimate decision is yours.

    3    

Find out about the labor sector and the opportunities available for graduates from the career that interests you. It is important to recognize the level of competition you may face and the opportunities that exist.

Salary.

It never hurts to know the wage curve of a professional career. One thing is to choose a profession for the economic benefit and another to choose a career that you like. It is advisable to make a balance between pay and your tastes.    4    

Choosing a career to pursue is a major life decision that must be considered carefully.    5    A college degree is the first requirement for a successful professional future nowadays.

A．Career Interests.

B．Work Opportunities.

C．Give each aspect a weight you consider necessary.

D．People around you should respect what you choose.

E．If you are lucky enough that they match, much better.

F．First you should ask yourself what activities you enjoy the most.

G．Anyone valuing professional development must pay attention to education.

7 . Tips for Choosing a Career

Choosing a career is one of the most important decisions you will ever make. Most people spend half or more of their waking hours five days a week at their jobs. While selecting a career can be a difficult process, the following tips can make this process easier for you.

Extensive reading about potential careers is vital.     1     It’s important to collect vital information such as career descriptions, career outlooks, employment statistics, educational requirements, and potential earnings.

    2     Do this frequently since these lists keep changing. A “hot job” today may not be “hot” next year or the year after next year. When evaluating these lists, keep in mind your interests, skills and job satisfaction requirements.

Find a mentor. Many colleges and employers have a formal mentoring program.     3     It is a great way to learn about a career, and a mentor can provide valuable networking opportunities. “Mentworking” is a new trend which combines mentoring and networking, and which has shown good results.

Interviewing people in the field is an excellent way to learn about the various aspects of a career.     4     Informational interviews often change a person’s perspective about an occupation. You can find interview candidates by asking friends, teachers and neighbors. You can also contact relevant professional associations and societies and visit appreciate social and professional networking sites online.

The skills required for a career are an essential factor for an individual’s potential for success in that career. Write a list of the skills needed for a particular field. Place a check next to each skill you possess.    5    

Your skills should be a vital factor in your career selection process. A satisfying career is often built upon a match with what you are naturally good at. Natural strengths allow an individual to work with ease and acquire expertise faster.

A．Also, formal mentoring organizations are available that match mentors with individuals.

B．Doing this may also provide good social communication opportunities.

C．At last, please count the number of checks you have.

D．Potential careers are the jobs which you will have in the future.

E．You will discover details about careers that you were not aware of.

F．The more checks you make, the more likely this field is right for you.

G．Look for lists of “hot jobs” on the Internet and in magazines.