One of the best ways to find out if a particular type of work is suited to you is to do it.
There are several ways:
part-time or full-time paid work, short-term or long-term volunteer work.
The auspices can be through co-operative education, casual, summer, contract, on-going (permanent), work-study, internship, or volunteer positions.
In addition to the job content knowledge you gain, there are extra benefits:

• referrals for future jobs through a network that you build
• knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of your work-related skills
• development of communication, leadership, analytical, organizational, problem-solving and creative skills
• demonstration of your initiative, and establishment of a track-record, for potential employers.

Whatever your job is, take time to reflect on your experiences.
Write your thoughts in a journal to keep a permanent record.
What is the work being done?
How is the work being done?
When?
How quickly?
By whom?
What interpersonal relationships are there that help or impede progress?
What are you having fun doing?
What do you find boring?
Are your surroundings and interactions typical of the workplace you want for your career-related job?
Has this work experience raised a question about your program of academic studies?
When it comes time to choose your next series of courses, broaden your investigation into what’s available.
Is there something even more suited to your present needs and the direction you are choosing to go in?

With a complete analysis of your experiential learning, you will have data and examples for your next resume, portfolio, and job interview.

Co-operative Education

Co-operative education provides you with the opportunity to have paid employment in positions that complement your academic program.
Alternating work and study terms takes somewhat longer than the traditional method of study with a summer break.
Co-op positions are full-time, usually for 4-8 months, or 1 year.
The advantage for you is in having a formal structure through which you can try out different jobs to see what you like and are good at.
With regular performance evaluations by your supervisors, you can acquire an employer’s perspective on how well you measure up to the quality of other people working in that position.
You can begin to see your competitive advantage.
By taking positions with increasing levels of responsibility, you will have a solid resume with which to approach the job market for a full-time position.

Develop learning objectives in consultation with your supervisor.
Monitor your progress, and make changes to your goals and strategies, if necessary.
With a commitment to lifelong learning now required of everyone, you can develop good habits that will last you a lifetime.
You can demonstrate that you are able to select appropriate personal and career-related projects as preparation for your next assignment.
A work report may also be required during the term.
You will be able to look into a topic at greater depth.
In addition to the knowledge and skills you will obtain, the exercise will help you clarify your thoughts as you identify the components of your ideal job.

Casual Employment

While most people take casual employment part-time any time throughout the year to earn money, there are additional benefits that you can obtain.
If you can get work in an environment you would like to check out, you will have a sense as to compatibility, e.g., if you have factory assembly-line experience, you may want to try a fast food outlet to determine if you would prefer a more interactive environment with people, i.e., having customers constantly around you, expecting top quality products and services.

Summer, Contract, On-going (Permanent)

Jobs in these categories usually are offered on a full-time basis, ranging from 25-30 hours or more a week.
Seen as building blocks to lay the foundation for your career, working in a diversity of settings will enable you to experience personally, as well as observe, aspects of employment.
By testing, you will come to know what you like and don’t like, what you’re good at and what areas you need to develop expertise in.
For those of you in an academic program that is not specifically preparing you for employment as does mechanical engineering, health promotion, or accounting, you are receiving the added benefits of gaining work-related skills that employers are seeking.

Work-Study

Within an academic environment, there may be positions funded by governments, for up to 10 hours a week over the term, to help students finance their education.
Carefully read the job notices. If the information is vague, phone the person who would be hiring for the position for more details.
Work-study can be an good way to apply your knowledge in different settings.
In addition to helping you clarify your career goals, you can end up with excellent transferable skills.

Internship

An internship gives you an opportunity to have a structured experience combining work and learning in a field you are considering for your career.
The work is usually unpaid, although you may find some positions with a stipend or an hourly rate typical for that kind of job.
The work can be part-time during an academic term, a full-time block during the weeks between terms, full-time for an academic term or longer.
Usually a professor from your faculty will oversee the work in conjunction with your employer so that appropriate academic credit can be given.
Even if you succeed in obtaining an internship that will not result in academic credit, the experience is invaluable in exploring career possibilities and gaining work skills valued in the marketplace.

Volunteer

Volunteering allows you to check out many types of work. Some examples are: animal care, environmental preservation, health education, marketing, computer programming, management (by working on a volunteer Board of Directors).