“How do I decide on a career path” is one of the most challenging questions for all of us in this very fast-paced world.
It can seem like a a really difficult question, especially when everything looks as if it is dominated by technology, money and status!
Finding out what you really want to be in life can sometimes feel too much of a challenge!
Of course, you want to make enough money to do a little more than just survive, but maybe your interests aren’t in a particularly lucrative field.
If this makes all you wonder, “How do I decide on a career path?” and you want to find a career path that you love and that suits you, read on because these tips are designed to help you!
How to Choose A Career? Make A Start and Embrace the Process.
Yes, for sure, it is uncomfortable (and a little bit unsettling) not knowing how to choose a career, and how to find the best job for you. Lots of us have had the same problem when we are trying to decide on a career path.
If you are reading this you must be on the road` to try and answer that all important question of how to choose a career, so here’s the first few tips…
- Keep in mind never to rush and look for the fastest solution.
- Be prepared to spend some time exploring. It doesn’t have to be all now.
- Start now and then keep reviewing each week or month.
- Don’t limit yourself. Explore carefully and fully
- Take your time or you might regret it later on.
Just stay calm and start your investigations…. keep asking the question “how do I decide on a career path?”
Start with evaluating your work style and in which environments you work best. Do you need:
- The discipline of a professional work environment or
- Are you a self-starter who can accomplish goals on your own?
Carry out an honest evaluation until you can answer the question for yourself: “How do I decide on a career path”.
What is The Best Career for you?
When you’re thinking about how to choose your career, think about what it is that energies and excites you? We all want to like and enjoy our career, rather than continuously dreading getting up and going to work. A successful person is always passionate about what he or she does. And it makes for a happy life. To find the perfect career path for you, spend some time to figure out what are:
- Your talents?
- Your passions?
Think of ways you can transform your favorite activities, passions and talents into a career.
For example, do you love:
- Dancing? Maybe you could be a choreographer?
- Playing instruments? Could you see yourself playing in a band? A quartet or at the opera?
- Trying different hairstyles? Would you love the artistic pursuit of hairdressing?
- Fashion? Maybe you could be a famous blogger? A stylist to the stars?
Doing what you are passionate about can lead to a rewarding and happy career. That’s what everyone should do for a career. Do something you love!
Read Job Descriptions and Identify Your Qualities and Skills
You now know what your talents are, but what about your skills and qualities? This is an important aspect most people overlook when determining “How do I decide on a career path”. It’s a really good idea to start to read different job descriptions of jobs in areas that you think you might be interested in. That might so some way to provide you with an answer to that burning question”how do I decide on a career path?”
So grab a pen and paper, and jot down all your skills and qualities.
Use a fresh sheet of paper, score it down the middle and write ‘skills ‘ on one side and ‘qualities ‘ on the other and then number down from 1 – 20. Then get to work. You can think of 20 skills and qualities you have if you focus,. If you get stuck get a friend or relative to help you in an objective way.
Do you have / are you:
- Leadership skills?
- Problem Solving Skills?
- Good with People?
- A Good listener?
- Great patience?
- A perfectionist?
- An indoors of outdoors person?
- A love of action or queit study?
- Competitive?
- The ability to work under stress?
Your answers to these questions can really help you to determine your best qualities which is essential when you are thinking about how to choose your career. Another little step in your investigations into ‘how to find the best job for me’.
Set Financial Goals – Be Practical and Do the Math
Of course, your skills and talents do count for a lot, and you do need to find out how to choose a career that’s right for you and satisfies those skill and talent desires. However, in order to make sure you earn enough money through your career, you need to set financial goals.
Be practical and think outside the box. If you feel that you would like to work in an office and that’s the best career for you, why not plan on starting your own office based business? Everything is possible.
Where there is a will, there is a way.
So decide how your qualities and skills can match a type business that can meet your financial goals. You’ll be another step forward in answering your question “how do I decide n a career path?”
Remember:
- Have a solid plan but….
- Be prepared to make some compromises along the way
Take Advice from Others – Find Sources of Inspiration
When it comes to answering “How do I decide on a career path”, you need to find sources of inspiration and motivation.
Take some positive action. Put yourself in ‘Action Oriented’ mode when you ask yourself “how do I decide on a career path?”
So, instead of sitting around, take some positive action and find out what other people who have studied the same as you have decided on for a career. And find out is that working for them or not?
What do other people do for a living and what do they:
- Love about their job
- Think they could do without in their working environment
- Like about working with their colleagues
- Not like about the customers or clients they are in contact with all day
- Think about their start and finish times and what does that mean for their lifestyle?
- Think they would do if money was no object?
Find out what they, and other people, like about their job. And what they don’t like of course. Keep an open mind. Knowledge is Power so the more you know the better.
You can either take advice from others or visit your university for information about what graduates of each course went on to do. Jot down any career or job you think sounds interesting.
Discover Who You Are – Assess Your Social Needs
When you wonder ‘how do I decide on a career path’ you are starting a journey of self-discovery. This is the core part of the career finding process; finding the best job for me!
- What are your needs?
- How do you want to live?
Think about what your needs are, how you want to live, and what type of salary you will want to earn.
And, since you will be spending one-third of your life with people in your workplace, you need to assess your social needs.
- If you are a person who loves socializing, you may find a career in sales and customer service interesting.
- If you prefer to work alone and you are a self-starter, you may well find working from home fulfilling.
Get Real-Life Experience – Apply for an Internship
If you are facing difficulties in answering “How do I decide on a career path”, then you could apply for an internship to test a type of career or industry. Even if the internship doesn’t turn out to be what you want long-term, it can help you build your network.
Discuss your career aspirations with friends and family
It’s a really good idea to start talking to people about your search for a career path because people might know people who can help you find what you are looking for.
Real-life experiences in a professional work environment can also help you decide on a career path. When you ask yourself the question “how to choose a career path?” give these three points some consideration:
- Temporary assignments,
- Job shadows
- Internships
These can all give you a realistic view of what to expect in a workplace and how professional life really is. Just more information to help you find the best career path for you.
Self-Assessment Tools – Take a few “How to Choose a Career” Assessments
You can also always use a battery of self-assessment tools to help you decide on a career path. This will be an excellent addition to your investigations into ‘how do I find the best job for me?”. You can do tests and assessments that help you assess your interests in different types of workplaces and fields.
Take three or four assessments and quizzes, so that you know you are on the right track
Generally, these tests will ask you to enter your skills and will then match those skills to find the best career for you.
Consider taking this 68-question detailed career finder test:
or if you are looking for something a little more fun, you can check this out too
So, if you too are finding it difficult to answer the important question, “How do I decide on a career path?” follow the tips mentioned above for some insight and success on how to find the very best you for you.
