The most influential factor in you deciding on your career choice will be your education. Another factor that you must consider when want to choose your career is what you like doing. Personal preference is a very important factor that you must keep in mind. There is no point in going into a profession or field that you have no interest in. It will only make you hate your job and your performance will suffer.
Most people have a level of uncertainty on where to get help in how to choose your career and your career guidance. There are basic steps that a person can take to help them with the question of ‘How to figure out your Career’. Listed below are several suggestions to help you choose your career. These tips are especially helpful for students as they develop a career plan.
Take any career-related tests your college’s career center might offer, or take an on-line career assessment to help you on how to figure out your career. Draw on your own life experiences on jobs, classes or other opportunities that you may have particularly enjoyed. Remember, this is very personal and is all about you! Choosing your career can be very satisfying with the right help.
1. Learn about your career options
Rarely do you have the opportunity to take a class in college that shows you what the work world as it actually exists. You have to take the initiative to explore it yourself. See if your college’s career office has a library of books describing different kinds of work, the typical qualifications needed and the salary ranges for various occupations.
Your college’s career counselors should be able to help. Also, talk to people through informational interviews, and try out on how to figure out your career by shadowing and taking internships or part-time jobs. The more career planning that you can do as a student, the better prepared you will be when you start to look for your first job.
2. Sort Out Your Priorities For A Career
After you’ve spent time on steps one and two, some of your strong preferences may start to emerge. You might learn you don’t want to be in an office environment. Or you might find that your interest in art wouldn’t sustain a career, so you cross those types of jobs off your list.
Whatever it is that you learn about yourself, you’re making important discoveries that will help you choose a good career when the time comes. This is a major component of how to figure out your career planning as a student. So don’t put too much pressure on yourself to make the perfect decision, and always keep your eyes open. Use all available resources in your journey to find how to figure out your career.
3. Consider Your Hobbies
Before doing anything, consider what your hobbies are and write them down. Also, think about why you enjoy these hobbies. If you like to bake, for example, perhaps the reason is because you like to create, and a creative career like wedding cake design would be a good fit for you.
4. Reconnect with your dreams and dream BIG
What kinds of dreams did you have for your life before you lost yourself in the busy-ness of life? What have you since deemed impossible or improbable because of where you are today? Grab a journal and reconnect with the dreams you once had and better yet, come up with some new dreams. In a perfect world, what would you love to be, have, or do? What is your soul aching for? Once you reconnect with your dreams, you’ll have the desire and inspiration to begin to take action and suddenly you will have found yourself again.
5. Expand your comfort zone regularly
It’s time to get uncomfortable by trying new things and meeting new people. Growth doesn’t happen by staying in your bubble of comfort where everything is familiar. Challenge yourself to do something that is slightly terrifying, yet invigorating. That is what I like to call the zone. It’s the space where you are stretching yourself just enough to continue to grow and evolve. What’s the first thing that came to mind for you? Go do that!
6. Don’t Be Afraid
If you really want to find the best career for you, don’t be afraid to make phone calls and follow someone around for a day. Or make the phone calls and follow someone around in spite of your fear. You may miss out on a great career opportunity if you don’t. If certain careers intimidate you because you’d have to go back to school for them, consider what you have to gain from the investment, and look at funding options before concluding that it’s not affordable.
7. Get quiet and listen
Everyday there are signs, messages, and guideposts that will inspire you to act, but you only notice them if you are open. With all the mind chatter and busy-ness we have these days it can be difficult to recognize the signs that are all around, so it’s important to get quiet and listen. Pay attention to the signs on the road, songs on the radio, and the people you meet in the street.
There are messengers all around with Divine guidance to help you move forward on your path. Your key to finding yourself may very well be on a billboard or come to you as a thought in the shower. Listen up, pay attention, and then follow through on your inspired action.
By focusing on all these tips, it will definitely help you on how to figure out your career, and also, it will help you to choose your career. Most importantly, keep it all in perspective: You don’t have to live forever with any career decision you make in these phases of student career planning. Most people change careers several times during their lives, so the first job you choose right after college probably won’t be your career 15 or 20 years from now, unless you want it to be. Your career as an adult is more or less like a starting point to achieve the greatness in life.
Featured photo credit: thebritisheducationcentre.com via thebritisheducationcentre.com
