For most people, choosing a career is one of the biggest decisions they will make in their lives. While some already know what they want to do in life, others still do not know how or what they can choose the most suitable career path. For this reason, most people try out trial and error for them to know which career path they should choose. Some also choose a career path that pays well but does not make them happy. Also, the pressure to pick a career is because 1/3rd of your life, which is 90,000 hours are spent at work.
Choosing a career and its pathways can be a daunting task! but it doesn’t have to be. Whether you want to start your career or have plans to change careers, with some careful thought and research, you can select a career that is right for you. To help you set yourself on a path to success here are five top tips to you get started.
Know Your Talents
You cannot underestimate the importance of using your talent to choose a career and perform well. If you use your talents to do your job, you will likely enjoy your job and career. This is because it will come naturally to you, and you will do your job with less stress. For example, if you are good at nurturing relationships, you may consider being a marketer or salesperson.
You can bring value to the business with this natural talent which will also make your work very easy. It doesn’t mean that you are incapable of doing other things. Still, it means that you choose what is in line with your talent. You, therefore, need to ensure that you analyse your natural talents and take a career that can harness these talents for you to have a fulfilling career.
Know Your Priorities in Life
Each person has different things that they would want to achieve in life. If you know these things, you can align your career so that your priorities are catered. For instance, if you desire is to be in the field where you help people in distress either physically or psychologically, you should consider a career in the medical and mental wellness field. This gives direct assistance to people who may need it, therefore, helping you fulfil your priorities and enjoy your career.
People have different priorities, and therefore, you should take time to understand what matters to you so that when you are choosing a career, you have a clear picture of what you will be expecting and how you can overcome the problems that arise from it.
Know Your Passions
What are you passionate about? If you understand what you are passionate about, then you’re at the sweet spot. Just like Confucius said, ‘Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.‘ This is especially true if you are passionate about what you do. When you are passionate about something, you naturally put more effort into it and enjoy it more. This makes working hard a lot easier because you are not thinking about the hours you are putting in but rather about the enjoyment you are getting out of it. Therefore, to make your future work life easier, choose a job you love.
Given that a career is something that you have to do for the rest of your life, you want to go for something that makes you happy when you are working on it. For instance, people who are passionate about calculations and serving different types of mathematical problems can choose a career in accounting. Additionally, people who are passionate about animals should work in a field that includes animals of their interest. Career choices based on passions are most likely going to lead to a happy life.
Know Your Values
Values can be described as sets of principles that guide your action. People have different values of what they can or cannot do, and companies have sets of values that can dictate the relationship with customers and other stakeholders. Choosing a career that goes against your values might give you a hard time performing the tasks that conflict with your values.
Having a constant clash with your values will cause you a lot of stress and strain, which will affect your work performance. For example, jobs requiring you to travel 80% of the time will conflict with your value for family time.
Know Your Personality
What is your personality type? Are you introverted, or are you extroverted? Your responses will help you choose the best career path. There are specific careers suitable for introverts, while some are good for extroverts. A career that conflicts with your personality will always put you under pressure and constrain your health and general well-being. For instance, if an extrovert gets into a career that involves many hours of sitting behind a desk and little to no interaction, they may find themselves very lonely. This might greatly affect their performance, which will lead to a miserable career and work life. It is therefore important to know and understand your personality type to have the best career alignment.
Opportunity for Growth
When you choose a career, you should not only choose a source based on earning potential. You should choose a career that can give you many opportunities to learn and improve your skill constantly. For example, a hotel manager will get many opportunities to grow and work in better hotels and locations. Therefore, you should go for a particular career path that gives you the ability to grow progressively over a specific period.
Final Take Away
Though choosing a career and its pathways can be a time of anxiety, use these tips above to clarify when you’d really like to do. Most of all remember that the world is your oyster (playfield), so don’t worry about being stuck to one career. Approach this period as a learning phase about yourself and try several until you find a career you are passionate about. Good luck!
