6 Things To Consider Before Choosing A Career
There are many factors that you need to consider when choosing a career. When you are fresh out of high school, this seems like the most significant decision of your life, and in most cases, it is. You second guess yourself and wonder whether you’d be able to keep ONE profession for the rest of your life.
While all your worries and stress are justified, there isn’t anything they can do to add value to your decision. So, take a deep breath and calm your nerves. It will help you get greater clarity into this monumental decision. The right career choice will help set you up for life. You’ll feel personal fulfillment and comfort.
Remember to listen to yourself instead of being diverted by other people’s expectations and opinions. Your career choice should be solely your decision.
In this article, we tell you about six things that you need to consider when choosing your career:
1. Availability of Funds:
When looking for a career, you first need to consider your financial situation. If you do not have a scholarship or a grant, a college education will cost a pretty penny. You’ll have to consider all the expenses, including tuition, book and supplies, utilities, boarding and lodging, and even entertainment costs.
Hence, talk to a career consultant to see what career options are feasible for you. If you cannot afford a consultant, then actively engage in an online college search to see your options. It does not cost you much. You can then choose one that is as per your finances.
2. Your Values, Interests, And Personality Traits:
Being self-aware is extremely important when you are choosing your career. A person with a quick temper or low patience cannot opt to be a teacher. Similarly, someone who struggles with putting their point across cannot be a lawyer.
Hence, look for all the activities you enjoy, giving you a deeper insight into what career you should choose. They would determine what you like engaging in. For example, if you’re a sports fan and like taking a leadership role, you could consider getting a sports management degree.
Values are another vital constituent of your personality. They determine your morals and code of conduct. If you value financial security over anything else, you should consider careers that are booming and have high salaries.
Your personality is the way you perceive the world and behave. It would be best to consider it a significant factor when choosing your career. All of us have varying personalities. Hence, ask yourself whether you are extraverted or introverted, judging or perceiving, thinking or feeling, or sensing intuitive individual. All of these determine your personality type and whether or not a specific type of profession will suit you.
3. Your Attitude:
Your attitude is how you approach things around you. It determines the type of work environment you will thrive in. If you have a positive attitude towards work-life balance and value family relationships, you’ll probably choose a career that helps you spend time with your family. Your best bet is a career that balances your personal and professional commitments. For such individuals, jobs like that of a teacher or a 9-to-5 routine are the best bet.
You might also choose a career that challenges you; some people like being challenged. They feel fulfilled that way. Hence, they prefer working in high-stress and demanding jobs like doctors, paramedics, and even lawyers.
4. Job Demand And Availability:
When you are choosing your career, make sure that you thoroughly research the market feasibility and demand for the job. Staying informed about the professions in great demand helps you decide which career is the best for you.
Avoid choosing jobs that can replace you with AI or new technology in the long term. Choosing a career with a limited scope and no job security can cause mental and emotional stress. Please don’t put yourself through it. Try looking for professions that will never be completely automated.
Keep factors like competition and market saturation in mind as well. If a field has a great turnout every year and only a tiny percentage of graduates get a job, this indicates that the market is highly saturated and competitive. Look for fields that aren’t too difficult to get into. Some examples include IT professionals, nurses, sales and marketing professionals, and travel agents.
5. Your Skills And Attributes:
We all have skills that help us stand out from the crowd. Take a deep breath and think about your soft and hard skills. Your soft skills include your communication skills, problem-solving antics, time management, and deadline-following capabilities. Your hard skills are the education that you have and the supporting certifications that you have acquired.
Skills can be developed over time. We are incredibly malleable and adaptive creatures and can learn and unlearn many things throughout our lives. Remember to be flexible and patient when you are learning a new skill. It will make learning a lot easier.
Your attributes are a reflection of what is going on in your mind. You exhibit attributes from childhood defined over your teenage and adult years. They make you unique and a good fit for certain professions while an ill fit for others. Hence, keep them in mind when you decide to look for a career.
6. Your Education And Training:
Certain career choices require specific prerequisite education and certifications. You cannot pursue them until and unless you have studied the previous courses. For example, you cannot pursue a Master in Business Administration (MBA) without 16 years of education. This means you’ll have to clear your doubts and encourage active learning by asking General Management Questions to experts. As a result, you’ll gain a greater understanding and skill set. Moreover, you cannot become a doctor without 8 to 12 years of education and training in a healthcare center.
While exploring career options, ensure that you ask questions regarding educational criteria and requirements. Moreover, if you have hard skills, try adding soft skills to your portfolio to stand out.
Bottom Line:
Choosing a career is going to determine the direction of your life. It is a monumental decision. If you keep all the above-mentioned things in mind, you’ll be able to explore and research career choices more effectively. Ensure that you are ambitious and have a positive mindset. It will take you a long way and make taking this decision easier.
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