When you’re starting out in a career – or want to make a career transition – it can be frustrating to figure out what you want to do. Unless you’re independently wealthy, you’ll need to choose a career and, hopefully, one you enjoy and are passionate about. But it takes a little soul searching and a little work to find that dream career.
You may have a vague idea of the kind of work you’d like to do, and the industries, roles, and job tasks you think you’d enjoy. But with so many options, how do you choose which career is best for you?
Here are five questions you should ask yourself if you feel lost and are unsure what career is right for you.
If you could do anything, what would it be?
The happiest people are those who have a career that coincides with their interests. Make a list of your favorite activities- those you would do even if no one paid you a penny. What activities do you enjoy so much that hours pass before you even realize it?
These could include hobbies, activities that you enjoy doing with friends and family or by yourself. Don’t censor what you write down. Include activities that inspire your passions even if you know it’s unlikely anyone will pay you to do them. Once you know all the things that make you happy, think about the things that make you unhappy. This could be anything from talking on the phone to working in an office environment where you don’t get enough interaction with other people. No matter what they, write down all of those pet peeves so you can avoid them when choosing a career.
How will this help you in your search for a career? If you know what you like and don’t like, you can better identify the career path that’s right for you. You’ll need to research different career paths and then see how they match up with your interests. If you don’t like talking on the phone, you probably want to avoid sales or any role that involves selling a service or product. If you like writing, maybe consider career as a content writer or editor. You can also browse through job descriptions to get a better understanding of an employer’s expectations of different roles.
How do you define success?
Your definition of success should play a role in your career choice. If you define success as making a lot of money, you may not be satisfied in a lower-paying career even if it coincides with one of your passions. In contrast, if success means contributing something to the world or helping others, a career choice like teaching or being a social worker might meet one of your criteria for success, giving back to others. Be authentic and honest with your definition of success.
Additionally, it’s easy to be influenced by external pressures. Your parents might have wanted you to be a doctor or lawyer for the status and money that such a career offers. Or maybe you have friends who have high status careers. Regardless of what others do or say, you have to choose a career that suits you. If the career is not in line with your interests and definition of success, you won’t be happy in the long term.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
Before choosing a career, know your strengths and weaknesses. If you’re horrible in math, choosing a career path as an engineer or accountant might be a struggle. Think beyond how well you did with subjects in school. What are your strengths outside a classroom? Do you have great leadership skills or are you detail-oriented? Are you handy with repairing things or are you artistic? If you have no idea what your strengths are, ask friends, family members, and co-workers what they think your strengths are. One way is to ask them to list three positive qualities about you.
Once you have the lists compiled, look for common themes among them and think about job and career choices that take advantage of your strengths. Think about what you’re good at and how you can leverage your soft skills in your next career and get paid.
What are the future job and career trends?
The workforce is always changing, and so is the world of work. Many new careers have emerged in recent years, and more are on the horizon. In the past few decades, developments such as the internet and advances in technology have created new fields that didn’t exist a decade ago — virtual assistants, for example, or data scientists. And those who have been working in the same field for a long time may find themselves out of a job as new technologies, such as artificial intelligence, take over.
Over the next few years, careers will continue to morph and change. What most people know today as “careers” won’t be the same 10 or 20 years from now. Once you decide on a potential career, investigate it. Research the long-term prospects for each industry. Some industries are growing, while others are shrinking and will become obsolete in the years to come. For example, if you were deciding between journalism and solar panel installation, you’d probably go with solar panel installation because the field is expected to be more lucrative and available in the future. A great place to research a career field’s growth trends is the BLS occupation handbook.
How much education or training are you willing to undergo?
As you’re looking into your choices for a career, it’s important to ask yourself: how much education or training are you willing to undergo? Depending on what you want to do, you may have to go back to college and get a degree. Do you have the money and motivation to do that? This is an important question to ask yourself, especially when choosing a career. If you choose a career that involves a lot of schooling, it will take a lot of your financial outlay, time, and energy. Make sure you’re willing to go through with it. And if you’re not, whether you can find other ways to get the skills you need for your career without going back to school.
The Bottom Line on Choosing a Career
It’s important to explore various avenues — don’t limit yourself. Keep your options open and remain open to things that seem outside the box if you have the talent and passion for a particular field. You might just discover that what you were looking for was right in front of you the whole time.
Ready to Explore Careers? Check out our Career Guides and our Career Pathways blog to help you along your journey.
