Finding a career path can be quite difficult for most high school and college students. Many students have no idea what profession they would like to pursue and many others find that the profession they have chosen may not quite be the one for them. Sometimes students follow career paths of their parents or friends. Some children hear over and over again that they should be a doctor or lawyer and pursue these careers not because of an interest, but more so because they do not know what else to do. How should students go about choosing career paths?
People always say to do something that makes you happy. Sometimes something that may make you happy may not provide enough income to achieve your dreams and goals. It is important that we take into account our desires when choosing a career path. You may want a 4-bedroom house and a corvette, but will your career support expensive tastes? Your main goal may be to have a family. You may want to have lots of time to spend with your children.
What if your career requires you to work excessive hours? These are things you will need to consider when choosing a profession. If your career choice will not allow you to afford luxuries or time with your children, is it worth it to work in an area that doesn’t interest you for an opportunity to earn more money or more free time?
Sometimes you can make a career out of your hobbies and interests. What better way to spend your work days than doing something you enjoy? Many people get stuck in a career where they dread going to work. Why not look forward to going to work? Doing something you love everyday makes work a lot easier.
Unfortunately, we hear many adults complaining about their jobs. The reality is that many people work in areas they do not enjoy. How do they end up there? Maybe they didn’t put enough thought into it or maybe they sacrificed their happiness for other items higher on their list of goals? There could be many reasons. Do you want to end up being someone who hates waking up each morning and doing the same thing every day? If not, you need to consider these things and start preparing now.
There are many things to consider when choosing a career path. Decide what is most important to you: time, money, family, etc. Start with your interests and hobbies and determine if these are things you can pursue as a career. If you think you might have interest in a certain area, try to take an online course or two in the subject area. If you have any opportunity to intern, this will provide you a sample of what your life will be like in that field.
Most people change careers many times before finding the right one for them. The more preparation you put into the process, the better suited you will be to take on this task. This is one of the most important decisions you will make in your life so don’t rush into it. The sooner you start to prepare, the better equipped you will be for your future.
