How to Pick a Career That Best Suits Me

For many people, choosing a career path can be even more difficult than finding employment. Whether you have just entered college or simply feel unfulfilled in your work, you can begin making dramatic changes in your life simply by taking the first step of discovering your ideal career. When you know where you want to go in life, you can set your priorities accordingly with a new-found sense of purpose and motivation.

Things You'll Need

• Pen
• Paper

Instructions

1. Determine the underlying passions that drive you. If you feel committed to helping the less fortunate, you may benefit in a position with a non-profit organization. If you have a natural protective instinct, you may consider a job in law enforcement or firefighting. Not to be confused with hobbies or talents, these types of passions drive you instinctively on a subconscious level, requiring no conscious thought or effort on your part.

2. Determine your greatest strengths. Everyone has unique talents and abilities, so decide how yours might serve you in your future career. Perhaps you excel with numbers or have a knack for graphic design. Make a list of your top talents and consider fields in which these talents might serve you.

3. Determine what you love to do. When you choose a career, you will have to wake up each day and get to work, so choose something that will not cause you to dread the sound of your alarm clock.

4. Make a list of careers that may appeal to your instincts, talents and desires alike. You may need to think long and hard and do a bit of research, but you will find them if you really try.

5. Get in touch with people who work in the fields you would like to consider. They can help you separate the fantasy of the job from the reality. If you still feel interested in a specific career after learning everything you can, you may have found just the right career for you.

References

• How to Choose a Career: Choosing a Career and Sticking With It