How to Figure Out What Career Is Right for You

Use your hobbies, interests and personality to find your career path.

When you are in high school or planning to pursue a career-directed education, you are often asked by guidance counselors to explain what you want to do with your life. This can be a hard decision, as there are many career options available and new jobs are constantly being developed. To find out what career is right for you, you need to identify things you are good at, things that interest you and things that motivate you. The combination of these elements should provide you with the appropriate career direction.

Instructions

1. Examine your personality to determine what type of person you are. Identifying your personality type (such as introvert or extrovert) and personal preferences can help narrow your career choices or put you in the right direction. For example, if you enjoy being around children or animals, you may enjoy a career in child care or as a veterinarian.

2. Determine how much you are able to move beyond certain personality traits and preferences or how much you need to stay true to them. For example, if you enjoy children but don't need to work with them directly, you may be satisfied working with a children's aid society. If you prefer to work with children directly, you need to consider a different job. This is an important part of finding a suitable career.

3. Write a list of what motivates you to do things. This does not have to be work-related but can be hobbies or tasks around the house. Perhaps it is the idea of overcoming an obstacle, a problem-solving process or the satisfaction of the finished product that is a motivating factor for you.

4. Write a list of your interests and hobbies, including what you do on the weekends or what activities and subjects get you excited. This can indicate what industries or careers intrigue you.

5. Write a list that outlines your skills. Perhaps you have a degree or education in a specific area that gives you a particular skill set. Or you have previous work experience where you were taught specific skills, or you were taught other skills in theory.

6. Compare these results with different career descriptions you find interesting. Each career choice will have a list of expectations, such as being a people person to work as a doctor, enjoying animals to work as a zoologist or being able to deal with foreign people if you want to be an aid worker in Third World countries.

7. Examine the opportunities for the business career you are considering. Options include part-time or full-time jobs, volunteering at organizations or creating your own business.

References

• Career Path: What Job Is Right for You?
• Team Technology: What Career Is Right for Me?
• Quint Careers: Career Assessment Tools and Tests