How Do You Know If You Are Choosing the Right Career?
To some degree choosing a career is like choosing a spouse, a house or a city to live in. All you can do is gather information and give the matter careful consideration before making a decision. Then hope it turns out well. Your chances of happiness increase if you weigh every aspect of potential careers including advancement opportunities, work environment and pay. If you enjoy preparing for a job, that's a good sign.
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Do a Personality Assessment
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Look carefully at your personality type and ask yourself what kind of environment and rewards you enjoy. Consider whether you prefer working alone or with others, whether you like being outdoors or indoors, whether you prefer physical work or mental work, whether you are mostly motivated by money, creative freedom or providing a service. Think about whether you value regular hours, status or stability. Ask yourself what you would do with your time if money were no object. All these factors will play into a successful career.
Do a Skills Assessment
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Look at what you are good at. Consider what classes you excelled at in school, what talents or aptitudes do you seem to have naturally. Investigate whether you are particularly strong, for example, with organization or coming up with ideas or puzzles and problem solving. Investigate any areas you've always had an aptitude for but never been professionally trained in to see if it's something you like. Volunteer, for example, or take a part time job in an area you think you might be good at.
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Investigate Career Options
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Go to the library or look at websites such as College Grads or Job Monkey to investigate what options are available. There may be a career you've never heard of that fits your professional desires perfectly. Research pay, benefits and vacation parameters to see if those also fit the bill. Think of jobs you've considered dream jobs, like being a musician. Being a rock star might be out of reach, but if you love the music industry you could consider being a sound or lighting engineer, working as a concert promoter or managing a music venue.
See a Career Counselor
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The U.S. Department of Labor has career counselors through its program Careeronestop. Many community colleges also have career counselors. And there are career coaches who can help you sift through your options.
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References
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