Choosing The Right Career

  

  When we were young, people do asked, "What do you want to be when you grow up?" Maybe you said a doctor, or an astronaut. Maybe you said an actor, or a lawyer, or a doctor. With starry eyes, you dreamed of the day you would live in a rich mansion, with maids and butlers. Then, a career seemed like something that would happen a lifetime away. But now that the time has come to choose, your interests have probably changed. Finding the right career for you can be difficult, but not impossible.

Ask yourself the key question. The respected philosopher Alan Watts said that the best way to find what you should be doing with your life was to ask yourself this important question: "What would you do if money were no object?" What if you won the lottery and you could do whatever you wanted to do with your life? Sure, you'd want to relax for a while, but eventually you're going to get bored. So what would you do to make yourself really, truly happy?

Break your dream job down into its most basic components. Take whatever activity or job you discovered in the previous step and break it down into its most basic parts. If you were explaining the job to a 3-year-old, how would you describe it? If that child asked you what was fun about it or how it made someone feel when they did it, what would you say? These basic components make up what you should be looking for in a career.

Think about what it really is that makes you happy. Think about the basic components of that career experience and decide which aspect pulls you. Realize what attracts you to that career. Do you find happiness in making other people happy? Are you more attracted to the art of acting and the process of creating the work of art that is a film?

Look into what jobs provide similar feelings and experiences. Look for jobs that mimic the feelings that you're looking for from that career. For example, if you were a millionaire and would rather travel, jobs which mirror the experience you have would be a tour guide, a teacher abroad, or a flight attendant position. If you would rather spend all day outdoors in nature, you could consider a job as a geologist, lumberjack, wilderness guide, or park ranger.

Consider the upsides and downside of that career. When you consider these more-attainable careers, make sure to do your research. Be well acquainted with what life looks like in that career path. You will need to know what the downsides of those jobs are if you want to make an informed decision.

Factor in your financial needs. If you're really in a job that fulfills you and makes you happy, getting rich off of it really won't matter to you. However, life is full of obligations that go beyond your happiness. If your dream career can't help feed your family or pay your student loans, you might need to look into other options. However, you should always keep your focus on jobs that provide similar feelings to what makes you happy.

Factor in what you're good at. Do you have an area where you really excel? Not just something that you do okay but something where you do it better than most people that you meet? This is something that you should factor in when looking for a career. You may not think that you enjoy it too much, but the fact of the matter is that you often won't get good at something unless you enjoy it on at least a certain level. You may be able to monetize your skill, or even home in on the aspect of it that you enjoy so much (for guidance).

Analyze your hobbies. Many hobbies can be monetized. This often means starting a small business and the headaches that come with it, but you may end up with a career that you really enjoy. Before you dismiss your hobby as being something that you could never make money off of, do some searching on the internet. You may be surprised.

Take an online job test. If you feel really lost and none of these tricks help you, consider taking an online job test or going in to a local career center to get some advice from professionals. Good online tests can be found easily, but many of the best require a small fee.