It is better
to make a good career choice at the early stage of someone’s life. It is not so
easy to decide whether or not the career will be okay for a lifetime. Making a
good career choice is actually about a lot more than choosing a job; it's about
choosing something that will provide you with the standard lifestyle you wish
or seek for.
Don't decide until you're ready.
Too many young people feel pressured into making a choice before they are
really sure of what it is they want to do. In fact, many young people don't
even know who they are, let alone what they want to become! If you need time,
take off a year or two to go and discover yourself and what you're good at.
Life teaches you a lot of skill if you take time to observe and study it. Many
successful people take off time to slowly work out what it is that makes them
tick and brings them fulfillment.
Look for breadth in your career
choice.
Instead of trying to narrow down
your options, it can be helpful to keep open as many options as possible within
your chosen trade, profession, or field of expertise. That way, you gain
maneuverability and flexibility as you and the job change. For example, if you
want to be a marine biologist, why not consider also taking a course in
photography and writing, so that you can write or photograph stories about what
is under the sea on a freelance basis. Keeping open your options might mean a
little extra study but it will be worth it in the long run when you gain
increased flexibility.
Work to your strengths. Even if you are well into your
chosen course, training, internship, or induction for your career, and find
that you are always relying on your less strong attributes, it pays to stop and
reassess the worth of continuing on this course. A lifetime spent working in an
area where you don't get to rely on your strengths for the majority of the time
will cause you a great deal of stress and disharmony and can prevent growth and
enjoyment of your career. A good career will, on the whole, have you working to
your strengths.
Volunteer in your desired career.
There is no better way to know whether or not the career is for you than to
just pitch in and get your hands dirty. It's much more likely to happen if you
take on such roles without payment, especially where the employer understands
your motivations. If you can handle the work thrown to you and still want more,
you're likely to be onto a winner. Moreover, the network contacts built up
during volunteer experiences are priceless.
Talk to people who work in your
desired career.
Ask them such questions as: "Do you still enjoy working in this career
after all these years?", "What is it about this job that you like the
most?", "What are the downsides to this job?", "Do you find
that this job lets you have a good work-life balance?" Ask away and you
will soon get a good sense of fit for you.
Career
