2 answers
Kiersten
Student
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
1
Question
Updated
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How to narrow down career choice when I have a lot of interests?
What do you suggest for narrowing down your career ideas when I have a lot of interests? I really don't know how to pick one!
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2 answers
Flo L.
Professional Advisor
27
Answers
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
Flo’s Answer
Hello Kiersten,
It’s great that you have a lot of interests for potential career choices.
One option for narrowing them down is to explore what interests you about each choice, write down as much as you can, and compare them side by side.
See which one you feel most strongly about and why.
Consider all the details you can think of that come with pursuing that choice (e.g., investment of time, money, energy, and how it may affect your social life, family, friendships, etc.).
Also, consider asking yourself questions such as:
~Will certain decisions affect your choice toward this career?
~Will the prerequisites or requirements for pursuing this career path influence your decision?
~What external influences might affect your interest in this career?
You may realize that your interest in a particular career choice is tied to other important considerations you need to explore.
It’s great that you have a lot of interests for potential career choices.
One option for narrowing them down is to explore what interests you about each choice, write down as much as you can, and compare them side by side.
See which one you feel most strongly about and why.
Consider all the details you can think of that come with pursuing that choice (e.g., investment of time, money, energy, and how it may affect your social life, family, friendships, etc.).
Also, consider asking yourself questions such as:
~Will certain decisions affect your choice toward this career?
~Will the prerequisites or requirements for pursuing this career path influence your decision?
~What external influences might affect your interest in this career?
You may realize that your interest in a particular career choice is tied to other important considerations you need to explore.
Anne Maltese
VP, Workplace Consultant
4
Answers
Fort Collins, Colorado
Updated
Anne’s Answer
Hi Kiersten! What has helped me is also thinking about things I DON'T enjoy.
I DO enjoy helping others and teaching. Often, career quizzes would suggest healthcare, social work, or being a teacher. However, I don't necessarily deal well with sickness, and some of these don't necessarily involve other things I enjoy, like research and data. If I were to only focus on careers in research and data, like being a statistician, I'd miss the people component.
Thinking about both my interests and things that don't interest me helped me narrow down options. From there, I really accounted for more practical factors - how much schooling did I want to pursue before getting a job, salary ranges for different career paths, lifestyle/amount of hours working, etc.
For me, I found what felt like a niche field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I got my master's degree, and I've spent my career advising workplaces on their employee feedback, HR trends, and how to create work environments where both people and the business can be successful. I am helping people, teaching others, and using data and research in my career.
I hope sharing my experience helps! Best of luck to you!
I DO enjoy helping others and teaching. Often, career quizzes would suggest healthcare, social work, or being a teacher. However, I don't necessarily deal well with sickness, and some of these don't necessarily involve other things I enjoy, like research and data. If I were to only focus on careers in research and data, like being a statistician, I'd miss the people component.
Thinking about both my interests and things that don't interest me helped me narrow down options. From there, I really accounted for more practical factors - how much schooling did I want to pursue before getting a job, salary ranges for different career paths, lifestyle/amount of hours working, etc.
For me, I found what felt like a niche field of Industrial-Organizational Psychology. I got my master's degree, and I've spent my career advising workplaces on their employee feedback, HR trends, and how to create work environments where both people and the business can be successful. I am helping people, teaching others, and using data and research in my career.
I hope sharing my experience helps! Best of luck to you!