9 answers
Isla
Student
Auckland, New Zealand
1
Question
Asked
2537 views
Career Help!! I would love some help if anybody can recommend any pathways to look into. Thank you so much!?
Hi there, I am in Year 11 (sophomore year) and I am struggling to connect to any jobs that match my interests but also match my personality and lifestyle.
I love psychology, history, research, journalism, and statistics. I am very passionate about climate change and human rights, so I would love a career in which I can help others (I am also a very empathetic person so that also contributes to my desire to help others). I know that I want a good work-life balance - possibly a career where I can make my own business - and possibilities to earn a decent salary. I also can be quite anxious, so working in a corporate 9-5 setting sounds like my nightmare!!
I would love some help if anybody can recommend any pathways to look into. Thank you so much!
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9 answers
James Constantine Frangos
SOFTWARE ENGINEER SINCE 1972; NUTRITIONIST SINCE 1976.
7094
Answers
Gold Coast, Queensland, Australia
Updated
James Constantine’s Answer
Good Day Isla! I reckon psychology could be a winner for you! As evidenced by your mention of five interests: - psychology, history, research, journalism, and statistics. For students interested in studying psychology in Auckland, the University of Auckland and Auckland University of Technology are the top choices, offering a variety of programs and strong academic reputations in the field. Hey, I might be wrong, you might be an history professor! Or how about journalism, writing about the archaic historical treatment of patients in the mental health system? The possibilities are endless. You could do remote internship research for academic staff!
To get high Grade Point Averages and Perform Well at Work, we must adhere to the principles of very good nutritional intakes. Nourish the Mind!
To get high Grade Point Averages and Perform Well at Work, we must adhere to the principles of very good nutritional intakes. Nourish the Mind!
Thank you so much for your advice I really appreciate it!!
Isla
Annah Edmonds
Licensed Clinical Counselor and Art Therapist
221
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Annah’s Answer
Isla, the thing about careers is that there are so many you will never hear about; this is why career tests are ineffective (too broad). You seem to have a great sense about your interests, just not sure how to narrow down some potential options. The way forward may simply be for you to continue exploring what you like to do and look at the intersections- for instance a job that combines writing, research, and environmental studies. The more clarity you have going into college (if you choose this route), the better. I believe there is value in real life experience as well as continuing education that is more formal and structured. It is as useful to know about your hard "no's" as it is to know your "yes's" regarding type of job, salary, work environment, schedule, and career outlook. Everyone has their own ideas about financial stability so I will leave this topic alone for you to decide. You may need more hands-on experiential 'work' before knowing what path truly suits you. It is very hard to think about a subject from an academic perspective and then translate that into an actual workday. Liking psychology for example means very little when it comes to the actual work of a psychologist. It does likely mean you have a curiosity about the brain and body, are sensitive, empathic, and creative. My two cents- learn more about your personality type and your values before trying to match yourself to a specific job. Listen to people talk about their work and shadow someone on the job. This will give you a more realistic picture. Ask professionals how they decided upon a career, the pros/cons, and any life lessons learned. Make a visual map of your interests and start brainstorming. Some ideas that come to mind- human rights law, criminal justice, forensic psychology, research psychologist, a career in public health/international health, field biologist or scientist, landscape architecture, travel journalist, librarian, nonprofit management. Jobs that involve travel or being outside an office might appeal; there are many hybrid positions these days. As a therapist (social worker, counselor, psychologist, coach) you can start a private practice. This will give you more autonomy about how to practice, chart, whether to accept insurance, what to charge, where to meet (online, in the community, in an office), and more). Give yourself time to try different things; more information is always useful! Think about whether you prefer leading, being a team member, or working independently. Do you like physical labor and moving your body? Are you okay with sitting for long periods of time, like at a computer monitor. How much personal interaction do you prefer throughout the day? And do you enjoy school or want to minimize the time spent in a classroom? As you move through life you will gather more information and continue to home in on what works for you; what works at one time in your life may change later on. It is all a journey; I wish you the very best!
Thank you so much for the amazing advice, I really appreciate your answer. I think I will try to do a brainstorm!!
Isla
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1207
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Isla,
First of all, I want to congratulate you for being so honest about where you are. It's very normal to feel uncertain in Year 11, and it shows a great deal of maturity and self-awareness that you're already considering how your hobbies, personality, and way of life fit.
You seem to have a great concern for the planet based on what you stated. When you combine your love of human rights and climate change with your interest in psychology, history, journalism, and research, you have a lot of interesting and fulfilling employment options. If you're looking for a job that doesn't limit you to a regular 9–5 schedule and offers you flexibility, creativity, a healthy work-life balance, and the opportunity to make a difference, you're not alone.
You could pursue a career in environmental or human rights journalism. It combines writing, investigation, and storytelling to draw attention to significant topics. You can do this on your own or even as your own business by blogging, podcasting, or doing freelance reporting. A career in data journalism or visual storytelling, which uses infographics and analysis to help people understand the world, may be an option if you're interested in numbers and data.
You can also think about pursuing a career in social research or policy analysis, which allows you to explore real-world issues, often with advocacy or nonprofit organizations. These positions don't often require strict office hours, and they let you continue to focus on in-depth research while being involved with topics like inequality, mental health, and climate justice.
Another alternative is to consider starting your own wellness or educational platform one day, perhaps with a focus on psychology, youth empowerment, or even anxiety and mental health, if you have a strong desire to help others, as you seem to do. Working for yourself and applying your creativity and empathy to help people in meaningful ways might come from it.
You're not limited because there is no one "right" path, and your hobbies are so broad. The most important thing is that you believe in your desire for balance, stay true to what makes you happy, and keep an open mind as you develop. You don't need to know everything right now. But with your natural curiosity and attention to detail, you'll discover something that perfectly fits with your beliefs and way of life.
Best wishes!
First of all, I want to congratulate you for being so honest about where you are. It's very normal to feel uncertain in Year 11, and it shows a great deal of maturity and self-awareness that you're already considering how your hobbies, personality, and way of life fit.
You seem to have a great concern for the planet based on what you stated. When you combine your love of human rights and climate change with your interest in psychology, history, journalism, and research, you have a lot of interesting and fulfilling employment options. If you're looking for a job that doesn't limit you to a regular 9–5 schedule and offers you flexibility, creativity, a healthy work-life balance, and the opportunity to make a difference, you're not alone.
You could pursue a career in environmental or human rights journalism. It combines writing, investigation, and storytelling to draw attention to significant topics. You can do this on your own or even as your own business by blogging, podcasting, or doing freelance reporting. A career in data journalism or visual storytelling, which uses infographics and analysis to help people understand the world, may be an option if you're interested in numbers and data.
You can also think about pursuing a career in social research or policy analysis, which allows you to explore real-world issues, often with advocacy or nonprofit organizations. These positions don't often require strict office hours, and they let you continue to focus on in-depth research while being involved with topics like inequality, mental health, and climate justice.
Another alternative is to consider starting your own wellness or educational platform one day, perhaps with a focus on psychology, youth empowerment, or even anxiety and mental health, if you have a strong desire to help others, as you seem to do. Working for yourself and applying your creativity and empathy to help people in meaningful ways might come from it.
You're not limited because there is no one "right" path, and your hobbies are so broad. The most important thing is that you believe in your desire for balance, stay true to what makes you happy, and keep an open mind as you develop. You don't need to know everything right now. But with your natural curiosity and attention to detail, you'll discover something that perfectly fits with your beliefs and way of life.
Best wishes!
Thank you for taking the time to answer!! Human rights journalism sounds extremely interesting.
Isla
You're welcome!
Chinyere Okafor
Anmol Eswarapu
technical support specialist
1
Answer
Madison, Wisconsin
Updated
Anmol’s Answer
Hey Isla,
Statistics will get you very far. You can be part of many different industries as a data analyst or data scientist, including psych research, public history, meteorology, and journalism in general. If you enjoy the quantitative nature of these fields, I recommend prioritizing studying statistics.
Of course, you need domain knowledge on top of quantitative expertise. To that end, you're just going to have to choose what interests you the most. I think that coupling the quantitative with something qualitative, like history or journalism, will be an asset to you not just professionally but personally as well. The ability to critically evaluate verbal information and to precisely communicate your thoughts is of the utmost important.
I myself studied economics and cognitive science with an emphasis on statistical and computational methods with a minor in philosophy. I find myself lucky to work in the healthcare tech field.
Statistics will get you very far. You can be part of many different industries as a data analyst or data scientist, including psych research, public history, meteorology, and journalism in general. If you enjoy the quantitative nature of these fields, I recommend prioritizing studying statistics.
Of course, you need domain knowledge on top of quantitative expertise. To that end, you're just going to have to choose what interests you the most. I think that coupling the quantitative with something qualitative, like history or journalism, will be an asset to you not just professionally but personally as well. The ability to critically evaluate verbal information and to precisely communicate your thoughts is of the utmost important.
I myself studied economics and cognitive science with an emphasis on statistical and computational methods with a minor in philosophy. I find myself lucky to work in the healthcare tech field.
This is really helpful thank you!! I definitely will continue to study stats.
Isla
Richard A. (Tony) Eckel
49
Answers
Updated
Richard A. (Tony)’s Answer
Isla
I did a career sieve in my head for you and came up with "Writer" (IF you have good writing skills and are self-motivated)
Truth: never EVER suggested that before to ANYONE -
HOWEVER: Writing is a very flexible trade that can be sold to buy food (by the word!), is not a 9-5 but does have deadlines (although I never heard of a great writer who respected any deadline), can be creative (fiction) or journalistic (non-fiction), purposeful (self-help), or quixotic (climate change...).
You only need work as much as you are not willing to starve or be unhoused (!) and you get to go many places (either as subject matter or book tours).
This doesn't mean you go all "English Literature" major! History or some other interesting subject based major that requires you to write is a good training ground for a writing career, including the performing arts and law.
After that - Read a lot while marking margin notes for sentences that trigger your brain in some inspiring manner (I stick post-its on the page - Old School but effective). One of the banes of writing is having to constantly read other's works, and then your own(!). Learn to know WHEN you're done and move on.
Get a good editor too; Like a marriage, behind every great author is a great editor!
Have fun,
Tony
I did a career sieve in my head for you and came up with "Writer" (IF you have good writing skills and are self-motivated)
Truth: never EVER suggested that before to ANYONE -
HOWEVER: Writing is a very flexible trade that can be sold to buy food (by the word!), is not a 9-5 but does have deadlines (although I never heard of a great writer who respected any deadline), can be creative (fiction) or journalistic (non-fiction), purposeful (self-help), or quixotic (climate change...).
You only need work as much as you are not willing to starve or be unhoused (!) and you get to go many places (either as subject matter or book tours).
This doesn't mean you go all "English Literature" major! History or some other interesting subject based major that requires you to write is a good training ground for a writing career, including the performing arts and law.
After that - Read a lot while marking margin notes for sentences that trigger your brain in some inspiring manner (I stick post-its on the page - Old School but effective). One of the banes of writing is having to constantly read other's works, and then your own(!). Learn to know WHEN you're done and move on.
Get a good editor too; Like a marriage, behind every great author is a great editor!
Have fun,
Tony
Thank you!! I hadn't considered writing before, but I do enjoy it, thank you for your perspective.
Isla
Nik Korba
Writer
25
Answers
New Smyrna Beach, Florida
Updated
Nik’s Answer
Isla! A few years ago (after spending 20 years as a pastor), I started a new career as a public relations writer. I love it! And it involves a lot of the things you mentioned as your interests. There is, of course, a lot of journalism, but you are mainly working with clients to help tell their story. There is some research involved and some psychology in terms of how you position your writing to connect with the target audience. If you work with a medium to large size PR firm, you can pick what type of clients you want to write for. (I write often for tech and business clients, but we have writers who focus on non-profits or health or lifestyle clients and more.) There are deadlines to consider, but my company allows you to pick how much writing you want to do (which in turn impacts your salary range.) One adjacent field that I dream of getting involved with is data journalism. If you like writing and statistics, that might be something to explore. (https://datajournalism.com)
Wow that sounds really interesting!! I will definitely look into that, thank you.
Isla
Jose Casas Prats
Account Operations Manager
14
Answers
Madrid, Community of Madrid, Spain
Updated
Jose’s Answer
Hello Isla,
I think psychology is a good option for you because it offers multiple specialties aimed at helping others, requires empathy to become a good professional, allows for work-life balance if you practice independently through your own office, and allows you to expect a decent salary given that it's usually charged by the hour at professionally regulated rates.
Furthermore, the profession combines personal interaction with patients through therapeutic sessions with theoretical analysis of each case and the design of personalized treatments, ensuring both constant learning and the development of creativity.
I think psychology is a good option for you because it offers multiple specialties aimed at helping others, requires empathy to become a good professional, allows for work-life balance if you practice independently through your own office, and allows you to expect a decent salary given that it's usually charged by the hour at professionally regulated rates.
Furthermore, the profession combines personal interaction with patients through therapeutic sessions with theoretical analysis of each case and the design of personalized treatments, ensuring both constant learning and the development of creativity.
Thank you!! I definitely think I will look further into psychology.
Isla
Annah Edmonds
Licensed Clinical Counselor and Art Therapist
221
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Annah’s Answer
Isla, the thing about careers is that there are so many you will never hear about; this is why career tests are ineffective (too broad). You seem to have a great sense about your interests, just not sure how to narrow down some potential options. The way forward may simply be for you to continue exploring what you like to do and look at the intersections- for instance a job that combines writing, research, and environmental studies. The more clarity you have going into college (if you choose this route), the better. I believe there is value in real life experience as well as continuing education that is more formal and structured. It is as useful to know about your hard "no's" as it is to know your "yes's" regarding type of job, salary, work environment, schedule, and career outlook. Everyone has their own ideas about financial stability so I will leave this topic alone for you to decide. You may need more hands-on experiential 'work' before knowing what path truly suits you. It is very hard to think about a subject from an academic perspective and then translate that into an actual workday. Liking psychology for example means very little when it comes to being a psychologist. It does likely mean you have a curiosity about the brain and body, are sensitive, empathic, and creative. My two cents- learn more about your personality type and your values before trying to match yourself to a specific job. Listen to people talk about their work and shadow someone on the job. This will give you a more realistic picture. Ask professionals how they decided upon a career, the pros/cons, and any life lessons learned. Make a visual map of your interests and start brainstorming to see where the interests overlap. Some ideas that come to mind- human rights law, criminal justice, forensic psychology, research psychologist, a career in public health/international health, field biologist or scientist, landscape architecture, travel journalist, librarian, nonprofit management. Jobs that involve travel or being outside an office might appeal; there are many hybrid positions these days. As a therapist (social worker, counselor, psychologist, coach) you can start a private practice. This will give you more autonomy about how to chart, whether to accept insurance, what to charge, where to meet (online, in the community, in an office), and more). Give yourself time to try different things; more information is always useful! Think about whether you prefer leading, being a team member, or working independently. Do you like physical labor and moving your body? Are you okay with sitting for long periods of time, like at a computer monitor. How much personal interaction do you prefer throughout the day? And do you enjoy school or want to minimize the time spent in a classroom? As you move through life you will gather more information and continue to home in on what works for you; what works at one time in your life may change later on. It is all a journey; I wish you the very best!
Jerome Dees Jr.
Sales Professional and Networking Expert
833
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Jerome’s Answer
This is a great time to consider what your future would look like. I know there is pressure to have it all figured out, but your final 2 years of high school and the first couple of years of college can be used to explore interest and try new things. I went undeclared and worked on general studies and only decided on a major going into my third year of college
There are so many clubs and career fairs and volunteer opportunities available that will not only train you, but also allow you to experience new things and sample different careers.
There are so many clubs and career fairs and volunteer opportunities available that will not only train you, but also allow you to experience new things and sample different careers.
Thank you for the advice!!
Isla