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How do I know what career I want to do if I don't have many career-based interests?

How do I know what career I want to do if I don't have many career-based interests? I'm a junior in high-school and I feel like I need to start thinking about what I want t odo in the future and what career I want to do. My interest mostly include playing sports, listening to music, and how people think. I've thought about psychology but I'm ot sure if that's waht I want as a job. I want to be an athlete but I know that's not guarenteed so I kind of need a backup. Where do I start???

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Prema’s Answer

Hi Madeline,

So here is my take on your dilemma. First your interests shouldn't necessarily drive your career. For example, you love listening to music and while there are careers related to that - maybe social influencer, music journalist, booking agent, that might not necessarily be what you were planning to do for a lifelong career. So instead focus on what you're good at school. When you are good at something, you will find your college and future studies go better as you will do well. Let's say you are good at science related topics, then you could very well study to be a psychologist and work in a sports medicine related field. If you are good in math, then you could be working as a sports team accountant, sports media analyst or even a sports media nutritionist.

The other advice i give to anyone your age, is to think about the lifestyle you want to live. Being a sports person, unless very successful in the sport, may mean becoming a gym teacher at a school. But if you are passionate, you could be a very successful gym coach and coach kids to great careers in the sport. Keep in mind going into math doesn't exclude sports, it just means you might be working on the Olympic committee teams in the future or work for national organizations in athletics not as a athlete but in another role. Also, my niece was a good swimmer, potential Olympian, used her sports background to get into the colleges she wanted and continued her swimming at college but went on to become a nurse. You may want to a steady job that pays the bills and live well. Or you may be passionate about being a athlete and love the sport and enjoy what you do and even be very successful at it.

Success can be in any field, find what you are good at and will enjoy doing. So here would be my recommended next steps, try to work part time, intern in various related fields that interest you. Talk to your coaches, family, friends, school counselors to see where you are at. What are your strengths and weaknesses? Have honest conversations and do not take anything to heart. Everything that is said is everyone's perspective but will help you understand where you are. A good way to approach this is asking everyone what they think would be a good career that you should pursue? It's neutral but also helps you get feedback.

Good Luck!
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Paul’s Answer

It will really come down to what you want to do in life. The one thing that you are very passionate about, and can't wait to get into the office every day. It has to be something, where even if you were not paid to do it, you would still do it anyway, because you love it so much.

This is all part of what people might call enthusiasm. Enthusiasm is essential for working at your fullest ability and potential. If you are not enthusiastic, then you will not be making your best effort to help others attain their goals and objectives in life.

What you might want to do, during this particular period of time in your life, is start with a self-assessment to understand your skills, interests, values, and lifestyle that you wish to attain.

I should also research the potential career paths that align with your core values and find the industries, that are associated with these career paths, and start to talk to people in those fields.

Many colleges and universities have career centers, where you can gain assistance in researching these careers. They occasionally have people visit the colleges, on recruiting trips, who you can talk to and discuss the various employment and careers opportunities of a particular occupation.

I would also look into, gaining practical experience through internships or volunteer work to determine of a career is a good fit, before finally committing to a particular path.
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semi’s Answer

It’s totally normal not to have a clear career direction yet, especially in high school. The best thing you can do right now is explore, try different classes, join clubs, volunteer, or shadow professionals in fields that seem interesting. Think about what you enjoy doing daily, not just what sounds cool as a job. Since you like sports, music, and understanding people, maybe look into sports psychology, physical therapy, marketing, or even coaching. You don’t have to decide right now, the goal is to learn more about yourself as you try new things.
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George’s Answer

I highly recommend this quiz: https://onetinterestprofiler.org/

1. Start with what you already know about yourself

You said your interests are:

🏈 Sports

🎵 Music

🧠 How people think

That’s a great mix — it shows you enjoy performance, energy, and understanding people.
That combination often fits people who like to lead, motivate, teach, or analyze human behavior.

Here are a few broad career themes that connect to those interests:

Sports & health: physical therapy, sports medicine, coaching, athletic training, kinesiology

Mind & behavior: psychology, neuroscience, counseling, human resources

Performance & communication: marketing, broadcasting, motivational speaking, or teaching

You don’t have to “decide” yet — just notice what feels most exciting to learn more about.

2. Try things, don’t just think about them

You discover your direction by doing, not just by thinking.

Here are ways to explore:

Take a psychology or sociology elective next semester — see if you enjoy learning about the mind.

Volunteer or get a part-time job where you interact with people (summer camp, rec center, tutoring).

Shadow someone in sports medicine, physical therapy, or even a coach.

Join a school club — like peer mentoring, student council, or sports analytics — to test out leadership or teamwork skills.

Explore free career tests, like:

ONET Interest Profiler (official U.S. Dept. of Labor site)

16Personalities career matches (for fun insight)

MyNextMove.org (great for high schoolers)

3. Think in terms of strengths and lifestyle

Instead of “what job should I do?”, ask:

What kind of environment do I like (team vs. solo, inside vs. outside)?

Do I want a job that’s stable or one that’s creative and flexible?

Do I like helping people, solving problems, or leading teams?

You’ll start to see patterns that point you toward fields — even if you don’t know the exact title yet.

4. Keep your athlete dream alive — but build around it

You can stay involved in sports even if you’re not a pro athlete:

Sports psychology — helping athletes with mindset & motivation

Kinesiology or athletic training — helping others improve performance

Sports broadcasting or marketing — connecting your love of sports with communication

Coaching or personal training — teaching and motivating athletes

These all keep you in the athletic world while giving you a stable career foundation.

5. You don’t have to decide now

Your only real goal in high school is to explore what energizes you.
Most people change majors once or twice in college. You’re not behind — you’re ahead for even thinking about this now.
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Rosalyn’s Answer

Ask yourself what you are good at, and then lean in on it
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Kenny’s Answer

Pick something you enjoy that feels right for you.
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Don’s Answer

Hello Madeline,

Thank you for asking this question. It seems like you have possible interests that you stated when it comes to sports, music and psychology. There are a lot different types of jobs that you can do that relate to all of these jobs. Here is a list of possible careers/jobs that you can look at when it comes to these three options. Hope this helps!

Sports:
Sports Journalist
Sports Management
Sports Analysts
Sports Marketing
Sports Medicine
Music:
Music Producer
Artist Manager
Tour Managers
Sound Technicians
Song Writers
Singers
Psychology:
Psychologists-many options
Therapists-many options
School Administrators
Health Administrators
Probation Officers
Case Workers
Social Workers
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Magan’s Answer

Hey! First off, you're definitely not alone in feeling unsure about your future career—especially as a junior in high school. It’s totally normal to not have it all figured out yet. The fact that you're thinking about it now is a great first step.
Since you mentioned interests like sports, music, and how people think, you already have some clues to work with. Here are a few ideas to help you explore:
1. Start with Your Interests
Even if they don’t seem “career-based” yet, they can lead to something:

Sports: If being a professional athlete is your dream, go for it! But also consider related careers like sports psychology, physical therapy, coaching, athletic training, or even sports journalism.
Music: You could explore music therapy, sound design, or event management.
How people think: That’s a strong sign that psychology might be a good fit. You don’t have to commit now, but maybe take a psychology class or volunteer in a setting where you can observe people (like mentoring or tutoring).

2. Try Career Exploration Tools
Websites like:

CareerVillage.org (where you posted this!) — keep asking questions!
MyNextMove.org — has a quiz that matches your interests to careers.
O*NET Online — lets you explore careers by skills, interests, and more.

3. Get Experience
Try volunteering, job shadowing, or internships—even short ones. You’ll learn what you like and what you don’t, which is just as important.
4. Think About Your Backup Plan
It’s smart to have one. Psychology could be a great option, especially if you’re curious about people. You might also look into education, counseling, or even business—fields that give you flexibility and can connect with your interests.
5. Talk to People
Ask teachers, coaches, family, or professionals about their careers. You’d be surprised how many paths started with uncertainty just like yours.

You don’t need to have all the answers now. Just keep exploring, stay curious, and give yourself permission to change your mind as you learn more. You’ve got time—and options.
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George’s Answer

Hi Madeline,

Thanks for posting this question. It’s totally normal not to know what career you want yet, especially as a high school junior. A lot of people your age are still figuring it out, and it’s good that you’re already thinking about your future. The best place to start is by looking at what you enjoy and what kind of things make you feel curious or excited. You said you like playing sports, listening to music, and learning about how people think. These interests show that you enjoy being active, creative, and understanding people — and that’s a really strong starting point.

Instead of trying to pick one job title right away, like “psychologist” or “athlete,” focus on finding themes behind your interests. For example, if you like sports, maybe you enjoy teamwork, competition, and improving your skills. If you like music, maybe you connect with creativity or expressing emotions. And if you’re interested in how people think, maybe you care about helping others, solving problems, or understanding motivation. Once you see those patterns, you can start finding jobs that fit those same themes.

A great way to learn what jobs fit your interests is by exploring something called career clusters. These are groups of jobs that share similar skills or goals. Based on what you like, you might want to explore fields like psychology and counseling (helping people understand themselves), sports medicine or physical therapy (helping athletes or others stay healthy), education or coaching (teaching and motivating people), or even communications and media (using creativity to share ideas). You can try the free “O*NET Interest Profiler” online — it gives you ideas for jobs that fit your personality.

The next step is to get some experience. You don’t have to jump into a job right now, but you can try small things to see what you enjoy. You could help out a coach, volunteer at a sports camp, or ask to shadow someone who works in psychology or physical therapy. You could also take a psychology or health class at school if it’s offered. These experiences will show you what kind of work feels fun and meaningful to you.

It also helps to ask yourself a few questions: Do I want to help people, build things, or solve problems? Do I like steady routines or exciting challenges? Do I want to work with others or more independently? Do I want to be active or do something more mental? The more you learn about what type of environment you enjoy, the easier it becomes to find a good match.

Finally, remember that you don’t have to pick between being an athlete and having a career — you can combine your passions. There are jobs like sports psychologist, exercise scientist, performance coach, physical therapist, or health educator that connect sports and psychology. These kinds of jobs let you stay close to what you love while helping others grow too.
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Wong’s Answer

Hello Madeline. Since you enjoy sports, music, and understanding how people think, you already have a good starting point. These interests can lead to many different careers. For example, if you enjoy sports but becoming a professional athlete isn't guaranteed, you could look into careers like athletic training, sports psychology, physical therapy, coaching, or sports broadcasting. These jobs keep you close to the sports world even if you're not playing professionally.

If you're interested in how people think, psychology could be a good path, but it's just one option. You might also enjoy social work, counseling, teaching, or even marketing, where you study what people like and how they make decisions.

It's helpful to take small steps to learn more. You can start by taking different classes in school, talking to teachers or counselors, or doing some career quizzes online. These can help match your interests to real jobs.

You might also look for job shadowing or volunteer opportunities where you can get a feel for different types of work. Most people try a few things before finding the right path. Hope this helps.
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Sarah’s Answer

Hi Madeline,

It's fantastic that you're thinking about this while still in high school. Alongside the great advice from others, here are some ideas since you're interested in how people think:

- Project or change management
- Account manager
- Journalism

For the first two, you might need some experience before getting these roles. So, it's really important to take on jobs, internships, or volunteer work, even if they don't seem related to your interests right now. Here's why:

- You'll build skills that show you're reliable and can work well with others.
- You might get to lead in some roles, like being a store manager or on a volunteer board.
- Early jobs or internships boost your resume and open doors for future opportunities.
- You'll discover what you enjoy and what you don't, which is just as important. Every experience teaches you something valuable about the type of work and interactions you prefer (desk job, working with your hands, interacting with people, mix of different types of interactions, etc.).

As you explore, these experiences will help shape where you want to go.

Best wishes!
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Rebecca’s Answer

Thank you for your question. I am glad to hear that you have a wide range of interest.
Below are my suggestions:
1. There are many careers related to your interests.
Eg if you like music, would you like to be a musician, singer musical artist, music composer, music producer, etc
If you have interest in sports, would you like to be an athlete, coach, sport manager, sports journalist, sports teacher, etc
You can find out more online
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working in these careers. Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counselor, your parents, etc
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers you would like to pursue
5. Explore the entry criteria of relevant subjects in colleges or training
Hope this helps! Good luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
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victoria’s Answer

Have you consider sport psychology? Great way to stay around athletics and work with like minded people.
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Caitlin’s Answer

Hi Madeline,

Thanks for your question. I agree with the other responses—it’s great that you already have strong interests and passions, as these can help shape your career path. Talking to others and volunteering are excellent ways to learn more about different careers.

Professional sport, as you mentioned, is very competitive. However, as Wong points out, there are many support roles for athletes and plenty of career opportunities.

Here are some careers to consider if you enjoy understanding how people think and influencing performance:

Sports Psychologist
Sports Performance Coach
Exercise Physiologist
Dietitian
Music Therapist
Sports Coach
Sports Scientist
Teacher
Sports and Event Manager

Remember, your career isn’t fixed once you choose a university degree. Throughout your life, you’ll keep learning, growing, and developing. It can feel daunting to make these decisions in high school, but by asking questions and exploring options, you can narrow down your choices.

Lastly, remember you don’t need to have all the answers now, exploring is part of the journey. Good luck and enjoy learning about your career options.
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Jennifer’s Answer

Hi Madeline,

It's completely normal not to know exactly what you want to do yet. Many people change their career paths even if they think they have it all figured out. If you're thinking about college, starting with an 'undecided' major is a great option. This way, you can keep learning while exploring different possibilities. Try volunteering, doing internships, or talking with friends. Take a variety of classes to see what interests you.

Remember, you don't have to decide on being a doctor or engineer right away. A career is a long journey with many paths to explore. Keep looking at your options and see where they lead you.
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Todd’s Answer

I had similar questions in high school and early college. I took some assessments to discover my interests because I was unsure and didn't want to make a lifelong mistake. You can start by taking assessments too. This link is useful: www.tryapt.ai, but there are many others. These can reveal insights you might not have considered.

Remember, you can always change your path. It's your choice, and you can do it anytime. The key is to start with something. If you feel the need to change, go ahead. Talk to people about their jobs and reasons, as this can provide valuable insights for your career.

To sum up:

1. Use tools to assess your interests.
2. Start with any activity and ask questions.
3. Change paths when needed and don't hesitate to try new things.
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J. Ivy’s Answer

I didn't know what I wanted to do when I grew up until I was in my late 30s and it took a lot of experimenting and testing until I stumbled on what it is I love and am good at.

I read a book not so long ago, now with two kids, that I should consider letting my children take a year off school before entering college so they can explore, try odd jobs, etc. The purpose was so that they could get ideas about what they wanted to do before going to college and racking up debt on a major that won't make them happy.

After reading so many times how common it is for college students to switch majors at least once, I tend to agree that maybe taking time to discover options - maybe working short term temp jobs - may help you at least determine what roles you absolutely couldn't see yourself doing and narrow down your choices if that's an option for you.

Just know that it's okay to not know ... the reality is we're all on a journey and we don't know where we'll end up; some of us don't see it until much later in life anyway.
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