3 answers
Abdullateef
Student
Richmond, Texas
1
Question
Asked
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How do i know my desired career path is the one for me?
Growing up, I've always wanted to be one thing: an engineer. However, as I grow and continue to acquire new skills, I wonder if that is the right dream.
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3 answers
Wong Loke Yuen
Head of Programme cum Senior Lecturer
645
Answers
Johor Bahru, Johor, Malaysia
Updated
Wong’s Answer
Hi Abdullateef. As you grow and learn new skills, your interests can change, and that's normal. You need to think about why you are interested in engineering. Do you enjoy solving problems, being creative, working with technology, or building things that help people? Understanding why you like it can help you see if it matches your strengths and what matters most to you. Sometimes it's not the job title that matters, but the type of work you do and the skills you use.
Another way to know if a career is right for you is to get real-life experience. Internships, job shadowing, or volunteering in engineering-related work can show you what a typical day is like. You might find things you enjoy and things you don't. This helps you make better decisions instead of just following a dream from childhood.
It's also helpful to explore other areas that interest you. You can take different classes, join clubs, or try new activities that challenge you. Comparing these experiences with your interest in engineering can help you see what excites you most. Talking to mentors, teachers, or professionals in different fields can give advice and perspective. Hearing about their experiences, including when they changed paths, can make it easier to think about your own future.
If engineering makes you feel excited and curious, it's worth pursuing while staying open to related options. But if your interests are shifting, that's a sign to explore other paths without worry.
Another way to know if a career is right for you is to get real-life experience. Internships, job shadowing, or volunteering in engineering-related work can show you what a typical day is like. You might find things you enjoy and things you don't. This helps you make better decisions instead of just following a dream from childhood.
It's also helpful to explore other areas that interest you. You can take different classes, join clubs, or try new activities that challenge you. Comparing these experiences with your interest in engineering can help you see what excites you most. Talking to mentors, teachers, or professionals in different fields can give advice and perspective. Hearing about their experiences, including when they changed paths, can make it easier to think about your own future.
If engineering makes you feel excited and curious, it's worth pursuing while staying open to related options. But if your interests are shifting, that's a sign to explore other paths without worry.
Rebecca Tang
Banking
2399
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
Thank you for your question. Many students have similar question. Firstly, you need to find out what careers you have interest.
Below are my suggestions :
1. Think about what you have interest, e.g. your hobbies, favorite subjects, etc. and identify related careers
E.g. If you like maths, would you like to be an engineer, accountant, finance manager, banker, financial analyst, maths teacher, etc.
If you have interest in music, would you like to be a singer, musician, musical artist, music composer, music producer, etc.
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working these careers. Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counsellor, your parents, etc.
4. Shortlist1-2 careers you would like to pursue
5. Explore the entry criteria of relevant subjects of colleges
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Below are my suggestions :
1. Think about what you have interest, e.g. your hobbies, favorite subjects, etc. and identify related careers
E.g. If you like maths, would you like to be an engineer, accountant, finance manager, banker, financial analyst, maths teacher, etc.
If you have interest in music, would you like to be a singer, musician, musical artist, music composer, music producer, etc.
2. Find out more on these careers and determine what you have interest
3. Speak to someone who are working these careers. Seek guidance from your mentor, school career counsellor, your parents, etc.
4. Shortlist1-2 careers you would like to pursue
5. Explore the entry criteria of relevant subjects of colleges
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
May Almighty God bless you!
Chinyere Okafor
Educationist and Counseling Psychologist
1186
Answers
Port Harcourt, Rivers, Nigeria
Updated
Chinyere’s Answer
Hi Abdullateef,
I can tell you're doing something well just by looking at that question. Rethinking doesn't mean that you're losing your way; rather, it shows that you're growing into it.
The fact that you don't "know" what a career is in advance is something that most people choose not to publicly acknowledge. Through exposure, reflection, and repetition, you confirm it. Early aspirations, such as the desire to become an engineer, tend to be signals rather than contracts. Instead of focusing on a particular job title, they showcase interests like problem-solving, building, and systems thinking.
Three grounded questions are a useful method to put your path to the test:
- Do I enjoy the day-to-day work, not just the idea of the title?
- Am I willing to develop the skills this path demands for years, not months?
- Does this path still align with the kind of life I want, not just who I wanted to be growing up?
To explore, you don't have to give up engineering. Internships, project-based work, shadowing, competitions, or even related roles (product, data, operations, research) are examples of tiny, low-risk trials. You get data from every experience. Data, not assurance, is the foundation of careers.
Think of this as a portfolio-building exercise rather than a betrayal of your dreams. The objective is to proceed with purpose, gather information, and make wise decisions when necessary rather than to "get it right immediately." In fact, this is how long-term careers are created.
Best wishes!
I can tell you're doing something well just by looking at that question. Rethinking doesn't mean that you're losing your way; rather, it shows that you're growing into it.
The fact that you don't "know" what a career is in advance is something that most people choose not to publicly acknowledge. Through exposure, reflection, and repetition, you confirm it. Early aspirations, such as the desire to become an engineer, tend to be signals rather than contracts. Instead of focusing on a particular job title, they showcase interests like problem-solving, building, and systems thinking.
Three grounded questions are a useful method to put your path to the test:
- Do I enjoy the day-to-day work, not just the idea of the title?
- Am I willing to develop the skills this path demands for years, not months?
- Does this path still align with the kind of life I want, not just who I wanted to be growing up?
To explore, you don't have to give up engineering. Internships, project-based work, shadowing, competitions, or even related roles (product, data, operations, research) are examples of tiny, low-risk trials. You get data from every experience. Data, not assurance, is the foundation of careers.
Think of this as a portfolio-building exercise rather than a betrayal of your dreams. The objective is to proceed with purpose, gather information, and make wise decisions when necessary rather than to "get it right immediately." In fact, this is how long-term careers are created.
Best wishes!