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How do you figure out what career you really want and at what age should you know?
I'm starting college this fall as a biological sciences major. I'm not sure if I want to go the med route or just get a job in lab research. Compared to the other seniors in my school I feel behind. Everyone seems so sure of what they want and I'm still not so sure. Is this normal and how did you guys feel sure about what you wanted to do?
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Liam’s Answer
By your mid to late 30's you should have a good idea, possibly your 20's, maybe your 40's, usually not past your 60's.
You should always strive for something better, it is ok to be content with your job when you find it. You really can't say "by this date I will have found exactly what I am going to do for the rest of my life!". Hopefully by your mid 30's you find something you can do for a while and have some success with. Use your 20's to mess up. Get jobs you don't plan to keep, move somewhere you want to be even if you can't stay, work a job just because your friends work there, apply for jobs you likely won't get, and the whole time keep getting skills so later you can use them at the job that matters to you! By your 30's settle into something that seems like you can do it for 10 years. Before you turn 40, nail something that you could do for the rest of your career. I am really just making this up but its because you will move around and if by 40 you can find something you like to do you are fully allowed to claim success! And by 40 I mean somewhere between 20 and 60.
I know someone with impressive degrees, an impressive career, and is in their 50's. She still says "when I grow up I want to..." and fully has the right to do so. Basically, you won't know until you try and you finally feel yourself doing whatever it is. You will know when you get there, its just a matter of making the steps to get there.
You should always strive for something better, it is ok to be content with your job when you find it. You really can't say "by this date I will have found exactly what I am going to do for the rest of my life!". Hopefully by your mid 30's you find something you can do for a while and have some success with. Use your 20's to mess up. Get jobs you don't plan to keep, move somewhere you want to be even if you can't stay, work a job just because your friends work there, apply for jobs you likely won't get, and the whole time keep getting skills so later you can use them at the job that matters to you! By your 30's settle into something that seems like you can do it for 10 years. Before you turn 40, nail something that you could do for the rest of your career. I am really just making this up but its because you will move around and if by 40 you can find something you like to do you are fully allowed to claim success! And by 40 I mean somewhere between 20 and 60.
I know someone with impressive degrees, an impressive career, and is in their 50's. She still says "when I grow up I want to..." and fully has the right to do so. Basically, you won't know until you try and you finally feel yourself doing whatever it is. You will know when you get there, its just a matter of making the steps to get there.
Thank you so much, this really helped! :)
Julissa
Updated
Jing’s Answer
Hi Julissa,
Firstly, not only you, I had same doubt what career I wanted and what career is suitable for me best when I was a student.
Major is just one choice in our life, for sure it's one of most important choice because it highly impacts our career development, but it's not the only career direction for us, we might change our career intention during college and after stepping into work, it's quite normal. My major is history and nothing related to my current career, so don't worry too much that biological scientist is the only career you can make.
However as you can foresee you will spend at least 4 years on biology and lots of efforts and energy will be put on this major, also your network in college, you will master biological knowledge, skills which are quite professional, to be honest it's quite regretful to switch completely to other career. So at this moment, you can try to collect as much as biological information, especially biological related career directions, there are many areas need biological knowledge and open for you, lab research is just one of place, then you will have more opportunities to see whether you like this major and career and more confidents will be brought.
Best wishes and good luck.
Firstly, not only you, I had same doubt what career I wanted and what career is suitable for me best when I was a student.
Major is just one choice in our life, for sure it's one of most important choice because it highly impacts our career development, but it's not the only career direction for us, we might change our career intention during college and after stepping into work, it's quite normal. My major is history and nothing related to my current career, so don't worry too much that biological scientist is the only career you can make.
However as you can foresee you will spend at least 4 years on biology and lots of efforts and energy will be put on this major, also your network in college, you will master biological knowledge, skills which are quite professional, to be honest it's quite regretful to switch completely to other career. So at this moment, you can try to collect as much as biological information, especially biological related career directions, there are many areas need biological knowledge and open for you, lab research is just one of place, then you will have more opportunities to see whether you like this major and career and more confidents will be brought.
Best wishes and good luck.
Thank you so much! This was very helpful :)
Julissa