How did you figure out what the right career path was for you?

I think the trick to finding the "right" career path for me was realizing there wasn't just a "right" one. Careers evolve as we grow and change. What was right for us when we were 19 may not be the right fit when we are 30. While I think assessments can be helpful, I also think it's important to evaluate who you are and what your needs and wants are right now, without thinking that the job you choose now is locked in.

Some questions I ask myself are:

What are my needs? (Basic care like how much money I need to pay my bills, family needs, personal health)

What are my values? (What gives me meaning in my life? What makes me feel like I have a purpose?)

What skills am I good at that I also enjoy? (I am really good at large event planning, but I don't really enjoy it. However, I am also good at listening to people and I love doing it!)

What kind of workplace fits with my personality and lifestyle needs? (Do you like to work with people? Work alone? Is having a more social environment important to you? Is diversity in the workplace vital for you?)

After that, you can begin to find people in jobs that fit those areas, and ask them about it. Maybe ask to volunteer or look into internships. Learn as much as you can, ask questions, and try things out. The trick I have found is to take a step forward whether that means meeting people, taking an online class, or applying for a job. Once you take the step, it might not be the right one. But you can always take another step forward in a different direction if you need to. It's not easy, but that's why there are supports and resources all over that can help make the process strategic and easier. Instead of thinking about what is "right" try to just think about "right now."

When I was in high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do, but everything I was encouraged to pursue was not of interest to me. There was a push to get more women in engineering, and I was encouraged to do that...no interest. Women were not encouraged to do more than nursing, teaching or secretarial work other than the engineering push. I was not interested in being in hospitals, my whole family had been teachers, and I could not type well. I asked an aunt the summer before I went to college, and she helped me look at my talents and interests. I decided that I was interested in art and decorating, and maybe clothing design. The only major that included all was Home Economics. I majored in this and enjoyed some of the classes, but I lacked interest in classroom teaching, and that is the direction most of the students were going. I did get my teaching certificate, and while I was doing my student teaching, my cooperating teacher had lunch every day with the school counselor. I listened to what she did, and I immediately found my love...counseling. I taught for the required time and during then went back to school to get my Master's degree in Counseling and Psychology. I was a school counselor for 25 years and just loved it. I went back to school for an Administrative Certificate, not really knowing why, but a position opened up as Director of Guidance for the school district where I worked. I was chosen and served for 7 years before my retirement as supervisor of the counselors and guidance program. I loved this also! After I retired, I have done things such as training, public speaking, private counseling, writing and testing. I have also pursued art and am now painting and working with local art leagues and art galleries. I guess you can say, I just trusted and went with the flow, and the doors opened for me when I was ready. I was very fortunate, and have loved everything I have done! Best of luck to you...go with what you love and be sure to get all the education you can while you are deciding.

Marilyn Balke-Lowry

Hello,

Sit down with a white sheet in front of you. Brainstorm. Write down everything you like. Everything that is important for you. Pros only. Listen to your heart and not the people around you.

Link the dots and make a lot of research. Find the help of a professional consultant.

I knew what is important for me was to feel useful at the end of my day, not be bored, not see my day goes by and international oriented, i wanted to speak the languages i know everyday. I found a job to answer those needs. Remember : IT DOES NOT HAVE TO BE WHAT YOU MAJORED IN IF YOU DON'T LIKE IT. YOLO.

Hi Cassidy

Marilyn has given you some excellent insights. To build on her thoughts, my best advice is to start with understanding your true strengths and build your career path from there. Be open to new opportunities and adjacent opportunities as they present themselves. And maintain a good mentor(s) along the way to provide insights as you make pertinent decisions at crossroads on your path. If you are interested in learning more about your natural strengths my favorite assessment is StrengthsFinder. The resulting report will provide insights into your natural strengths and what opportunities may be a good fit. These are some of the things I did along my career path. Best wishes to you for a successful career.

The answers provided so far are excellent since deciding on a career is a journey and not something most people can settle on and then execute. Interests and passions change over time and that often results in a change in your career. Being open to new opportunities and being willing to change are essential for what most people consider a successful career. Personally, I started my career with the intent and degree to be a rancher. About the time I was getting ready to graduate, I discovered that my allergies would not allow me to execute on my desire. However, the degree in Agriculture (animal science) allowed me to take a temp job as an instructor in a government sponsored meat cutting class. That opened the door to an assistant manager at a meat market. When that ended, opportunities opened for a sales position for a food manufacturer. That position proved to me that I am not a salesman (you never know for sure until you try). I found another opportunity at a food distribution center where I rose to the position of operations manager. I found that I enjoyed distribution management. When that position ended due to a change in management, I found a position in auto part distribution management. The principals were the same so it was a natural transition. I remained open to change and as a result, was able to shift between all areas in the facility, learning the end to end process. That company closed and because of my experience, I was picked up by Wal-Mart distribution as a shipping manager. Since then, I have held positions as an R&D tech for a laminate manufacturer, a quality control tech for a food manufacturer, a quality control manager and a traffic (logistics) manager for the same company, a warehouse worker for a computer manufacturer and then an inventory manager for Dell computer. it has been a long and interesting ride, but I consider I have had a successful career so far. If you classify success as becoming wealthy, then my career would be considered a failure. If you define success as enjoying the journey and loving to learn new things, while making enough to live on, then I have been successful.

If I have any recommendations for you, they would be that you decide for yourself with success looks like. Don't let others define that for you. Follow your passions and enjoy the journey.

The Strengths Finder survey was mentioned earlier in the other answers however the instructions on where to get it were missing. Strengths Finder 2.0 can be purchased in some book stores and on Amazon for less than $10. Get the book and there are instructions on where to go on-line to do the survey. The rest of the book is there to explain the results and help you understand what your strengths are. I highly recommend taking this survey and as mentioned earlier, use the results to help you decide where to start your journey.

I hope this has helped and I wish you the best in whatever you decide to do.