8 answers
Joan
Student
Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania
1
Question
Asked
762 views
i'm not so sure what career is right for me, how do i choose?
#career #career-path i'm not so sure what career is right for me, how do i choose?
Login to comment
8 answers
Doc Frick
Career Coach and Mentor
1348
Answers
California, CA
Updated
Doc’s Answer
Joan, a common assumption in today’s society is that the key to success is fixing your weakness. People tend to think that working on what you are NOT good at is the fastest way to grow and develop. That’s far from the truth. You will never be able to achieve true excellence without an underlying talent. So find these areas of talent and strength and capitalize on them. If you want to be successful, discovering your uniqueness, that way you can use your full potential.
SIX STEPS TO FINDING THE CAREER BEST FOR YOU
What sets you apart from everyone else is your unique personality with all the special talents and strengths that you possess. YOU are the biggest asset that you could ever have. The first step to embrace your uniqueness is being aware that you are special. You are like nobody else in this world. Nobody else has had the same experiences as you. No one has exactly the same characteristics and shares the same values. Nobody has learned all the various skills you learned. Discovering your talents and strengths means becoming more aware of who you really are.
STEP 1.) STUDY HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME – Try writing down your thoughts every day for a week. Record your observations, instincts, feelings and revelations. Let your thoughts flow onto the page. Then come back after a week and re-read what you wrote. Your journal will begin to reveal patterns in your character that represent areas of interest, honest feelings, awareness of skills, and a natural connection to certain people, places and things. Stream of conscious writing can be the most effective way to identify your talents. If you notice a lot of your thoughts circle back to one main idea, this could be your strongest talent or deepest desire. Use what you’ve discovered to create a list of your strengths and align them with a list of goals.
STEP 2.) LIST YOUR HOBBIES – Typically, what you’re drawn to it is a natural talent. Think about what you love to do most when you have free time. What activities do you find so captivating that you sometimes forget to eat or sleep? Your obsessions could be the things that help you identify your deepest passions. Even if your hobby is watching movies, you may have a talent for storytelling or analyzing narratives. Even film critics have to start somewhere. You might think talents are only something you love doing, but sometimes our talents are the things you don’t even think about. Your talent is simply something you do better than most. If there is anything that comes natural to you that doesn’t seem so natural to others, it’s a talent. This is why it’s important to take a long hard look at what you’re actually good at.
STEP 3.) RECORD HOW YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY – Your core values are closely linked with what you spend your money and time on. Take note of what you spend your money on and look closer at what this can tell you about yourself. For example, I spend my money on artwork and paintings. That is a strong natural characteristic of mine, a talent that drives everything I do, how I think and how I spend my time. If you like spending money on going out with friends, is it that you like bringing people together? Is it that you like getting attention and expressing yourself? Or maybe is it because you value deepening your pre-existing friendships? Why do you do what you do? What is behind it? The key is to keep digging deeper in order to get to the core essence of your talent patterns.
STEP 4.) GET A SECOND OPION – One of the best ways to figure out what your hidden talents are, is to talk to people who know you. We tend to overlook our skills and often miss out on what makes us great. Having an outside perspective can be highly valuable and revealing. Friends, family, and other trusted advisors have the unique vantage point of observing you in a way that you can’t observe yourself. Ask what they think makes you unique and what they think you excel at. Be sure to talk to people that know you well but also people who barely know you. Getting all perspectives can tell you even more about yourself. You might be surprised by what you find out. Often, how you see yourself is very different to how others see you. The problem with talents and strengths is that they are so normal to you that you tend to dismiss them. You are so used to them that you take them for granted and don’t realize that they exist and that they are your biggest asset.
STEP 5.) WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT – Finally, take a moment for self-reflection and ask yourself: “What do I think are my greatest strengths?” Be proud—list things that you normally wouldn’t say about yourself and brag a little bit. Now, take a look at all this information you've put together. What themes or trends do you notice? How does it feel to look at all of those lists, chocked full of talents and skills? What have you learned about what you are good at? Maybe you’ve found that you have an eye for detail and the ability to always make people feel comfortable and motivated means that you’re destined for success in leadership. Or that your love of fashion, articulate long emails and witty sense of humor merit exploring the blogging world.
STEP 6.) THE SHADOW KNOWS – After you complete your in-depth research, you should be able to determine which career is a good match for you. Try not to get too frustrated if you can't make a decision by this point. You may not have enough information yet. Continue to do more research until you can comfortably choose the best career for you. You will want to learn what working in the field is really like before you actually work in it. The best way to do this is to talk to people who do. Don't be shy about going direct and reaching out to any organization that interest you to see if there is someone currently working in your career field of interest who would be interested in hosting a job shadower. Gaining exposure and first-hand experience through job shadowing (as well as internships) can make the difference between assuming what a potential career would be like and experiencing it first-hand by working on-site.
Joan, don’t feel pressured to get the answer exactly right in this moment—instead, allow yourself to just explore possibilities. And take a deep breath of relief! You’ve now armed yourself with a map of your talents and skills, and you can start really thinking about what to do with them next.
Hope this was Helpful Joan
SIX STEPS TO FINDING THE CAREER BEST FOR YOU
What sets you apart from everyone else is your unique personality with all the special talents and strengths that you possess. YOU are the biggest asset that you could ever have. The first step to embrace your uniqueness is being aware that you are special. You are like nobody else in this world. Nobody else has had the same experiences as you. No one has exactly the same characteristics and shares the same values. Nobody has learned all the various skills you learned. Discovering your talents and strengths means becoming more aware of who you really are.
STEP 1.) STUDY HOW YOU SPEND YOUR TIME – Try writing down your thoughts every day for a week. Record your observations, instincts, feelings and revelations. Let your thoughts flow onto the page. Then come back after a week and re-read what you wrote. Your journal will begin to reveal patterns in your character that represent areas of interest, honest feelings, awareness of skills, and a natural connection to certain people, places and things. Stream of conscious writing can be the most effective way to identify your talents. If you notice a lot of your thoughts circle back to one main idea, this could be your strongest talent or deepest desire. Use what you’ve discovered to create a list of your strengths and align them with a list of goals.
STEP 2.) LIST YOUR HOBBIES – Typically, what you’re drawn to it is a natural talent. Think about what you love to do most when you have free time. What activities do you find so captivating that you sometimes forget to eat or sleep? Your obsessions could be the things that help you identify your deepest passions. Even if your hobby is watching movies, you may have a talent for storytelling or analyzing narratives. Even film critics have to start somewhere. You might think talents are only something you love doing, but sometimes our talents are the things you don’t even think about. Your talent is simply something you do better than most. If there is anything that comes natural to you that doesn’t seem so natural to others, it’s a talent. This is why it’s important to take a long hard look at what you’re actually good at.
STEP 3.) RECORD HOW YOU SPEND YOUR MONEY – Your core values are closely linked with what you spend your money and time on. Take note of what you spend your money on and look closer at what this can tell you about yourself. For example, I spend my money on artwork and paintings. That is a strong natural characteristic of mine, a talent that drives everything I do, how I think and how I spend my time. If you like spending money on going out with friends, is it that you like bringing people together? Is it that you like getting attention and expressing yourself? Or maybe is it because you value deepening your pre-existing friendships? Why do you do what you do? What is behind it? The key is to keep digging deeper in order to get to the core essence of your talent patterns.
STEP 4.) GET A SECOND OPION – One of the best ways to figure out what your hidden talents are, is to talk to people who know you. We tend to overlook our skills and often miss out on what makes us great. Having an outside perspective can be highly valuable and revealing. Friends, family, and other trusted advisors have the unique vantage point of observing you in a way that you can’t observe yourself. Ask what they think makes you unique and what they think you excel at. Be sure to talk to people that know you well but also people who barely know you. Getting all perspectives can tell you even more about yourself. You might be surprised by what you find out. Often, how you see yourself is very different to how others see you. The problem with talents and strengths is that they are so normal to you that you tend to dismiss them. You are so used to them that you take them for granted and don’t realize that they exist and that they are your biggest asset.
STEP 5.) WHAT ARE YOU GOING TO DO ABOUT IT – Finally, take a moment for self-reflection and ask yourself: “What do I think are my greatest strengths?” Be proud—list things that you normally wouldn’t say about yourself and brag a little bit. Now, take a look at all this information you've put together. What themes or trends do you notice? How does it feel to look at all of those lists, chocked full of talents and skills? What have you learned about what you are good at? Maybe you’ve found that you have an eye for detail and the ability to always make people feel comfortable and motivated means that you’re destined for success in leadership. Or that your love of fashion, articulate long emails and witty sense of humor merit exploring the blogging world.
STEP 6.) THE SHADOW KNOWS – After you complete your in-depth research, you should be able to determine which career is a good match for you. Try not to get too frustrated if you can't make a decision by this point. You may not have enough information yet. Continue to do more research until you can comfortably choose the best career for you. You will want to learn what working in the field is really like before you actually work in it. The best way to do this is to talk to people who do. Don't be shy about going direct and reaching out to any organization that interest you to see if there is someone currently working in your career field of interest who would be interested in hosting a job shadower. Gaining exposure and first-hand experience through job shadowing (as well as internships) can make the difference between assuming what a potential career would be like and experiencing it first-hand by working on-site.
Joan, don’t feel pressured to get the answer exactly right in this moment—instead, allow yourself to just explore possibilities. And take a deep breath of relief! You’ve now armed yourself with a map of your talents and skills, and you can start really thinking about what to do with them next.
Hope this was Helpful Joan
Thank You for your continued support Dhairya. Even if we've just change one life, we've changed the world forever.
Doc Frick
Shelly Gupta
Chartered accountant
2
Answers
India
Updated
Shelly’s Answer
Firstly know your specialisations. Research on professional courses based on your specialization. See what these courses have offered to other people in the world. See what job opportunities these courses offer after pursuing from a particular university and choose the best that suits you and your interest .
Sendil Kumar
Technical support
49
Answers
Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
Updated
Sendil’s Answer
Before you can choose the right career, you must learn about yourself. Your values, interests, soft skills, and aptitudes, in combination with your personality type.
You probably have multiple lists of occupations in front of you at this point—one generated by each of the self-assessment tools you used. To keep yourself organized, you should combine them into one master list, explore the occupations on your List and short list.
When you have only a few occupations left on your list, start doing more in-depth research.
Finally, after doing all your research, you are probably ready to make your choice. Pick the occupation that you think will bring you the most satisfaction based on all the information you have gathered.
You probably have multiple lists of occupations in front of you at this point—one generated by each of the self-assessment tools you used. To keep yourself organized, you should combine them into one master list, explore the occupations on your List and short list.
When you have only a few occupations left on your list, start doing more in-depth research.
Finally, after doing all your research, you are probably ready to make your choice. Pick the occupation that you think will bring you the most satisfaction based on all the information you have gathered.
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1792
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
The starting point I usually recommend is going to the department of labor's website and seeing what the fastest growing fields are. That will give you a starting point if you're drawing a blank about what you'd like to do. I'd also recommend looking at YouTube videos where employees discuss their favorite and least favorite parts of their jobs. One of the downsides to a lot of career decision materials is that they don't usually tell you the downsides of different careers, so it might help you narrow down the options you're considering.
Gloria Ortiz
Instructional Designer
838
Answers
Irving, Texas
Updated
Gloria’s Answer
I know that it can be stressful, however, I think that you are in a lucky place. While you don't know what you want, you have the time to explore. I never considered what I do now until after I had spent several years in and out of college and working. The first thing that i would say is that college is a great place to start exploring what you want to do if you can do it without too much burden related to student loans. I would say during your first two years, take the widest variety of subjects as you can. Learn about the arts, the sciences, and the topics in between. Outside of college, I would like for you to consider being curious about the people around you and what they do. Try to simply ask people what they do and what they like or dislike about what they do. I would also recommend volunteering. This can help you do good while introducing you to people who may do something that you have never heard of. I think that the greatest thing that you can do is just be curious and create a network of people with different jobs. If you can, ask to job shadow them to learn about what they do.
Shalee Fecht
Sales
8
Answers
Lincoln, Nebraska
Updated
Shalee’s Answer
I think when you are first starting out it is hard to know where you will be the happiest. I would say take this opportunity to enroll in a wide range of classes so that you can experience multiple facets.
Also know its ok to change your mind. If you start down one path and find that you are not connecting or passionate about what you are learning then its ok to go back to the drawing board, you cant take more than one shot when it comes to career path.
Another thing that can be beneficial is to start networking, looking for internships or ways to speak with others in industries that intrigue you. Set up interviews and discussions where you can ask them questions about that field.
Do your research but don't feel like you have to lock in on something just because its where you started. I cannot say it enough, it is ok to change your mind. Life is too short to spend it doing something you are miserable doing just because you feel obligated or comfortable. Push yourself outside your comfort zone, that is the best way to grow and the best way to find who you are!
Also know its ok to change your mind. If you start down one path and find that you are not connecting or passionate about what you are learning then its ok to go back to the drawing board, you cant take more than one shot when it comes to career path.
Another thing that can be beneficial is to start networking, looking for internships or ways to speak with others in industries that intrigue you. Set up interviews and discussions where you can ask them questions about that field.
Do your research but don't feel like you have to lock in on something just because its where you started. I cannot say it enough, it is ok to change your mind. Life is too short to spend it doing something you are miserable doing just because you feel obligated or comfortable. Push yourself outside your comfort zone, that is the best way to grow and the best way to find who you are!
Michiel Hamberg
IT Solution Director
1
Answer
Muttenz, Basel-Landschaft, Switzerland
Updated
Michiel’s Answer
Hi Joan,
I found it helpful to learn about the separation of job, career and calling. A principle laid out by Dan Miller at https://www.48days.com/
While during your life you may have different jobs and/or careers your calling will remain the same.
A calling also fits you as a person, so finding out about who you are and what your personal preferences are (though personality tests like DISC or mbti etc) will be of help as well.
check out https://www.48days.com/
do DISC personality test
I found it helpful to learn about the separation of job, career and calling. A principle laid out by Dan Miller at https://www.48days.com/
While during your life you may have different jobs and/or careers your calling will remain the same.
A calling also fits you as a person, so finding out about who you are and what your personal preferences are (though personality tests like DISC or mbti etc) will be of help as well.
Michiel recommends the following next steps:
Julie Barberini
Accountant
1
Answer
Limerick, PA
Updated
Julie’s Answer
Hi Joan,
I faced the same dilemma going into and even at college. The best advice I received about choosing a major/career is to take different classes that sound interesting to you and see what classes you are most passionate about. From there, you can look into different majors and careers that could come from those classes you enjoyed. If you don't feel passionate about any of your classes, try finding classes in which you are doing well. Know that you do not have to have a strong passion for your work as long as you simply enjoy what you do and are good at it; you can always find passion in other parts of your life. I know I felt a lot of pressure to know exactly what I was supposed to do with my life at such a young age, but take your time and know that even the people who "know" what they want to do may end up changing their majors/careers.
I hope this helps to reassure you and I wish you the best of luck!
I faced the same dilemma going into and even at college. The best advice I received about choosing a major/career is to take different classes that sound interesting to you and see what classes you are most passionate about. From there, you can look into different majors and careers that could come from those classes you enjoyed. If you don't feel passionate about any of your classes, try finding classes in which you are doing well. Know that you do not have to have a strong passion for your work as long as you simply enjoy what you do and are good at it; you can always find passion in other parts of your life. I know I felt a lot of pressure to know exactly what I was supposed to do with my life at such a young age, but take your time and know that even the people who "know" what they want to do may end up changing their majors/careers.
I hope this helps to reassure you and I wish you the best of luck!