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How do I know which career choice is right for me?

Hi, I am in 9th grade, and the reason I asked this question because I have so many options that I like and I just don't know which one to choose. I am a very hands on learner and I do not enjoy just sitting around all day I like to be moving. I really need an answer to this question so I can start looking at what major I am going to choose #careers

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Eric’s Answer

I think it's great that you've put some thought into your future and realize that you have "options that you like." You've done some self-assessment and realize that you are a "hands on learner" and like to be moving. It's important to think about these things and assess yourself from time to time. Your list of "options that you like" may change as you explore different things. The way you learn may change over time as well, you may grow more "hands on" and less "hands on" in the future.

Here's my advice: College is a time to explore. If you are decided on a "career" or "trade" like an accountant or a plumber, the path is fairly defined. If you are undecided, it's okay to explore the different options that you like. Life skills that you get just by going to the next level of school include: being able to manage your time and money; being able to work well with others; as well as the academic discipline of learning itself. These skills are useful no matter what career path you find.

Self-assessment is good. Keep doing that. Learning and gaining skills is good. The experience of learning and interacting with others will help you in any future career. It's okay to be undecided now.
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Danielle’s Answer

This is a great question because it is a hard and very personal question. I recommend starting a list of things you like and do not like. Do you enjoy humanities, science, or math? Do you enjoy working with people, doing lots of different tasks and projects or working on one thing at a time, etc.? From there you'll know more about yourself and then you can try different things out now -- even before you get to choosing a major. Try elective classes, volunteering, extracurricular groups, internships, job shadowing, etc. Ultimately, reflect on what you care about and how you want to contribute to the world, understanding this about yourself will guide what you do through your life even beyond your college major.
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Diana’s Answer

Hello! I think a good way to go for choosing a career is what do you like to do? What are some of your hobbies? Then incorporate a career selection that way. For example, if you like working with people, make sure your career involves interfacing with people.
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Samuel’s Answer

Hi Taylor! This is a great question. Although you have time to figure this out, it's never too early to find your passion and start the journey. Over the course of your next few years, the answer may naturally gravitate to you, but if you'd like to be more proactive there are certainly things you can do to figure it out.

As Michele noted, I also suggest speaking with professionals in your prospective areas of interest; sometimes you learn that it's better to keep one interest a hobby and make another interest what you do daily as a career. I was the opposite of you - I had no clue what I wanted to do. When I was 25 I followed my passion for athletic footwear and I'm now in a role that I sincerely love. Speaking with a counselor can be helpful, however, the advice you receive is limited to the counselor's knowledgebase. I spoke with numerous counselors and not a single one asked me what my passion was and if I was interested in athletics or athletic equipment. As a result, I learned there are SO many more jobs out there that no one tells you about, but you must be curious.

Things that are important to figure out are what each profession spends most of their time doing, what are your passions, and what profession gets you excited each morning. It might be helpful to start a pros and cons list that you can populate as you find out specifics about the professions that interest you.

I hope this helps a little and good luck!
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Michele’s Answer

I would suggest talking to your Counselor in high school to see what insight they might provide. Think about things or careers that might interest you and maybe try to find people in those areas and interview them about how they got in their fields. You can start by networking, maybe neighbors, maybe someone from church or other groups, sports, etc.
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Renae’s Answer

This is a question that many students ask themselves, so the first thing I would say is this: there is no one answer, you are likely to do many things over the course of your life. Very few people do one job for their entire lives. Most people evolve over time. They try different roles as they grow and as new opportunities are presented.

The best thing to do is to pick a field that you really enjoy, enables you to be active and provides lots of hands-on learning. I would start by creating a list of things that make you happy, or activities in which you can spend hours without getting bored. I would keep another list of things that do not bring you joy or you just don't want to do- that will help you narrow down the search.

Then, I would talk to people who seem pretty happy in their jobs or fields. What type of work do they do? How do they do that work? Who do they work with? Ask them what makes them happy in their work. Try on different types of roles until something seems interesting.

This should help you get closer to understanding the direction that you want to explore.
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Chris’s Answer

Hi, Taylor! I have two recommendations for you.

1. Explore something you are passionate about! When I was going into college, my parents advised me to explore areas that excite me and make me want to learn more. The more you are excited about the topic, the more you will be inclined to go deeper into the topic, learn details, and become an expert. And it won't feel like work!

2. Be curious! If there's a subject that sounds interesting but that is new to you, look up resources online or go to the library if you are able and check out introductory topics in the subject. You might be surprised at the information you come across and where it leads you. Also, don't be afraid to try and learn new things, whether they are new skills, languages, areas of study, music, hobbies. It may take you on a different journey.

Overall, the more you follow your passion, the more engaged, excited and motivated you will be to learn and excel in the area you choose. Good luck!
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Simeon’s Answer

In general, I would go to the department of labor's website (https://www.dol.gov/) and see which fields are growing quickly these days. If you're drawing a blank on what you'd like to do, see if any of the fast growing fields call out to you. This will give you a lot more structure than trying to get a vague sense of your passions and trying to brainstorm a way to turn it into money. Most people don't have a passion that they are aware of right away. Also, passions tend to change from season to season. Lastly, look at videos on YouTube of people in their careers talking about what they love and hate. See if any of their descriptions sound like a good fit for you. It's just as important to figure out if you can deal with the downsides of a job as it is to figure out what you'd love about a job.
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Dasha’s Answer

Hi Taylor!

There is no real way to know what career would be best for you until you do it! You can have an idea in you head about a career you want to pursue your whole life and when you get into it you could hate it. You never truly know if you would like something until you do it.

Do some research! There are so many jobs out there that many people don't know about. Google is your best friend. See what is out there and what interests you. If you still don't know what you want to major in by the time you. graduate that is perfectly fine too! You can go into college with an undecided major and figure it out while you're there. Join some orgs, go to info sessions and see what all there is out there. Don't rush to have it all figured out. You have some time and there is nothing worse than being half way finished with you degree and decide you like something else better. Unless you have thousands to waste take you time and find something that you truly like.
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Ana’s Answer

This is such a great question. I think you really need to dig in deeper, maybe take some assessments via your counselor at school and see what makes your heart warm. At the end of the day, you will spend a lot of your lifetime at work. Select a few career choices. Search for opportunities to volunteer in the field and spend a day in the life of ie. a Nurse or a lawyer. Whatever you chose, make sure it's something that you feel passionate about and comes easily to you. There's a say that goes like this " do what you love and never work a day in your life". What's important is that you enjoy what you will do.
Best of luck!

Ana recommends the following next steps:

Meet with guidance counselor from school
Seek opportunities to volunteer or shadow a professional
Select a few fields of interest
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