8 answers
Allison
Student
Locust Grove, Georgia
3
Questions
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How did you decide what career you wanted to persue in? Did you test the waters first or did you just take a guess and pick something?
I ask myself a lot about what I might want to pursue. I do have many ideas I am just not sure which one I want to do for a living. So, how did you choose? #college #career #career-choice
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8 answers
Olivia S
Assurance Intern
2
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Olivia’s Answer
Hi!
I know that trying to choose a career when you are 17/18 years old (or younger) can be daunting, but there are a few things you can do to narrow down your options. Also, remember that things are not set in stone. It is never too late to choose a career path that you enjoy after spending time in another area.
I had no idea what I wanted to do my senior year of highschool. All I knew was that I was going to a big college and there would be many options. I enjoyed math, so I considered business. I also liked psychology and I wanted to help people. I knew I was not the best at science and I did not want to do anything in history, so I ruled those fields out. I ended up going into college as a general business major and then after taking the required core classes (there will be many different classes you have to take) , I decided to major in accounting. I considered majoring in marketing or management, but I loved accounting the best. I was still able to take classes like psychology and sociology, but realized I didn't want to major in those fields.
That was a long explanation, but the best advice I can give anyone is to talk to different people about their jobs and join clubs! Schedule time to talk to someone who has a career you are interested in, and essentially interview them and see if you like what they do. If you are interested, try googling or watching videos of people in those careers as well. Also, try talking to a career counselor at your school or someone you trust who knows your abilities. You could also look up required classes for a specific major or career and see if you like/dislike them. Trust me, you will not like every single required class in your major, but most of them will be enjoyable.
I hope this helps!
I know that trying to choose a career when you are 17/18 years old (or younger) can be daunting, but there are a few things you can do to narrow down your options. Also, remember that things are not set in stone. It is never too late to choose a career path that you enjoy after spending time in another area.
I had no idea what I wanted to do my senior year of highschool. All I knew was that I was going to a big college and there would be many options. I enjoyed math, so I considered business. I also liked psychology and I wanted to help people. I knew I was not the best at science and I did not want to do anything in history, so I ruled those fields out. I ended up going into college as a general business major and then after taking the required core classes (there will be many different classes you have to take) , I decided to major in accounting. I considered majoring in marketing or management, but I loved accounting the best. I was still able to take classes like psychology and sociology, but realized I didn't want to major in those fields.
That was a long explanation, but the best advice I can give anyone is to talk to different people about their jobs and join clubs! Schedule time to talk to someone who has a career you are interested in, and essentially interview them and see if you like what they do. If you are interested, try googling or watching videos of people in those careers as well. Also, try talking to a career counselor at your school or someone you trust who knows your abilities. You could also look up required classes for a specific major or career and see if you like/dislike them. Trust me, you will not like every single required class in your major, but most of them will be enjoyable.
I hope this helps!
Joe Berberian
Director of System Performance / RF Engineering
8
Answers
Montville, New Jersey
Updated
Joe’s Answer
My story of how I picked a career is actually quite funny. When I was still in elementary school, we took a test that was supposed to recommend potential careers for us based on our answers. This was back in the late 1970s. I think they still have these today. Anyway, I answered all the questions honestly, and the three career options that the process recommended for me were engineer, musician and farmer. The musician one made sense since God blessed me with musical ability and I was playing piano for many years at the point. The farmer one made no sense to me since I did not know anything about or have any interest in farming. The engineering one intrigued me because I was very good in math and at solving problems. My best friend's father was an Engineer, and I admired him - mostly because he was a good guy and had a summer house on a lake where we would go water skiing. So I began to learn more about engineering. Back then there was no internet, so I had to read up on it from the library. I spoke to engineers to learn more about what it is like to be an engineer. My parents also enrolled me in Saturday classes on computers and technology, and I seemed to like them. By the time I was in high school, I knew I wanted to be an engineer. It made my college search so much easier knowing what I wanted. Most high school students don't know what they want to do, and that's very normal.
Colleges nowadays have summer programs where high school students can immerse themselves in specific fields to see if it interests them. My son was interested in sports broadcasting, so he took a lot of summer programs to familiarize himself with it. These experiences affirmed and fueled his passion for it, and he is now in college pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. He identified a passion, confirmed it, committed himself to it and is now pursuing it.
My personal opinion is that it is so important to find a job that brings you joy and satisfaction. There are probably a lot of tempting jobs out there that will pay you way more, but what good is that if you are miserable? If you have access to any career counselors (a lot of high schools have them), I would reach out to them and talk honestly about your likes and dislikes. I am going through that with my daughter right now. She is a junior in High School and is still trying to decide. The good thing is that if you choose to go to college, there are a lot of great schools out there that offer various disciplines (engineering, business, medical, liberal arts, etc.) so that you can switch majors if you find something more appealing to you. I knew I wanted a job in engineering, so I chose an engineering school. If I were to change my mind, I would have had to switch schools.
You only live once. Make it a happy life. Don't chase a miserable job just because it may pay more. Follow your heart.
Good luck!
Colleges nowadays have summer programs where high school students can immerse themselves in specific fields to see if it interests them. My son was interested in sports broadcasting, so he took a lot of summer programs to familiarize himself with it. These experiences affirmed and fueled his passion for it, and he is now in college pursuing a career in sports broadcasting. He identified a passion, confirmed it, committed himself to it and is now pursuing it.
My personal opinion is that it is so important to find a job that brings you joy and satisfaction. There are probably a lot of tempting jobs out there that will pay you way more, but what good is that if you are miserable? If you have access to any career counselors (a lot of high schools have them), I would reach out to them and talk honestly about your likes and dislikes. I am going through that with my daughter right now. She is a junior in High School and is still trying to decide. The good thing is that if you choose to go to college, there are a lot of great schools out there that offer various disciplines (engineering, business, medical, liberal arts, etc.) so that you can switch majors if you find something more appealing to you. I knew I wanted a job in engineering, so I chose an engineering school. If I were to change my mind, I would have had to switch schools.
You only live once. Make it a happy life. Don't chase a miserable job just because it may pay more. Follow your heart.
Good luck!
Jasen Smith, MBA
Director Advanced Analytics at AT&T
6
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Jasen’s Answer
This is a great question as it is okay not to have a specific plan coming straight out of High School. Often times that is what college is for, finding your way. There is a reason most colleges offer a wide variety of electives for students to try out different topics and areas of study to see what peaks their interest. You can always start college under general studies as the first two years are normally the basics anyways and test the waters with a variety of electives to see what interests you. The best thing to do when trying to decide a career path is think about the things that you enjoy doing and then look for jobs that do those things or require those skills. If you enjoy coding, look into becoming a data scientist or something in a technical tract. If you enjoy reading, look into becoming an editor or columnist. Find what you enjoy and are decently good at, and I am sure that you can turn it into a career.
Seleene Manimala D'Souza
Ethics & Compliance Senior Manager
2
Answers
Hoboken, New Jersey
Updated
Seleene’s Answer
Hi! This is a question I dealt with too and it has changed over time so the best advice I can give is to try different things and trust your gut.
I realized that I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue as a career so I decided to start off as undecided in my first year in college. That landed me in one of the more general schools and allowed me to try a variety of classes. Since math was one of my stronger subjects and my dad is an engineer, I decided to try out computer science courses. Although I did well in the class, I realized I wasn't really interested in that subject as a career so I tried some business classes and realized I enjoyed accounting. That led me into a career in auditing out of college but just know that your path can continue to change - after audit, I tried forensic accounting and loved it. I've since switched to compliance to have more work/life balance but I continue to learn and try new things.
I hope this helps, good luck!
I realized that I wasn't sure what I wanted to pursue as a career so I decided to start off as undecided in my first year in college. That landed me in one of the more general schools and allowed me to try a variety of classes. Since math was one of my stronger subjects and my dad is an engineer, I decided to try out computer science courses. Although I did well in the class, I realized I wasn't really interested in that subject as a career so I tried some business classes and realized I enjoyed accounting. That led me into a career in auditing out of college but just know that your path can continue to change - after audit, I tried forensic accounting and loved it. I've since switched to compliance to have more work/life balance but I continue to learn and try new things.
I hope this helps, good luck!
Rebecca Newman-Mahoney
Network Security Incident Commander
11
Answers
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
This a question most struggle with, myself included. From high school I wasn't sure what major to focus on in college or even what career field. I had a friend ask me about taking the Armed Services Vocational Aptitude Battery (ASVAB) to possibly enlist in the Air Force. This peaked my interest. I wasn't 100% sure that is what I wanted to do with my life but I was willing to try. I took the test and did well. Decided to enlist for 4 years in the Air Force. Best decision I made with the idea that it of interest to me but wasn't sure I would be a good fit. I retired after 20 years of active and found a career in Cybersecurity while on active duty. Sometimes decided what you will purse in your career takes take an opportunity and see where it takes you.
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1792
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
Most people's career paths are pretty fluid. I've worked in churches, credit unions, water utilities, chaplaincy, and am currently working in IT auditing. I would honestly choose a degree and career that sound mildly interesting and just give it a try. You'll find out pretty quickly if it's a good fit or not. The best way to find out ahead of time is just to see the real working conditions. Don't listen to all the videos that glamorize the field and make it sound like the most fulfilling work ever. You can find videos on Youtube and talk to real people who can give you the insider scoop. Find out what people love and hate about their jobs and see if it works for you. Most jobs press some of your buttons, but you'll want to find out if these are the buttons you can handle being pushed or not.
Edie Egwuonwu-Ogunrinola
Learning and Development/Architect
4
Answers
Poinciana, Florida
Updated
Edie’s Answer
Hi there. I am a Certified Practitioner in something known as "Whole Brain Thinking." In a nutshell, it speaks to the notion that our brains are wired to preferences in how we think. For example, some people may prefer to think more Analytical in nature (logic, fact-based, quantitative, tech), others may prefer Practical thinking (sequence, organization, planning, detail-oriented). There's also preferences for Relational thinking (interpersonal, feeling-based, kinesthetic) and Experimental thinking (holistic, intuitive, integrating, synthesizing). There also are profiles of work that align to those quadrants of thinking preference.
If you haven't yet uncovered a passion that is driving you in a direction, maybe think about how you like to think. What do you find yourself drawn to? Once you have a sense of that, look at the image I've given you a link to and see if the careers mapped to that style of thinking resonate for you. That might give you some ideas and insights.
Good luck!
Take a look at this image: https://images.app.goo.gl/PAB7oMDcmsYWgXkU6 (if this link doesn't work for you, try searching "Herrmann Whole Brain and Careers" and see if you can find an image that lays it out that way
If you haven't yet uncovered a passion that is driving you in a direction, maybe think about how you like to think. What do you find yourself drawn to? Once you have a sense of that, look at the image I've given you a link to and see if the careers mapped to that style of thinking resonate for you. That might give you some ideas and insights.
Good luck!
Edie recommends the following next steps:
Dariana Granados
Accounting & Finance
1
Answer
Tampa, Florida
Updated
Dariana’s Answer
Hi Allison! This is an awesome question. I personally found myself thinking about what to do when I graduated high school because I was interested in a variety of fields and was also skilled at several areas. The first two years of college will allow you to explore different classes and actually see what you could potentially be doing in the future if you were to pursue one of those as a major. However, the best advice I can give you is the advice that one of my mentors gave me: Seek out the advice of professionals at each one of the areas you're interested in. This platform is an amazing way for you to ask specific questions about those ideas you already have, such as what they do on a regular day, their favorite part about their job, what they don't like about their job, how they ended up in that career, etcetera. Listening to that will give you a better idea of what those jobs would really be like and you'll get a better understanding so that when you go to college, you use your time to explore the areas that really resonate to you and turn one of them into an amazing career. If you wanted to use any other platforms to reach out to people within specific jobs or companies, I would say LinkedIn is a great resource to get started.