How do I know what I want to do for a career?

I am doing a career change now at the age of 53. So with that I chose all the wrong careers early on I went into Human Services, I made little money. I then went to truck driving school raised my children on that. I did not have time for schooling. Now all of my children are gone and I have chosen not to truck drive any longer for various reasons. Mostly climate change and the danger of the road. Now I have realized that IT and the Sciences are the highest demand right now along with Criminal Justice, Medical and Physical Therapist, all pretty good paying jobs depending on what classes you take etc. This really depends on how much schooling you want to do how quick you want to work and if you are going to a commmunity college or a 4 year college? Do what you like and it will be not like a job but something that you enjoy that you are being paid to do. I loved to truck drive, I got to see the whole United States. The pay is good if you do not have a family to support. I always steer people away from this job too many variables and dangerous. So stick with school. NO matter what you do do something that is high in demand so you can get a job.

The best advice that I can give is too find something you have an interest in. Try and Google professions in the science field. Look at the College book that you receive in High School and look for schools that offer your major, also schools that have a strong science background. So you can look that up online too.

Once you are in college, seek out your Career Advancement Office, they will be able to assist you with a career aptitude test. This may be called different things at different schools, but it is basically an inventory/test that you take and it matches your likes and interests to particular job fields. It actually goes into detail, what type of jobs are most likely to suite you in levels of interests. It is really cool, and what I liked about the tests was that I scored differently as I got older and my interests started to change.
I am not sure whether high school counselors have the inventory tests but you may want to speak with your high school counselor to see what assistance he or she can provide you as you embark on the journey.

Also, LinkedIn is helpful because you can talk to people online who are in your field.
Best of Luck on your endeavors. Hope this helps. Also know that this is normal to be unsure. I envy those who know exactly what they want to do lol. I have a Master's degree and still don't know exactly what I want to do.

Shannon

You should definitly do research before you invest any time and resources on a career you may not enjoy. There are some great sites such as payscale.com which will give you some great information such as hourly, salary, popular cities where your career could flourish, as well as most popular skills needed for this profession. You could also take a class at your local community college to see if this appeals to you in the end. Interviewing or even volunteering or doing a free internship is also a great resource that might help you decide the best route for you. Think about what you know your good at and what you enjoy doing. If you're not sure what your interests or skills currently are you can take skill and interest assessment test's on sites such as mapyourfuture.com. There are also great personality tests as well! I hope you find this advice insightful! Good luck! "May the odds be ever in your favor." =)

My advise when trying to find out what you want to do is make sure it is challenging, make sure you are able to push yourself to strive for success everyday. You can see a guidence councelor at your highschool and see if they are able to provide alternate careers, ones you did not think of based on what you want out of your career. Make sure to include all aspects of what you want in life so your career will be more satisifying to you and you will enjoy what you do. Remember, that even if you go to school for one particular thing, you will learn more once you are in the field you choose, so you will not be "stuck" in one particular job, you will be able to veture in other areas that have the same background.

Hi there,

This is the almighty question. If only we all knew the answer with great certainty, that would make our lives much easier. LOL. I suggest you choose a field in which you see yourself doing for a long time. Try and pick a career that will give you the most satisfaction. Some careers out there are pointless. What that means is in some careers you can't really make a difference. I suggest you look for a career in which you will be impacting people or your community in a good way. Those are the most satisfying careers. Id science comes easy to you, use that to your advantage. Nothing better than doing what you love and what comes natural to you!

"What do I want to be when I grow up?" It's a difficult question – and I still ask myself it! I too, was worried about the possibility of “wasting” money on school – so I chose something that was practical and that I knew I could do well and make a decent living. Have I loved all aspects of my jobs over the years? Not always, but I made a choice and picked practicality over “loving” my job(s). There is always room for hobbies and outside interests to fill the “love” portion of your life, so if you find yourself leaning towards practicality – don’t worry…all will be well.

Hello, the best advice I can give you is strive to find your passion. You mentioned you excelled in your science classes. My question is do you like science? There are people who are "good" at different careers but may not necessarily enjoy what they are doing. Generally, in you first few years of college you are completing your core classes, which will allow you a little more time to make decisions. The ultimate is to find a career that you enjoy and it is financially rewarding. Try different things. Remember life is a journey not a destination.

Your question is a great one -- many people wrestle with career questions throughout their working lives! I agree with the others who have posted here that it's important to find something you love doing because you'll spend many of your waking hours at your job.Fortunately, there are some great resources to help you find your passion -- like the classic book "What Color is Your Parachute?" and similar resources online. I'd suggest thinking about what motivates you, what you find easy or fun to do, and then aligning your career search in a way that can amplify those things you're passionate about. e.g., What have you liked about your science courses? What interests you specifically? Your personality type can help determine what kinds of jobs and careers you might enjoy. If you continue on to college after high school, most schools and libraries have career counseling resources. Best wishes for your search.

Good luck finding your career path!

I have a few things for you to consider…

First, do not obsess over minutia on what you want to do. Because what you want now will almost certainly differ from what you want 10 years from now. It is human nature to covet more and to desire change. So unless you’re LaBron James, you’ll likely be asking “what do I want to do?” until retirement. It’s like playing golf when the hole is moving.

So instead of seeking some final solution on your career path now, just have a general idea on what interests you. Then, bear in mind the commercial viability of your interests, especially since you said funds for college may be limited. In other wants, it doesn’t matter what you love if you cannot get a job from it. So you need to balance what you want with what employers want.

Certain majors generally pay more and offer more job prospects than others. The good news is, since you said you have an affinity for science, you’ll likely excel in majoring in the kinds of subjects that offer better employment prospects, such as those in IT, Engineering or Math.