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How to know what career path to take?
I'm currently studying business and not sure how to decide what to concentrate in.
6 answers
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Chinedu’s Answer
Hi
In your question you stated that you are currently studying business but you are still confused on what career to pursue. I will like to ask you a question, what prompt you into studying business and I will like that you also ask yourself the same question. Contemplate on it, figure out the driven force or reason that leads to the decision you made. If it is based on your passion and not other factors like peer pressure, suggested by someone or other factors unrelated to a personal driven reason. Go for that business by putting in your efforts to achieve nothing but the best, eliminate doubt in order to be fully sure of your choice. If there is a circumstance in the sense that despite loving your current career that another career started sprouting up in your mind and you want to venture into it but you do not also want to abandon your current career. Make out time to find out the in's and out"s of that particular career and look for similar things related to your current career and find out how to make something out of it either by studying the other at your leisure time or making both career dependent on each other, thereby creating a pace, road or path unique to you.
In your question you stated that you are currently studying business but you are still confused on what career to pursue. I will like to ask you a question, what prompt you into studying business and I will like that you also ask yourself the same question. Contemplate on it, figure out the driven force or reason that leads to the decision you made. If it is based on your passion and not other factors like peer pressure, suggested by someone or other factors unrelated to a personal driven reason. Go for that business by putting in your efforts to achieve nothing but the best, eliminate doubt in order to be fully sure of your choice. If there is a circumstance in the sense that despite loving your current career that another career started sprouting up in your mind and you want to venture into it but you do not also want to abandon your current career. Make out time to find out the in's and out"s of that particular career and look for similar things related to your current career and find out how to make something out of it either by studying the other at your leisure time or making both career dependent on each other, thereby creating a pace, road or path unique to you.
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Justin
Updated
Daniel’s Answer
Hi Isabella!
First things first - that's ok. Most people do not know what they want to do the rest of their lives and it can be stressful to think about. I felt the same way a couple of years ago right before I graduated high school. My suggestion is to go to a community college to obtain your basics. This will help you have time to try some different jobs in completely different fields. Also, by going to a community college you will be saving money and giving yourself more time to decide on a career/job while making progress on your degree. Don't let people put pressure on you that you have to decide now on the rest of your work life. I had a teacher in high school tell me that I would be a failure if I did not know what degree/career I wanted by the time I graduated high school. Well, I did not by graduation but decided a year later on what I wanted to do and absolutely love it (operations)
I really think business is a great field to go into since it keeps your options wide open. That way you are not committing to one specific field and find out later that you hate it. Some fields in business include:
1. Operations
2. Finance
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Human Resources
I decided to go into Business Operations since operations touches almost every facet of the organization. I enjoy the different challenges and operations also gives me the flexibility to try new things. Another great aspect about operations is they usually support the other divisions of an organization. Since, there are many divisions of an company if you do not enjoy one area its not a big deal since you can support other areas of the business.
Many larger companies will start you in a rotational analyst program. By doing this you will get to see usually 2-4 different sections of the business. Companies offer this to not only help you hone in on your career path but many companies have realized that if there employees actually enjoy their job they will get better overall performance.
I know this can be a stressful time in your life. Please know that you are not alone.
First things first - that's ok. Most people do not know what they want to do the rest of their lives and it can be stressful to think about. I felt the same way a couple of years ago right before I graduated high school. My suggestion is to go to a community college to obtain your basics. This will help you have time to try some different jobs in completely different fields. Also, by going to a community college you will be saving money and giving yourself more time to decide on a career/job while making progress on your degree. Don't let people put pressure on you that you have to decide now on the rest of your work life. I had a teacher in high school tell me that I would be a failure if I did not know what degree/career I wanted by the time I graduated high school. Well, I did not by graduation but decided a year later on what I wanted to do and absolutely love it (operations)
I really think business is a great field to go into since it keeps your options wide open. That way you are not committing to one specific field and find out later that you hate it. Some fields in business include:
1. Operations
2. Finance
3. Sales
4. Marketing
5. Human Resources
I decided to go into Business Operations since operations touches almost every facet of the organization. I enjoy the different challenges and operations also gives me the flexibility to try new things. Another great aspect about operations is they usually support the other divisions of an organization. Since, there are many divisions of an company if you do not enjoy one area its not a big deal since you can support other areas of the business.
Many larger companies will start you in a rotational analyst program. By doing this you will get to see usually 2-4 different sections of the business. Companies offer this to not only help you hone in on your career path but many companies have realized that if there employees actually enjoy their job they will get better overall performance.
I know this can be a stressful time in your life. Please know that you are not alone.
Updated
Aaron’s Answer
Great question - and this is one that I have wondered a lot myself. I found that the best way I could answer that question myself was by talking to as many people as possible about what they did for their job. A lot of jobs can sound very similar, and on a high level can have a lot of similarities - but I found that the more I spoke to people and learned about what their actual day-to-day looked like, I could differentiate easier and see what seemed more interesting. I remember a lot of people asked me "what are you passionate about" - but to be quite frank, I wasn't "passionate" about finance - and that stressed me out, because I felt like I was behind everybody else. A mentor of mine helped disabuse me of that notion - he helped me realize that it is actually a very small people who find their life's purpose and passion in their career. What is more important is if you find it interesting - if you find it interesting, you will work hard and it will keep you engaged. As you do that, doors will open and opportunities to try something new will present themselves. I have not found my "passion" regarding my career - some people do, and that is amazing. But I have found things that are very interesting to me, and so I go down that path until they are no longer interesting or I find a better opportunity.
Also, I would like to give you a gentle reassurance that careers are very fluid. I can almost 100% guarantee you that your first job out of college will not be your last job - people have many different jobs and titles and responsibilities throughout their careers. You're at a point in your life where all experience is great - because even if you hate whatever internship/job you do, it teaches you something about yourself. You will know to avoid jobs (or companies) like that in the future, and it helps you refine your search in the future. But no matter what you do, try to learn as much as you possibly can - you never know when the skills you learn (or the people you work with) will help you in the future.
Also, I would like to give you a gentle reassurance that careers are very fluid. I can almost 100% guarantee you that your first job out of college will not be your last job - people have many different jobs and titles and responsibilities throughout their careers. You're at a point in your life where all experience is great - because even if you hate whatever internship/job you do, it teaches you something about yourself. You will know to avoid jobs (or companies) like that in the future, and it helps you refine your search in the future. But no matter what you do, try to learn as much as you possibly can - you never know when the skills you learn (or the people you work with) will help you in the future.
Updated
Madisyn’s Answer
Hi Isabella,
There's many routes that you can take when it comes to a career in business. From finance and accounting to business management and marketing, the options are diverse and plentiful. My suggestion is to take introductory courses to each and discover which field truly sparks your interest. Remember, most business programs encourage a broad understanding of various business disciplines, so make the most of this opportunity!
There's many routes that you can take when it comes to a career in business. From finance and accounting to business management and marketing, the options are diverse and plentiful. My suggestion is to take introductory courses to each and discover which field truly sparks your interest. Remember, most business programs encourage a broad understanding of various business disciplines, so make the most of this opportunity!
Updated
Molly’s Answer
Hi Isabella,
This is a great question! Simply answered, I would recommend to step your foot into multiple areas. If you find that what you are currently in or studying does not satisfy and appeal to what you want to do in the future, then you can easily shift away from that one area and focus in another. In college, I knew that I wanted to focus my studies in general business. However, that is all I knew. After focusing my studies in multiple areas of business, I found my way into Human Resources where I currently am working in today. I received my MBA focusing specifically in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, and currently have a position as an Human Resources Administrator for a Sam's Club distribution and fulfillment center. You will never know what you like until you dip your foot in the water and tread through several areas!
I hope this helped!
Molly H.
This is a great question! Simply answered, I would recommend to step your foot into multiple areas. If you find that what you are currently in or studying does not satisfy and appeal to what you want to do in the future, then you can easily shift away from that one area and focus in another. In college, I knew that I wanted to focus my studies in general business. However, that is all I knew. After focusing my studies in multiple areas of business, I found my way into Human Resources where I currently am working in today. I received my MBA focusing specifically in Organizational Behavior and Human Resources, and currently have a position as an Human Resources Administrator for a Sam's Club distribution and fulfillment center. You will never know what you like until you dip your foot in the water and tread through several areas!
I hope this helped!
Molly H.
Updated
Marisa’s Answer
What are you passionate about? What sparks your energy and makes you feel truly alive? Have you considered making a list of advantages and disadvantages for your potential career paths? Do you prefer engaging directly with clients or communities? Do you thrive in a team environment or do you prefer working independently? What are your strong suits? When you ponder about your life's desires, what holds the most importance? Identify your interests. Take some time to introspect and then research your areas of interest. Spend a day observing someone who works in a field you're interested in - interviewing various people can provide valuable insights and could be beneficial.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.
Isabella
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