How To Choose A Career Path

Choosing a career path isn't easy and can cause a good bit of stress. Right?

Right from a very young age, we are expected to have an idea of what career path we want to follow. Even children just starting school are asked what they want to be when they grow up. It’s not the reality that we would have a single career goal in mind that we will work towards our whole life, it’s not in human nature. It’s more likely that we will swap and change our opinions and careers several different times. 

It’s very rare that we will stick to one career path but none the less we are encouraged to choose one, so where are we supposed to start with that? Whether you're looking for a new career path or are just settling on one, have a look below at some of the things you should consider when choosing yours: 

Think About What Interests You And Keeps You Motivated

A big step toward choosing the right career is by making sure we are choosing something that we’re actually interested in. You’re most likely in the wrong job if you sit there and dread going in to work. While passion alone isn't the only thing to think about for becoming content in your career, it is still considered essential. Having a career in something that will keep you motivated and interests you is the first step to success. 

Have A Look At Online Tests

If you’re completely lost to what you're really good at or what you're strengths and weaknesses may be then it may be a good idea to look at career assessments that you can take online. You probably took these types of tests in school or college but let's face it you grow up and change even after college so it may be time to think about re-taking this sort of test especially if you're really lost with the direction you want to take. You are even able to take tests that will indicate the ideal careers to suit areas that motivate you and show you what you need to study in order to get this sort of role. Remember though that this isn’t the be-all and end-all and it’s not always good to base your whole career path off of an online assessment.

Intern

This isn't always an option if you’re already set into a financially secure position however an internship could be a great way to try out an industry or type of career before committing. This works particularly well if you have no prior experience and want to build on your skills for potential full-time positions.  Even if completing an internship doesn't lead to a career that you want it’s still beneficial and great on any CV.

Find A Mentor And the Right Support

When finding a career path it’s important to make sure you have the right support. Whether you require Disability Employment Providers, a mentor or extra support from your family it’s important to speak up and research the best options for you. Having a mentor is a great way to take your career up a step and make sure you’re on the right path. Make sure you take note and advantage of everything they have to offer, someone who can mentor you in a career that your keen on can be very valuable when it comes to securing a job. Another way you can get support is to ask to complete unpaid work experience where you shadow people who are already in the career you're looking at. 

Speak To People

One of the easiest ways to discover a new career is to speak to others about theirs. Having a resource such as LinkedIn is a brilliant way of achieving this. You can come into contact with people that you wouldn’t normally and it’s fantastic for reaching out to people in careers different from your field. 

Have A Plan

Everything comes together with a plan. Without having some sort of plan in place for your new career path you will find it extremely difficult to achieve your goals. You should also think about what the entire career entails, there is no good in thinking about becoming a blog writer to then realize that you hate working with computers. You should think about where you want to go and how you're going to get there. 

Obviously, career paths are never set in stone and it’s never too late to change the one that you have embarked on. 

Do you have any other advice that could help someone looking for a career path and how they can find one to suit them? Please share your experiences and tips in a comment!

xx,

Amanda