Choosing a career path is something that almost all of us went through. This is a difficult task to do, especially when you are suddenly asked to make a life-changing decision while hundreds of information are bombarding you as a student on the way to graduation. You have to think about how you will adapt to the changes in your life while you enter a new endeavor in your education. You also have to worry about the kind of future you might end up in, depending on this one decision that will lead to more confusing choices.
But even with the difficulty of choosing a career path, many individuals tend to look for answers in the wrong places. Many will follow their friends into the same school while some will choose the careers pushed onto them by their parents. To help you in this task, consider some points to avoid making a haphazard decision that you may one day regret.
Know Yourself
The first step in properly deciding on your career path is to look inwards and evaluate yourself. This decision will ultimately affect everything about you as you trod the path towards your chosen trade, so you have to consult your innermost self early in the process. First, you have to look at your passion and interests. These factors can be considered in your decision but should always be weighed in contrast to other more practical elements. You need to imagine if you want to combine your hobbies and your job or enjoy them separately. Next, list down your personal skills and see if you can earn money off of them. The things you are good at can always be career choices if you really want to pursue them. Then, you should evaluate your goals in life. Certain professions will offer different objectives like helping fellow citizens, propagating your art, or simply making money.
Know the Opportunities
Once you’ve chosen a path or are contemplating choosing one, you should do your research and look at the opportunities. These opportunities can range from your possible paycheck to the sustainability of the profession in the future. For example, you are choosing between a path towards becoming a computer engineer or a dentist. Do you see yourself mastering technology and continuously learning about innovations? Or do you see yourself opening your own dental office to work on your own time? Try to consider if these professions are still viable 10 and 20, and 30 years from now.
Know the Risks
Along with the opportunities come the risks. As you will be studying for a particular profession within a few years, you will have to adjust your lifestyle to achieve your goals. Your tuition fees will also play a part in this as certain schools, and career options will cost more than others. Depending on how much and how hard you are willing to work for your dream, you may have to settle for a healthy compromise between being practical and ambitious.
Consult the Right Authority
Lastly, you may also have to consult some sort of authority figure to help in this decision. You can, of course, do it by yourself by we always tend to ask for a second (and third and fourth and so on) opinion on what can be good for us. The first people we consult may be our parents, but this opens the risk of them laying their unfulfilled dream on us. Our friends may also be on the same confused stage as we are, so it might be better to ask people who can be more objective on the matter. They can be our professors who have seen our academic potentials or other advisors like career counselors trained to help the undecided.
These points focus more on looking deep into yourself and reflecting on the various aspects of your beliefs, values, and personality. It is also essential to take some time to think about these things instead of making the decision right at the last minute. Start planning early to be well-prepared when the time comes. But on a different note, you must know that changing career paths anywhere down the line is also an option. Even though it can feel like you’ve wasted your time and funds on something that is not for you only to switch halfway through, it can be more beneficial to start following your dreams once you’ve realized it. Even if getting it right the first time can save you from a lot of struggle, you should always steer your life towards where you feel like you are actually meant to be.
