How do You Find the Right Career For You?

That's a very difficult question for most people and there is a big difference between a job and a career. A job is employment to earn money but the right career is much more than that, it will take at least half of your life and make you feel fulfilled and useful. The best advice is to choose a field you really enjoy. If you choose a career solely based on earnings or because your parents want you to be a doctor/lawyer/teacher/accountant etc... or you drift into it because you don't have a better idea, you are unlikely to succeed as most career require a great deal of dedication. Nobody likes to spend hours of their lives doing something they don't particularly like.

Write down what you are really good at. For example, what are your best school subjects, are you good at art or languages or is your mind more tuned into maths or music or science? Do you have a hobby you are passionate about? Then think of your likes and dislikes. Do you like team work or are you a loner, do you prefer to be indoors or outside, do you like interacting with people? Think about the sort of people you like to be with. Do an honest assessment of your qualities. Are you organised, a good communicator, assertive, creative, patient etc...? Do you have special skills: you speak a foreign language, play the piano, can strip an engine, make jewellery...You don't have to be an expert. Are you passionate about the environment, politics, animal welfare?

Then write down the opposite: your least favourite or successful school subjects. List activities, settings, situations or people you dislike. Think about your faults (in certain jobs these can turn out to be pluses). It's just as important to know what would not suit you.

Go to a career counsellor (all universities have one) and discuss what careers fit your personality, qualities, temperament and skills. You will also get all the details on what qualifications are needed. If you decide on a particular career, don't be afraid to ask someone already doing that job whether they would talk to you. I know that most people are delighted to talk about their particular field of work and their role in it.

Don't despair if you have entered a career and you discover that you don't like it. Many people have more than one career in their lifetime. Nothing is ever set in stone and remember that in order to succeed you must thoroughly enjoy what you do. Good luck!