How do you know what career is right for you?

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   GabiGailposted 9 years ago

   How do you know what career is right for you?

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2. 69

   Tusitala Tomposted 9 years ago

   You might never known what career is right for you.  I say that because how we feel about our working life is liable to change over the years.  So I cannot advise you of any technique you can use to know EXACTLY what is right for you - but you can get a pretty good idea from how you FEEL about certain types of work.
   
   Chances are you'll have to compromise in order to get into a paid job.  Don't let that detract you from what you feel would be your ideal job if nothing stood in your way of achieving it.   By this I mean you had the time, money, intelligence and, particularly, the passion to achieve it
   
   It took me until my 'retirement' from paid employment to come close to what I love to do.  In my case, speaking to audiences; storytelling, teaching, that sort of thing.   But all that went before, the whole fifty-nine years before, was 'grist to the mill,' for what came later.
   
   Overall advice?  Get as wide and varied experiences as you can.  Don't settle for a rut just to have security and the false promise of some sort of prestige.  Life is too precious for that.  Go with your heart.

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      Dylanrrichardposted 9 years agoin reply to this

      Beautifully put Tom!

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3. 83

   peachpurpleposted 9 years ago

   after you had worked 5 donkeys years, jump from one job to another, you will know which job suit you best and start to regret

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4. 68

   connorjposted 9 years ago

   
   
   I personally believe you will know what career is correct for you when:
   (1)  you truly enjoy this activity and your time at it (this activity) seems like fun or at minimum something you enjoy much like a hobby that you have embraced.
   (2) You will not long for retirement or to an end of your tenure. You will be psychologically in the present rather than the future or more sadly in the past.
   (3) There will seem to be only manageable short-term stress.
   (4) You will not see your days at work in terms of hours or minutes etc. You will see this time much like leisure time.
   (5) You will not think and dream of retirement; more profoundly, one will have continuity. There will be no end-game...

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5. 68

   Dylanrrichardposted 9 years ago

   This is a really complex question.
   
   For finding what career is right for you, I recommend career testing and counseling. The tests will take inventory of your interests, values, and what you absolutely wouldn't want to do. This tells the counselor a lot about your personality, your work ethic, your overall motivation, and other important areas that contribute to career fit.
   
   Most universities offer career services, but if you are not a part of a university or if your university doesn't offer that, you can take career tests online. The "Golden Standard" as much as I hat that phrase, is the Holland test or RIASEC test. This test gives you a three letter score that can be used to search online for jobs matching that code. This is a great way to see what areas you would be fit for based on your interests, values, and what you could and couldn't see yourself doing. This is what i would recommend. A real Holland test is expensive, however there are many free versions online. I have found them to be not quite as accurate, but for free they are ok. Ideally you would get a test and counseled by a licensed counselor or psychologist.
   
   You can also look into local counselors that offer career counseling. Many counseling centers or mental health units offer these services, and it would be well worth the money, especially if you have your Holland code when you go.
   
   After that, you should be prepared to research the areas that they highlight for you and spend time thinking about each one. Many times, there is something on the list that you have already thought about doing, I recommend choosing that one to research first, as it was already a possible choice for you.
   
   Ultimately though, no test or counseling will ever replace getting out there and learning what you love to do. Years ago I wanted to be a counselor, on the front line, dealing with severe mental illness and surrounded by patients. Years of actually working with patients has shown me that I do not belong doing that, I belong training counselors and teaching people about mental illness. This is something that a test wouldn't have told me about myself. So ultimately, do not be afraid to jump in and experience something, you just might fall in love with it! Just remember not to settle for a career because you think that is all you can do, everyone has the potential to do what they want to do, you just have to make it happen.

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