Choosing a career is one of the most exciting, yet stressful, parts of your life. You have so many options and it can be hard to know where to start. Luckily for you, we’ve done the research so that you don’t have to!
We’ll tell you everything we know about choosing a career—from how to do a SWOT analysis (Strengths, Weaknesses, and Opportunities) and make connections in order to get ahead in this competitive world (or better yet: find an apprenticeship or internship).
We’ll also show you some examples of successful people who’ve been through this process before so that when they say things like “I never considered myself someone who would end up doing what I’m doing now,” it won’t seem like such a far-fetched idea after all.
Do a SWOT analysis.
The next step is to analyze your strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. A SWOT analysis helps you to develop a plan to overcome any weaknesses in your career. It can also help identify opportunities that you can take advantage of.
Make connections.
Connecting with people who are in the field you’re interested in is one of the best ways to figure out what’s out there. You can meet them at events, online, or even just by having coffee with someone who knows someone who knows someone.
The more connections you make, the better chance you have of finding something that interests you.
Find an apprenticeship or internship.
If you’re interested in a career as a plumber, electrician, or mechanic, an apprenticeship can be the perfect way to get started. Apprenticeships are typically 12-18 months long and offer both paid work experience and training.
You’ll learn the trade through on-the-job training with a qualified mentor who will provide guidance and mentorship throughout your time at their company.
With so many companies offering these types of programs now, finding one that fits your needs shouldn’t be difficult! Once you’ve found one (or two), check out our tips for choosing an apprenticeship program here: https://www.careerbible.com/tips-for-choosing-an-apprenticeship/.
Hone your networking skills.
You can’t Network if you’re not willing to meet other people and talk about your career goals.
Networking is about building relationships, not selling yourself or promoting yourself. The more people who know you, the more opportunities you’ll have in your field.
Identify your interests.
Your interests can help you identify a career path. Listing your interests in order of importance, as well as how much time and money you’re willing to invest in learning about them will help determine which fields are best suited for you.
If your interests change over time, be honest with yourself about what’s most important now—and what could always be on the back burner. Don’t worry about being too ambitious or too specific; it’s OK if this process takes some time!
Explore your personality.
Your personality type is one of the most important things to consider when choosing a career. The way you interact with others, your values and motivations, your interests and skills—these are all factors that can help you make an informed decision about what kind of job is right for you.
Here’s how to figure out if a career is right for YOU:
Understand your personality type. Your personality type can be defined by two main characteristics: Extroversion (how much energy you put into social situations) and Introversion (how much energy goes into self-reflection).
You may be an introvert who enjoys spending time alone or an extrovert who loves meeting new people on dates or parties; however, these two aspects aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive! Some people have both high levels of extroversion AND low levels of introversion at different times throughout their lives — which means there isn’t one ideal way for everyone around us!
Assess your career-relevant skills and abilities.
When you’re assessing your career-relevant skills and abilities, think about what you are good at and enjoy. What are your strengths? What areas do you have a natural talent for? Think about what makes the most sense for your life goals, interests, and personality.
If there’s a particular field or area of expertise that appeals to you but isn’t currently in high demand (or if it’s not really something that fits with how people perceive careers), consider taking some time off from school to explore this idea further by doing volunteer work or interning at an organization related to it.
You may even want to think about starting up an official “self-directed” program where students can work on their own projects within certain constraints—it could be beneficial for both students learning experience as well as their resumes!
Assess your values and motivations.
Your values and motivations are the most important things to consider when choosing a career. The more you can identify what motivates you, the easier it will be to find a job that matches your own goals, interests, and abilities.
What are your values? Think about what makes you happy in life: family, friends or hobbies. Do these things interest or excite you? If so, which ones do they appeal to more than others?
What are your goals? What do YOU want out of life (e.g., financial security)? Will this career help achieve these goals or not at all?
Know what you’re willing to sacrifice, and define success on your own terms.
If you’re ready to make career decisions, it’s important, to be honest with yourself about what you want. What sacrifices will you be willing to make? What do you need in order to feel like your life is complete? It’s okay if your definition of success isn’t the same as someone else’s; no matter how much other people tell us what we need or should be doing, our own inner selves know best.
Be prepared for change: The world isn’t static and neither are careers! You may find that after years of thinking about a certain profession as ideal for your skillset, an unexpected opportunity arises that changes everything, forcing you off course (or onto one).
In these situations—and most definitely ones where we find ourselves questioning whether the path we’ve chosen is the right one—we must remember that “success” isn’t defined by external factors alone; rather, it means having both personal satisfaction from work and financial security from our chosen line of work
Don’t follow the crowd when choosing a career; do what feels right for you!
Don’t follow the crowd when choosing a career; do what feels right for you!
If you’re struggling to find your passion, think about what kind of work would suit your personality. For example, if you’re shy and quiet by nature, perhaps a job involving talking to strangers all day would not be for you.
Instead of picking something that makes sense from an economic standpoint (like earning more money), focus on finding something that makes sense from a lifestyle perspective (what kind of life do I want?).
If there are any skills or abilities that set apart other people in their field then use them as guides when making decisions about jobs and careers.
These are things like: being good at math/science; being flexible; having strong communication skills; having patience with others’ quirks etcetera… These things might seem insignificant but they can make all the difference between success and failure later down the road so it’s worth considering whether these are important qualities in advance rather than waiting until after graduation ends before deciding which path will lead us toward our future goals.”
Conclusion
We only have one life, and it’s important to choose a career that makes you happy. If you’re not sure what that is yet, don’t worry! The process of exploring your interests, skills, and motivations will help you figure it out.
And remember: the best way to find your passion is by doing something–anything! The more time we spend on activities outside of work (like hobbies or volunteering), the better our careers will be when they do arrive at some point down the line.
