Career Decisions And Determining What The Best Career Path Is For You

Career Decisions And Determining What The Best Career Path Is For You

What do you want to be when you grow up?

Remember as a kid being asked this question and thinking the possibilities are endless but as you’ve grown older that time to make a decision has come up so quickly and it’s become difficult to narrow it down to what exactly you want to do for the rest of your life and what career path might be the best fit for you.

Here are a few things you want to take into consideration when making a decision.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

When you think about the subjects that you enjoy in school and you get good grades in, what are those subjects? Are they geared more towards Sciences, Arts, Business or Math?  This might be the first clue in figuring out what you naturally gravitate towards. What are some of the extra-curricular activities you have been involved in by choice?  Some examples might be student council, dance club, chess club, sports , coding,  and theater.

What does your personality say about you?

Are you an introvert or extrovert? Usually people will fall somewhere in the middle with characteristics of both but some characteristics might be stronger and people may self-identify themselves with one trait over the other.

Introverts are quiet, thoughtful and find it draining to be part of social engagements. They recharge themselves by being alone. Some career paths for introverts might be in writing, research, science, paralegal, IT, trades, graphics, accounting, culinary arts, engineering and architect to name a few.

Extroverts love being in social situations and can be very talkative and outgoing. They find their energy depleting when they are alone and they recharge by being around other people. Some career paths for extroverts might be in teaching, social media, event planning, business management, sales, finance, marketing, physical therapy, construction manager and lawyer.

Communicate with those in the working world

The best way to learn about career paths is by speaking to those around you that are in various careers. Your parents, their friends, relatives, siblings, teachers and coaches can all provide a wealth of information. When you have made a connection with someone whose career is interesting ask them for an informational interview. If someone is taking the time to speak with you, use that time wisely and come prepared with questions such as pros/cons of the career, growth, challenges and rewards.

Consider Job Shadowing

Many times we read about a career or hear about it from family and friends but one of the best ways is to actually job shadow someone who performs the job. This will provide you with an even deeper understanding on the day to day requirements, the work environment and other tasks associated with the role that you may not know about. If you don’t know someone personally look up someone through LinkedIn or research through an association and make a connection.

Taking the time to plan out your career path might seem daunting but the time you take now will be helpful when choosing a program for school. The time, energy and costs associated with school are high so you want to ensure you are making the right decision. A solid career path can give you future stability and a chance to do something you are passionate about.