How Do I
Figure Out What Career I Want?
At some
point in our lives, most of us wrestle with the seemingly simple (but often
very difficult) question, "How do I figure out what career I want?"
This common
internal struggle happens for a good reason. Getting post-secondary training
can involve a large amount of both time and money, which are probably the top
two things people hate to waste.
Consider
What You Enjoy
If you're
struggling with this career conundrum, you should first determine what it is
you enjoy doing. Even if you can't nail it down specifically yet, chisel it
down to a broad area first. For example, if you enjoy artistic endeavours,
start your search by checking out programs that involve creativity. If you're
more of a compassionate type with the urge to help others, search in an
empathetic area like health care. If an active, hands-on career would be your
forte, begin searching the skilled trades area. And there are plenty of other
program areas that suit all different personality types and preferences.
Think About
What You Want From Your Education
The next
step is to determine the type of educational institution that will best fit
your career goals, as well as your learning style. If you tend to "learn
by doing" and are interested in gaining skills that will be directly
related to your career field, a short-term and career-oriented program from a
vocational school is probably your best match. However, if you enjoy delving
deeper into theory-based learning and want to gain a general education in
addition to career-related training, you might be better suited to a more
academic program at a college or university.
Start Your
Search
Once you've
given both of these aspects consideration, it simply becomes a matter of
finding the right school by measuring the available programs against these two
sets of criteria.
Another
thing to keep in mind is that choosing a program isn't equivalent to deciding
to work in that specific field forever. Many programs tend to be flexible in
terms of career outcomes, and the skills you gain can be transferable into
other related areas.
By doing
some rudimentary soul searching and broadening your view of post-secondary
education, it's possible to take a positive spin on the question "How do I
figure out what career I want?" Start right now by checking out the
programs available in the area that interests you!
Read more from this series:
Collage Student E01: Cool Jobs for 8 Different Types of Passions & Personalities
Collage Student E02: What Do You Want to Be When You Grow Up?
Collage Student E03: What to Do After College: 29 Ideas to Inspire You
Collage Student E04: How Do I Figure Out What Career I Want?
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