How to make the right career choice early on
Parents cannot decide everything for you throughout. Indeed, they should not, especially when it is about making a career choice. It’s time you start making your own decisions early on. This shall grant you the chance to make mistakes and learn from them. So, when it’s your time, you don’t lag behind. It is equally important to avail yourself of the right piece of information and guidance that can enable you to identify one among thousands of career options.
10 step-by-step guide to ladder up the right career choice
Introspection
Do not look around for a direct answer to the question, “how to choose your career?”.Instead, prefer to learn the process as to how you can choose one that you are made to be.
Before knowing anything in the universe, it is important that you know yourself. What makes you happy and where do your interests lie? Avoid getting caught in a herd mentality to follow your acquaintances in making a career choice.
Even if decisions could intersect, try to reach there independently.
Self-assessment
Take a step further to assess the natural talents and skills that you have acquired over your existence. Do not worry if your skill sets are not plenty in number. Skills can be honed easily if you dare to be on a guided path.
You can make use of self-assessment tools to explore traits that could be celebrated and those that need improvement.
Besides, you can always see a career counselor. They are here only to help you through the process and make the right career choice.
However, it is recommended that instead of relying on a counselor, you dare to take that responsibility on your own shoulders.
List out occupations that make sense to you
It is highly possible that you do not agree with what people in your family think you should become in life. However, there is no harm in hearing out everybody’s perspective on where they see you in life going ahead or where they want you to be in years to come. So, hear them all, research the related courses and career options, and list down those that make sense to you or have a wide scope.
Listing occupations could be hectic. But you certainly have to take up this challenge and list out multiple occupations that could go with your traits.
Ax-down options that cease to be relevant
Do not worry if the list got a bit too lengthy. It’s time to slash down those that look offbeat.
You certainly know who you are. Now, it’s time you decide the direction you want to head towards. Selecting a domain and standing firm on it is only required. Remember, switching options can be harmful. It is advisable to be careful in selecting a path first and establishing authority over it.
It’s time you make use of the findings during self-assessment to judge which occupations look irrelevant and where you cannot imagine seeing yourself.
Narrow down the list
It cannot be denied that all of us have an unsaid affinity for something or the other. Even when buying a soft toy, you knew that toy guns were your thing and no alternatives satisfied you.
You just need to preserve that moving ahead in making a career choice.
Collect helpful information: Interview relevant people
Now that you have a shorter list to choose from, probably in a direction, and having a defined path, you’ve certainly come down a long way making a career choice and somewhere decided on where your interest lies.
However, we want you to go the inclusive way. The options in your fresh list are probably like options to an objective question that is not absolutely incorrect. You must select the most appropriate one while all others may look equally convincing.
It is now important that you collect testimonials, meaning, interview people with career choices in your narrowed list.
What could be better than hearing it out from people who have already seen the journey, good or bad, that you are about to start?
Having drafted the testimonials, you are good to go at making that one choice.
Pick you choice
Do not doubt if you end up picking one that your gut believed was right for you. You will certainly land on a common ground where your happiness lies.
Scan the list, findings from your research, traits from self-assessment, expert opinions and testimonials. Put them all together to reach an intersection point. And there you are, making a choice which is not just a pick.
Define your goals
Remember shooting balloons. The bullets could hit because it had a defined path, was guided and had clear goals.
You must not hover after you have decided on your goals going forward. Define a path to walk along with your goals and dare not invite distraction or fumble around. This could only take you far from your dream career choice.
Pen down implementation
At this stage, you will probably be filled with enthusiasm for making a new career choice. After all, newness is something we always tend to hunt for.
Now that you have figured out your adventure trip, it is important to have an actionable implementation plan mapped on a sheet of paper. You will probably prefer a map that is meant to keep assisting you as you go making a career choice, to avoid losing direction.
Get started
Plans stand void until it’s painted to come to life and move.
Pondering over, “how to choose your career?” is a detrimental way to follow. Mapping up an actionable plan and taking an oath to follow it religiously can get you started the right way, at the right time, and in the right direction.
