No one else can choose your career for you. While it’s tempting to want to follow in someone else’s footsteps, you have to make sure it’s the right choice for you as well. You don’t want to wake up one day and regret what you’ve done because you didn’t do your homework upfront.
This is a great opportunity to get to know yourself better and start exploring what makes you happy. Your goal is to pick a path that gets you excited to jump out of bed each day and work. Keep in mind that it’s a process and you may experience a little trial and error before landing your dream job.
Think about your Passions
One place to start is to think about your passions and what motivates you each day. For example, if you’re an excellent golfer and spend most of your time on the course, then consider getting a golf degree in golf management. This way you can study to land a job in golf management and spend your time doing what you love. While you may not have the skills to be a professional golfer, this degree will give you plenty of other career options in the industry.
Consider how much Schooling your Career of Choice will Require
You may want to consider how much schooling your degree will require before settling on a career path. It’s possible you’ll be turned off from pursuing a psychology degree because of the recommended amount of schooling that’s required to land the best jobs. Not only will you be investing more of your time, but money too. Include the amount of years you’ll need to be in school in your pros and cons list to help you reduce your career choices.
Conduct Interviews & Research the Job you’re Interested in
Get out there and start talking to people who are currently working in the field that you’re seriously considering. Your career isn’t only about saying you earned a degree, but you have to actually go to work once you’re finished with school. The only way to get a better feel for what you’ll be doing is to talk to those who have already made a career out of it. Ask questions, take notes and spend a few days in the field with the people who are working the job you may want someday.
Narrow it Down
After you’ve collected all the important information to help you make your decision, it’s time to start narrowing down your options. Think about the schooling requirements, the job you’d be doing each day and if there are positions in your area, or if you’d have to move for your career. This is the part of the process where you have to be brutally honest with yourself and go with the decision that makes the most sense after doing your homework.
Conclusion
Ultimately, your career decision is up to you. Take input from others, but do some soul searching too and figure out what will make you happy each day. Don’t settle for what’s easy, but be willing to work for what you want.
