Choosing a career will define the experience of your journey as a professional. The main reason why a person takes up a certain career is that it meets their knowledge and life goals. Primarily, as an individual, to live independently, you need to earn a specific income to live a dignified life. However, many people think about their days as young adults wishing they had selected the right career path.
Here, we’re going to explore the importance of a successful career, the reasons for selecting the right career, and how you must go about choosing it.
Why is career success so important in today’s day and time?
Gone are the days when people used to work to simply survive and feed their families. While this remains the primary reason, the secondary reason that is turning into a factor more important than survival is the satisfaction of gaining self-worth.
Without a fulfilling career, life becomes an obligation, and so does that job or family business you are managing.
That said, if you are confused about which type of career to opt for, it is important to consider some factors before making a decision.
Some jobs are moving towards redundancy or extinction. Automation is one of the biggest reasons. For instance, customer service has evolved from telecommunication by humans to bots answering calls on behalf of human staff. So, you must select a career that does not get redundant in the evolution of automation.
Higher education is a dream for many young aspirants. At the same time, the rising costs of tuition fees are making it inaccessible to many young adults. Getting a degree is costly due to the higher education fees involved, which means investing in a degree is a long-term investment. University education, therefore, is a long-term career advancement plan that one cannot take lightly.
Thirdly, when deciding upon a career option, you must identify the earning potential. Deciding a suitable career means you must also research the various ways in which you can earn from that career.
How to choose the right career?
To choose the right career for yourself, it is important to first learn more about yourself. Let’s begin with understanding the steps involved in selecting an appropriate career.
Step 1 – Identify your interests, values, and traits as a person
Take a pen and paper to answer the following questions about yourself.
Questions based on interest
- What would you like to learn more about?
- How do you like spending your time?
- Do you like manual or mental labor?
- Do you like working indoors or outdoors?
Questions based on the value
- What do you consider to be the most important thing in your life?
- What are your priorities?
- In what do you find meaning and purpose?
- In what part of society would you like to bring a significant change?
Questions based on personality
- What according to you is the meaning of success in life?
- What do you want more of, to experience, in life?
- Which of your strengths do you find most favorable?
- Which skills are you most happy with and proud of?
Step 2 – Identify your motivations in life
Once you’ve answered all the questions in Step 1 honestly and with deep thought, it’s time to move on to Step 2. Step 2 is where you get to define the motivating factors behind selecting a specific career. Is it for the salary, the benefits of that professional position, career growth, or work-life balance? You may have more than one motivating factor, so prioritize them accordingly and take your next step.
Step 3 – Deciding your long-term goals
One of the most dreaded but important questions to at the least ask yourself. Where do you see yourself in the next ten years? What are your long-term goals? Do not take another step into any career without answering these two important questions. Many people have regretted not addressing these questions as young adults. Ask more specific questions: Do you want to rise above the managerial ranks and progress to the C-suite of an organization? Do you want to own real estate or a house? Do you want to travel the world?
Step 4 – Take up self-assessment tests
You cannot answer a few questions by yourself to understand what you need to do in life in your career. You must also undergo some self-assessment tests to understand what career path is more suited for you. You cannot rely on these tests to give you a definite answer by using them to continue learning more about yourself. Moreover, you can use them to check your underlying motivations.
Step 5 – Identify the different sectors to work in
If you work towards researching the different sectors present in each professional vertical, it will be easier to see where you fit best.
Check your potential for growth, stability, and meaning in the private, non-profit, or public sectors. See what interests you more and where you could be a perfect fit.
Step 6 – Turn to professional career counselors
Choosing a career is a journey in itself. You cannot work on this part in isolation. Therefore, seek professional guidance. Talk to career counselors, and if you have identified your interest in a particular field, talk to professionals who are well-established in their careers. Getting their insights would be like a pre-mentoring phase for you.
Take your career selection as a priority because once you begin your career, there’s very little scope to divert. Secondly, even if you divert into another career, you have to begin from scratch.
