How to Choose Your Career Path

Choosing a career path can be daunting, particularly if you are fresh out of high school with little to no job experience. There are so many jobs, careers and professions out there, how do you know which ones to pursue? If you are headed to college, how do you know what to study?

Explore Your Strengths

If you are just beginning to think about your future career, start by thinking about your personal strengths and weaknesses. If you don’t know the answers to these types of questions, there are a few ways to begin to find out. Taking a gap year after high school can teach you a lot about yourself and the world, while training you in skills like leadership. Many schools have counselors who can help you explore your skills, and aptitude tests that can give you general advice on the type of career you might do well in. 

Think About Goals

Once you have an idea of what you are good at, begin thinking about what you want to do with those talents. It is okay if your personal goals don’t necessarily relate directly to your job. You might have a dream to make music, but not necessarily to have a music career, and that’s okay. Many, if not most, adults have separate goals for their personal and professional lives. If that sounds like you, simply think about careers you could perform well in that can offer you the time, benefits or income you need to pursue your personal dreams.

Seek Jobs and Internships

If you still aren’t sure what you’d like to do in your professional life, testing the waters by taking internships, summer jobs or part-time employment can get you a glimpse into the working world. These experiences are valuable in so many ways, as they can not only add to your fledgling resume, they also allow you to get an idea of whether what you are doing is something worth pursuing. Hopefully, you’ll land the perfect job or internship, which will confirm to you exactly what you want to do with your life moving forward. Even if that does not happen, however, even experiences where you learn what types of things you do not want in a career help to narrow your field, which will help you hone in on your dream job.

Talk to Professionals

Once you feel like you have a solid idea of what you want to pursue as a career, it is always a good idea to talk to someone already working in that profession. If you already know someone, talk to them about their experiences throughout their working life. They may have unexpected advice or may give you an idea of the pros and cons you had not considered. If you can, request to shadow a professional in the field of your choice so that you can see what the daily work of that person’s job actually looks like. If you don’t know anyone personally, you should ask your friends and family members, or even a career counselor to see if anyone can put you in touch with someone who can offer you this valuable insight.

Take Classes

If you are considering a certain career, taking classes in the subject can help you to learn more about the content as well as the profession. If you think you want to be a journalist, but you hate your English class, that could be a sign that you need to reevaluate. On the other hand, general education classes you take when you get to University can open your eyes to great new possibilities.

There are many options to consider when you are thinking about the future you want to create for yourself, and the career you want to pursue. Before you choose, there are many ways to think about, select or confirm your choice along the way. Remember that even once your professional life has launched, there is often a pathway to changing it again to something you love even more.