APU Careers Careers & Learning

Know Yourself to Know Your Career

finding-career-directionBy Adrienne Erin
Online Career Tips, Contributor

Finding the right career can be difficult for anyone. Think about it. At the age of 18, following high school graduation, we are expected to know what we want for our future and have to decide upon a school or vocational path that will take us in that direction. Changing midway through the educational process or at any point in life can seem like a crazy move that’s not worth the effort.

Maybe you’re at the starting point—deciding on educational courses that would best suit your long-term goals. Or, maybe you’ve been in the professional world for decades and are looking for a change. Whatever the case, the prospects can seem overwhelming.

That’s okay. I’m not here to tell you it should be simple and to lay out a plan for you to follow that will get you exactly where you want to go. But, I am going to tell you one thing: to find the right career you must first know yourself.

Know Your Goals

Think about what you want out of life…both in the next year and the next 40. Where do you want to go? What lifestyle do you want to achieve? What do you want to accomplish?

Make them into a list. Think about your goals (both financial and not), and move forward. If you’re looking to become rich and famous, majoring in social work is probably not what’s best for you. If you’re looking to work with young children, accounting probably isn’t the way to go.

Many people will have opinions. Parents, spouses, co-workers and others will all tell you what they think is best and what your goals should be. Despite these influences, it has to start with you as you decide what your true goals in life are.

Know Your Passions

Think about what gets you out of bed every morning…about what really makes you tick. Chances are, that’s what you’re most passionate about. Your career choice should fit with that passion. If it doesn’t, you will not be happy and your chance of staying in that profession for the long term is slim to none.

Instead, look for a career that fits your passions. If you love reading articles about stress relief and hot water massage, perhaps becoming a certified masseuse is best for you. If you want to help kids in third world countries, maybe starting with an overseas relief project could help determine if that’s right for you. Use volunteer work, internships, and temp work to “try on” a career path before completely committing to it if you aren’t sure.

The bottom line is this: you must be passionate about your career to make it last. Know your passions.

Know Your Strengths

Just as important as your passions are your strengths. While you may be passionate about basketball, if you’re 5’3” and couldn’t hit the basket if you tried the NBA probably isn’t your best bet. Despite this, maybe you’re great at writing. Becoming a sports writer might be appropriate based on this strength.

This is just one example. They key is to make your passion align with your strengths. If you’re unsure of your strengths, ask someone close to you, a parent, a friend, a supervisor, a co-worker… anyone. They may be better equipped to help you narrow down your options.

Whatever point you’ve reached in life it comes down to this: know yourself. Knowing yourself and the parts that make you unique will lead to a better career outcome and more satisfaction in the long run.

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