Deciding your career can be too overwhelming as it has a lot of factors to consider. Things like finances, transportation and work opportunities are the common concerns on this obstacle.
Aside from that, another factor is your interests, skills and talents because these are great influences on your career possibilities. All of these combined will make you overthink and mentally tired. One way to avoid that outcome is to do these activities, which can help organize your thoughts and emotions:
Make a list of your interests
Creating a list of everything that you like will make you know yourself better. With this, you can easily weed out any career that is not related to your interests. The list could look something like this:
What I like:
- Drawing
- Colouring
- Fashion
- Painting
- Patterns
What I don’t like:
- Math and anything related to calculations
- Public speaking
Based on your interests in this example, the careers you can take are fashion designer, architect or interior designer. Moreover, the things you dislike are seldom found with these career choices.
Ask professionals
After determining your career choices, follow it up by asking professionals in those industries. Doing this will give you an idea of what they usually do as well as the nature of their work. You can ask the following questions to know how they arrived at where they are right now:
- What degree program did you take back in college?
- What are the hardships you have encountered?
- What made you decide to pursue this career?
- What are the things I need to prepare for this career path?
- How did you cope with your struggles?
Talk to your family and peers
Sharing your career plans with your loved ones will give you feedback. Your family will tell you the possible financial situations you may encounter, and they can give you a background of how they achieved their career. Aside from this, do not hesitate to share your frustrations with your friends! This safe space will let you all share tips, which can help you arrive at a decision.
Go with the flow
In life, there are times when your plans do not go as planned, and that is completely normal. As you grow old, your interests, perspectives and values will change which can divert you to other career choices. When that happens, do not resist this feeling because doing so will only make things hard for you.
It is good to have plans at the beginning, so you know what direction you want to take. However, you also need to accept that some things are not meant for you. So, all you have to do is focus more on the present and worry less about the future. Furthermore, you can seek advice from Rainbow Youth, for we want to help you have the chance of achieving your goals.