How do you choose the right career path for you?
In this video, I’ll share with you expert tips on how to find a career path you’ll love for years to come!
The process of determining a career path is terrifying. It's a huge decision!
You have to dig down deep, think about yourself, and consider what's gonna make you happy throughout your professional career.
Here are a few expert tips to help you choose the right career path for you.
Brainstorm and write down information about you
This can be as simple as asking yourself:
What do I like?
What do I dislike?
What are some of my natural skills and abilities?
What are my career goals?
Where do I want to be in five, ten, twenty, or thirty years?
Check out some of the many wonderful personality and career assessment tools available on the internet.
If you have access, talk to a career counselor or a career development expert. They're wonderful at what they do and are there to help guide you along your professional journey.
Create a list of career options
Use the deep dive from your brainstorming session to put together a list of careers and career paths that interest you. If this feels too specific, write down areas of study that you enjoy.
For example, growing up I was really interested in math and science. I identified this early on and started to look into career paths that supported my interest.
The healthcare field intrigued me so I started looking into healthcare careers where can I could thrive personally and professionally. I discovered optometry and quickly learned it was the perfect fit!
Do a deep dive into careers that peek your interest
Personally, I recommend that you scour the internet and review articles and videos on each career of interest.
From there, write down and identify what are some of the pros and cons of each career path.
What is the long-term job outlook and what is your income potential if you go down that career path?
Of course, seek out mentors to learn more about their professional journey and what it'll take for you to excel in your career.
Job shadow various professions
I'm a huge advocate of job shadowing! It gives you first-hand exposure to a company, field, or career path for free.
If you're unable to shadow in person, consider shadowing virtually or watching "a day in the life" videos on YouTube.
Select a career path and invest in the process of lifelong learning
At this point, you've collected tons of information and have experienced a lot through job shadowing.
Next, rank your top five career paths and consider the following:
Am I the right fit for this career path?
How long will it take me to get to the point in the career that I want to be?
Am I willing to go through all the education and training it takes to be successful in this career?
How much is it going to cost me to obtain all the training and education required?
Take in all this additional information and then choose ONE career path. It's scary to take this leap of faith but you've done all the hard work to get to this point!
From there, invest in the process, never stop learning, never stop growing, and dive right into your professional journey.
Pro tip - Don’t be afraid to pivot to a different career path
It would be amazing if every time someone goes through this process they select one career path and it works out.
Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Many of you will discover that you reach a point in your life and learn that you don't like the career path you selected. It's not what you thought it would be and you want to stop and reassess your options.
Personally, I strongly agree that it's better to re-devote yourself to a career path that you care about than one you absolutely dread and don't want to do for the rest of your life.
If you find yourself in this position - stop, take a step back, reassess your professional journey, and go through the steps above.
Final thoughts
Career exploration is a critical set in choosing the perfect career path for you. It's a lot of work and self-reflection but is completely worth it. When you follow the steps above, you'll be well on your way to a career path you'll love for years to come!
What questions do you have about choosing a career path that's right for you? Let me know in the comments below and stay tuned for my next video where we can reflect and grow stronger together.
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