Perhaps you already asked yourself this specific question a hundred times. “How do I choose the right career?” Well, you know that it is a challenging decision, and there are tons of factors and considerations that you need to understand. “In order to find the career that is right fit for you, you must first get in touch with your 4 P’s – passion, personality, preferences and principles,” Jamie Lewis Smith, PhD. It is something that you will have to live throughout your life, so every little detail of management, organization, perseverance, sacrifices is a must. Let’s assume you know what you want to do with your life. Will it be enough reason to bring success just by knowing what you have to live through? Try to internalize these significant lessons from a therapist and evaluate yourself after.
The Sad Truth
In today’s generation, a lot of individuals are staying in a job that is not entirely challenging at all. There is a reliance on current needs that makes people stay in a paying job they are not suited ideally. As quoted by Melissa Slawsky, Ph.D., “Aligning your career with your mission (or message) can sustain you when setbacks occur.” Don’t try to get it wrong. What I mean by “not suited ideally” is NOT the thought of someone being incapable of doing a particular job. It is more like doing what they have to do even if they don’t feel happy and satisfied with it. From there, everything becomes a waste of time, energy, as well as life.
Most people think that the idea of staying in a career chosen by the demand of society is something productive. But the truth is, it is not. It can potentially rob someone’s chance of becoming great at something. That explains why a lot of individuals feel a little less interested in pursuing their passion. That instead of trying to spend more time struggling to learn and enhance their skills and talent, they stick to what is currently in front of them – a paying job.
Considering A New Career Path
Trying to change a career is not an easy decision. There are lots of sacrifices to make. It is scary, untimely, costly, and sometimes impractical. However, with a proper understanding and significant guidance, there is a chance that the shift can become better within reach. But before jumping into that particular change, you should realize a couple of things.
- Think About A Career That You Love Doing – One essential idea that you must put in mind when changing a career path is the potential outcome of your sacrifices. You have to be sure that you are choosing a career that you are good at doing. However, that is not all. You must also consider the emotional and mental attachment that will cover the changes in your life. When it is something that makes you happy, then you can rest assure that you are moving forward to the right path. But if it only takes a lot of your time and emotionally and mentally drains you at all cost, then you need to reevaluate.
- Make Use Of Informational Interviewing – Informational interviewing doesn’t necessarily mean you have to set up a meeting with prospective clients. You can do and learn so much just by socializing with different people in their respective industry. If ever you came across a decision of finally knowing what you want to do, you can gather all the information and advice you need from those individuals. With that, you can supply yourself with lots of details that will help you in the decision process.
- Find A Perfect Place To Land – When you already know what career you want and is now trying to integrate it in your life, you must swear to dedicate everything unto it. Because when you end up regretting your chosen career, you will never find a way to move on from it. Instead of growing, you will become more attached to your failure. With that, you will become more obsessed with not wanting to change things in your life anymore. That is not something you would wish to end up, right? Yes, it is easy to try and change things again. But it will not guarantee you a success when you keep on quitting every time you end up failing. “Lastly, even with your current skills and interests that are driving your present career aspirations, count on these changing over time and, therefore, leading to ever-changing career interests,” – David M. Kopp, Ph.D.
In finding a career, you must take time to know yourself. You need to be committed to everything you do. You must put your mind, heart, and soul, in doing your best for that chosen career path. Because if there is a slight doubt in the process, you can expect a sudden failure. But if in case it is not something that brings happiness and fulfillment, you can always continue searching for the right one. Just don’t stop looking at your future.