By Kyle Nguyen
No matter who you are there’s something we can all relate to: wanting a good and fulfilling career.
Some of us already know where we’re going to do while others are still trying to find what they want to do for the rest of their lives. If you are one of those people still searching for that right career, it’s ok and completely normal to be in that situation.
It isn’t simple to just pick a career. There are a lot of factors that go into choosing one such as time, happiness, money and overall satisfaction. Some people think about their careers a little late or just can’t pick one; everyone and their situations are different.
Many people are scared to choose one because picking a career is one of the most important choices in anyone’s life. Most of us aren’t prepared for that big jump from high school to college and forget that college is where we make some extreme decisions.
It’s important that we all realize it’s okay to be cautious and that we don’t have to pick a career right now. Most people think that right away after high school you absolutely need to know what you want to do and that isn’t the case.
We have a lot more time than we think and there’s no need to have that perfect plan right away. You don’t need to automatically know everything. It’s okay to make a plan as you go and sure, you’ll trip and fall but if you get back up, you might impress yourself to a degree you never knew.
By far, the most important factor in choosing your career is your happiness. Although many people choose a career based on money, in reality, it’s not about how much money you can make. Being happy allows you to work longer and enjoy what you’re doing with your life. If you’re working in a place with redundant tasks that you hate doing, you’ll hate your job.
But if you’re doing something you really want to do, working isn’t just about work anymore and gives you more freedom and fun. Granted not all of us can do what we love but that’s okay because you might unexpectedly end up growing to love what you’re doing.
Some people will say that those who couldn’t choose a career right away weren’t prepared and should have thought of a plan earlier. Although having a plan makes career choice easier it doesn’t mean that not having a plan isn’t as good.
If you have a plan, there will no doubt be some changes along the way because no plan is perfect and one of those changes could potentially be a career change. But if you carve your plan out and push yourself and choose a career on your own, you’ll know if that’s what you really want to do and you’ll have that satisfaction and proof of overcoming hardship.
If you’re currently stuck choosing what you want to do here are a couple of solutions that you can take.
If you’re on the younger side, such as a freshman or a sophomore, focus on shaping your personality. Of course academics are important and aren’t anything to brush off but personality is just as important. Everyone doesn’t mind someone who does subpar work as long as they are kind and are trying their best. Having a good and likable personality can not only help you get hired but also help you decide what career you want to pursue. Personality is a huge deciding factor in what you want to do because there are certain areas of what we like when it comes to our personality.
One solution for those who really can’t think of anything to do or don’t find interest in finding the right career for them is to seek help. Some of us are stuck and that’s okay. Those who are stuck should seek out an adult, such as a counselor, teacher or any advisor, to help guide you into what you want to do.
At school, resources are available, such as guidance counselors, who are experts in what they do so if you are struggling, contact your counselor and have a conversation with them.
If you are nervous about a counselor or guidance specialist, talk to someone more familiar such as a family member or teacher. Talking to someone can be the gateway to you being interested in a career and very well be the reason you decide on a career.
Another solution that’s usually for juniors or seniors is to start thinking about going to community college. There’s a huge stigma that going to a four-year college is automatically better than going to community college but this isn’t the case. You can use community college to your advantage and take your time there while saving money to figure out what you want to do.
If you’re still having trouble choosing a career way down the road and think you’ll end up a failure, you shouldn’t. No matter who you are, we’ll all end up working somewhere doing something and finding a way to live and even if it wasn’t your dream job, that’s okay.
Everyone will end up working hard to get where they’ll be in the future and they should be proud of that because just doing something and being okay with that is already a success.
