When we ask people about the most meaningful parts of their lives, then family, health and work often rank as the top three. Choosing the type of work you intend doing, therefore, is arguably one of the most important decisions you can make.
Selecting a career path can take weeks, months or even years as you continue learning what you want and need in a job.
One of the biggest mistakes that young people make is to follow other people’s dreams when choosing a career.
Be it parents, friends, idols, etc, they follow a path that might not necessarily fit their set of skills or personality. Guard against this.
According to career websites
Talentcor and
Chasing Your Financial Freedom there are five essential tips to follow when making this all important decision:
1. Passion
It might sound like a cliché; however, passion plays an important role to being happy in your career. When being passionate about what you do, your chances of making a good living are much higher. Why? Because you will be able to learn things much faster, therefore climbing the corporate ladder faster
2. Know your work style
Your work style influences your ability to thrive in certain careers. For example, if you’re someone who tends to procrastinate, a career where you report directly to another individual will most likely be better than one where you’re left to your own devices for large parts of the day. There are, of course, other factors that affect your job performance. But, your natural work style plays a big role.
3. Determine Your Goals
What do you want out of a career? Do you want to help other people? Do you want to travel? How much money do you want to make? If you’re pursuing a career that doesn’t align with your long-term goals, it’s unlikely that you’ll ever feel truly satisfied with it.
4. Job availability
When looking for a career path, you should focus on opportunities where the demand is high. Choose a job that is not likely to be replaced by machines or fade away due to advancement in technology. It can be overwhelming to choose a career path that has a limited number of options. You may end up in a position that you were not expecting, and you may have to spend some years slowly working your way up.
5. Pay
You will obviously consider salary when choosing a career. However, you shouldn’t use pay as the only factor or as the most critical factor for consideration. Payment should be one of the several factors that you consider. You may also want to consider the amount you are going to pay for your degree; some pay more than others and require some extra years to pay off student loans.
In taking all these tips into account, remember that you need to be happy with your decision and choice. It is only then that you will give it your best and be a success.
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