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How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

  • How To know about the right career path, you can take career quiz or tests available on internet.
  • Use the test results and assess your personality to find the right career.
  • Make some short and long term goals if you want to become successfull in long run. 

 

Do you ever stop to question which career would be the best for you? If yes, then you are not alone. Many people don’t know which career path would be good for them. Remember the time when people asked about what you were going to do for a career after you finished school? Chances are at that time you didn’t have an answer to this question. But it’s quite normal because many of us don’t decide what career path would be the best for us after finishing school.

 

How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

 

Not knowing about what career is best for you is normal but you should do some homework to get the answer to this question. Think of it as a scavenger hunt! You must pay close attention to hints that will lead you towards the answers. Those answers will lead you to further questions. Use your mind and try to keep moving forward. Otherwise, you will remain stuck in this question and will lose the way in deciding the career path.

What career path should I choose? Which job is right in the next step of life? How to even know which career is right? These are some of the questions which you should ask yourself in deciding the career path. Figuring out the perfect career will not happen overnight and you will need some time to explore the right path.

 

A man looking for his path

 

Luckily for you, we are here to help in finding a career which is right for you. There are a few steps that you should follow to discover a career path that’s right for you.

Steps for Finding the Right Career

  1. Assess your personality traits
  2. Don’t copy someone else
  3. Identify your goals and skills
  4. List out and explore your options
  5. Look for overlap
  6. Consult with other people
  7. Make a decision

These seven steps will help you in finding a fulfilling career. However, you need to follow this organized process wisely.

 

People putting up the thumbs up sign

 

Assess your Personality Traits

Many people don’t think about their personality while choosing a career. Due to this, they end up getting a job which they don’t like. Therefore, figuring out your personality is important for you. Do you like to talk to different people or do you want to sit alone? Do you like to sit all day in front of the computer or do you like to go outdoors? Different people will have different personality traits. Some people like public speaking and some people don’t like to spend all day looking at a computer screen. So, choose a career which best suits your personality.

 

People sitting in a meeting

 

For instance, if you like to stay at home and like to write articles, then you can become a freelance writer. On the other hand, if you like to travel a lot then you can become a travel agent. How to figure out your personality? You can take a different personality or career quizzes available on the internet. These tests are not pointless; they can prove to be quite a useful tool in assessing the right career. However, you should consider two things before taking these assessment tests or quizzes.

Things to consider in assessment tests

  • The test should be valid and reliable. The test or quiz should measure what it is claimed to measure. Try to take tests multiple times and if you are getting the same and accurate result on multiple attempts, then the test is reliable and valid.
  • After getting the test results, you should know how to use the result to your advantage. These assessment tests are just a tool and whether to use it or not is up to you. With the test result, you can make a list of prospective careers.

You also ask your family and friends about your personality traits. They can also help in figuring out the best career path.

 

There is a career path for everyone. The image explains the ladder to climbing to the top

 

Don’t Copy Someone Else

Many of us try to copy others’ career paths in order to become rich. For instance, if your friend is a real estate developer and he or she has gone from rags to riches then it isn’t necessary that you should become a real estate developer too. Every person doesn’t have the same personality traits.

 

A compass

 

Identify Your Goals and Skills

Figuring out your personality is one thing but identifying goals and skills is another important step in finding the best career path. For instance, if your goal is only to earn a lot of money then you should go for in-demand jobs in the industry like tech. However, you must have the required skills to get that job. So, it’s better to identify your goals and skills before deciding your career.

 

How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

 

List Out and Explore Your Options

To find the best career, you need to make a list of all the options. From different assessment tests, make a list of the perfect professions that match your personality traits. Once you have written every option in the list, try to analyze and choose the options which aren’t right for you.

 

How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

 

By narrowing down the list, you will get to know about the options that are appealing to you. When you write down your options, you get to know about different professions that you can explore.  You will be familiar with some of the professions on the list, so there is no harm in exploring those professions further. You should have different options in the list so you can rank the options from best to worst.

Look for Overlap

There is a difference between what you’re good at, what you like to do, and what companies want. But there is an overlap between all three. Instead of looking at the job titles, you should be looking at your skills, interests and hobbies and then converting them into finding the ideal career path. If you have any previous job experience, then use it to as advantage for your future.

 

A map showing careers

 

What did you like in previous jobs? What did you dislike in the previous job? Figuring out your values and skills will help you identify a career that best fits your aptitude and interests.

Consult with other People

Whether you are searching for a new job or just trying to change your career path, you should consult with other people who might have first-hand knowledge about the career you are interested in. You can ask them about their experience, the environment of the company and some other details.

LinkedIn is a great way of connecting with different people. You can conduct a small informational interview with them regarding the career paths that you have listed down. It is quite a vital step in choosing a career path because consulting such people with first-hand knowledge can influence your decision.

 

People talking while working

 

For instance, if you got a job offer from a company and you don’t know anything about the culture and environment there, you can inquire about it from the people in your network. Are people in the company you’re considering competitive or collaborative with one another? You can ask people who have worked there or working there about it. It is better to do some inquiry before making your decision.

Make a Decision about your Career

After conducting due research, you are in a position to decide on your career path. Choose a career that will bring the most satisfaction and joy to you. If you are not satisfied with your answer or still have confusion, you can repeat all the steps given above. Repeat the steps until you reach a decision. If you are planning to change careers at any stage of your life, you can use these steps as well.

An image saying that passion led us here

Conclusion

In conclusion, there are different ways to choose the right career path. You can go to a career counsellor and ask him or her about the potential career you can choose. Take a piece of advice from them and conduct your research as well to steer in the right career direction.

Many people graduating from universities still do not know about their career. There isn’t any shame in admitting it because many students are just doing it for the sake of earning a university degree. For example, a person has an interest in computers but his or her parents want to make him or her a mechanical engineer. He or she will just pursue this career path because of the parents and will have no interest in it. Therefore, compromising your goals and dreams because you are too afraid to tell your parents about it is the stupidest thing you can do in choosing a career path.

 

How to Know Which Career Would Be the Best for You

 

With the steps mentioned above, you will be able to find a career that fits your needs. Finding a job which makes you happy isn’t easy so following these steps will help you in finding the right career and will save you a great deal of struggle.

Written by Umer Zahid