Deciding on your future career path is one of the biggest decisions you will ever make. For the lucky ones, you’ve always known what you wanted to do, it was instinctive, almost as though you were born to do that role. For others, it’s not quite so clear, so you’ll need to dedicate some quality thinking time to the subject. For those of you who have no clue what you want to do, here we have compiled a variety of questions to help make that decision a little easier for you to make.
When you consider the level of time you spend within the workplace, it’s no wonder the impact it has on your lifestyle, your family commitments and on your health. Your job is also an important part of your identity. The importance of choosing the right career can make you feel somewhat pressured and stressed, which is why we’ve compiled the following questions to help;
- What Do You Like Doing?
Those who are happiest in their roles tend to be doing something they have a keen interest in. For examples, those that love to write become writers, those who love animals may choose to be a vet or veterinary nurse and so on. To find a career that’ll be both enjoyable and long-lasting to you, consider the following;
- What do you like best? Working with people? With animals? With data? With design? With communication?
- How do you enjoy spending your free time? Do you read a lot, if so, what kind of books do you read? Do you like to watch films, if so what films do you like? Are you musical? Do you like art? Do you volunteer your time to help others?
- If you were to spend the evening out, where would you go? To the cinema? To a gallery? Out to socialise? Would you prefer to be indoors or outdoors?
- What Are Your Skills and Strengths?
Strengths are talents you have developed through practice. Some of us are naturally good at English or Mathematics, while others are gifted with language. Write down your skills on paper to allow you to feel confident about your skills set and what you have to offer.
Take time to identify the things you excel at. Think about specific skills you’ve acquired, such as recording data or fluency in a foreign language as well as life skills, such as time management and teamwork.
- What Are Your Values?
Each of us have values, these are the things that are most important to us. If you value success and money, you’re likely to seek a job that pays generously and that gives you status. If you value your own happiness over everything else, you’re more likely to choose a job that makes you happy.
It may be that you value working alone, as opposed to working in a group, in which case you’ll seek a role that enables you to be solitary, whilst others may value direction and prefer to have supervision and guidance.
- What Are Your Personality Traits?
Your personality is also an important consideration when deciding on a career. For example, are you an extrovert who thrives on communication or an introvert who prospers on alone-time? Do you consider yourself to be creative, or are you more interested in routine? Do you prefer helping other people, or influencing other people, or not working with people? Are you a thinker or a doer? Each of these questions should help you to determine how your personality traits relate to your chosen career path.
- Where Do You Want to Live?
Different jobs lead to different environments. For example, agriculturalists will most likely be based in a rural area, but if you want to work in finance or insurance, you’re most likely to be based in an urban area. Some jobs can be undertaken from home, whilst other jobs require regular face-to-face meetings and require you to be office based. Some jobs also require frequent travelling. It’s important to choose a lifestyle that works for you, so do give your preferred future location some thought.
