Are you unsure of what you want your career to look like? Not sure where to start looking? Feeling overwhelmed by all the options out there?
You are not alone. To help you figure things out, here are a few ideas on determining what career is right for you.
Find Out What You Love
Discovering what you are passionate about is half the battle. Once you know what that is, you will gain a better understanding of what type of career you will be happy with.
Take time to assess yourself and ask, “What work makes me feel exhausted, yet accomplished?” The answer to that question is a great place to start your search.
Take a Career Aptitude Test
If you are struggling to find what you are passionate about, try taking a career aptitude test.
iPersonic Career Test and What Career Is Right For Me are examples of the type of tests that will help you to pinpoint areas of interest for your career based on your personality, strengths and weaknesses.
Make a Big List of Careers and Start Cutting
Through out the process of finding what you love and taking a career aptitude test, you should be compiling a list of careers you think you would be interested in pursuing.
You then want to research each of these careers, which will make it easier to start cutting careers off the list. Narrowing down to a few choices is a great place to start!
The Company Means A Lot
In the process of researching careers, it is also important to look at what companies offer these type of roles and researching them as well.
You want to ensure that the company you are going to work for has the same set of values that you do. This can be found in their business strategy and policies surrounding corporate social responsibility.
Get a Mentor
Find out what others have done who have a similar history as you (Enactus experience, education, internships, etc.). People are usually more than happy to chat about themselves and their success with other people.
LinkedIn is a great resource to use for searching people you would be interested in learning about and reaching out to them directly. When you have decided who you want to reach out to, be sure to keep your message to them as concise and personalized as possible.
Take the Pressure Off
Although you should be thinking long term – and asking yourself, “Is what I am doing now getting me to where I want to be?” – you need to take the pressure off.
People change careers all the time. You do not need to feel stuck in the job/career you choose after graduation. Just follow this steps and try to choose something you can see yourself in for a few years.
It can be scary and nerve racking to try and determine what your career is going to look like. However, you have to begin somewhere so begin with this list!