5 Steps to Finding A Career That Really Means Something To You

Some people choose a career for all of the wrong reasons. They feel like it’ll make them a lot of money, or it’s something they ‘should’ do, rather than something they truly want to do. Do you find yourself in that situation? We talked earlier this week about how to make a career change go smoothly, but how do you know what is the right field for you?  It’s important that you find a career that means something to you or you might spend your days wondering why you’re unhappy and feel like something is missing. Read on to find out what you can do to find the right path for your career. 

Assess What You Do And Don’t Like About Your Career
Look at all of your past careers, not just the one you’re in now, and assess what you did and didn’t like about them. Write lists. Do you like working with people? Do you like working alone? Are you better early morning or late night? By getting to know yourself in this way you’ll develop a deeper understanding of how you work, and what sort of work environment you’d be best in, and what sort of job you’d like to do.

Know What You’re Good At And Interested In
As well as knowing what you’ve liked from previous jobs, you also need to take into account what you’re good at and interested in overall. What skills do you have - are you a good listener, or communicator in general? Do you love writing? Knowing what you’re interested in is also key, as you want to keep the spark alive in your career. It doesn’t necessarily have to mean turning a hobby into a career, though. You can keep your side hustle if that is not where you want to spend all your time. I have a friend who is an artists and also works for a company. She likes the creative outlet of art - and makes some good money at it - but continues to keep it as a side hustle because she likes the steady work from her corporate job and really gets to enjoy her art when she chooses to do it. 

Listen To Thoughts And Feelings You’ve Always Had But Ignored
Maybe you’ve always had a little nagging thought or feeling in your head about something you have always wanted to try but you’ve ignored it because you thought you didn't have the time or money to try it. Maybe you thought it was too wild or unattainable. Life is too short. If everybody thought that, nobody would be the CEO of a multi million dollar company or star in your favorite Hollywood blockbusters. It might mean more training, it’ll definitely mean getting uncomfortable, but you could ultimately end up where you really want to be. If you further want help on the type of jobs that could suit you, there are useful quizzes online that are actually developed by professionals.

Come Up With A Plan To Employment
Now it’s time to come up with your plan to employment. What will you need to do to get to where you want to be?  Do you need additional schooling like an HR certificate, or IT training, or even a new degree? For example, if you want to start your career with a hotel management degree, you’re going to need to find somewhere reputable in your area to take the classes you need to be successful. Internships are great places to start just to try something out.  You may also reach out to career services for your alma mater.  Even if you are switching career paths, alumni organizations are often very helpful to put you in touch with people in your proposed new field. I highly recommend interviewing people in the field to find out how they got where they are.  Write a list and break it down into baby steps so that you can keep moving forward with confidence.

Don’t Feel Down If You Get It Wrong
Maybe, you go through all of the above and again, it doesn’t feel right. Don’t feel down or beat yourself up. Use this as a great lesson that is further propelling you towards where you’re supposed to be. Don’t compare yourself to others. We each have our own unique timeline. You’ll get to where you’re supposed to be at exactly the right time!