Choosing a career can be a very daunting choice, especially when you are very young. Most people don’t know what are the possibilities and what is best for them. This creates a state of confusion and something as powerful as a mind when confused can’t make any progress!
Choosing a career and being successful at it requires intersection of these three aspects:
- Interest (what do you love to do)
- Aptitude (what are you good at)
- Rewards (what can pay you well)
Image Source: influential.com.au
I read somewhere that the toughest task is to know yourself. If you know your strengths and weaknesses clearly, then you would be able to make a very wise choice of what you can you be successful at, given enough time and persistence!
So let’s see how can you know your strengths and weaknesses. Here are some bent of mind you might have, which would indicate in what area you have a strong aptitude in. Some of these areas can be overlapping.
- Logical: Thinking, Reasoning, Judgement, Puzzle solving
- Artistic: Drawing, Painting, Carving things out.
- Attention to detail: Detail oriented, Research work
- Soft skills: People, Communication, Street smart, Negotiation, Leadership
- Physical: Physical strength, Mechanical tool handling, Sports, Looks
- Mental: Strategy, Planning, Not giving up, Hard working, Persistence
If you pay attention, you would get feedback from parents, teachers, friends while living your life, indicating what bent of mind do you have. Do a strength and weakness analysis yourself, ask your parents and teachers to help, may be few close friends who can help evaluate what strengths and weaknesses you have.
After this exercise when you know what your aptitude is, then list down what are few careers you have in mind. Find out what would each of these career choices require to be successful, what would it entail you doing on daily basis, what bent of mind would it extensively demand?
Once you have these two sets of qualities in line, just do a match and you would be much clearer in your head as to what choice you would have the best on. Then a great idea would be to talk to people who are already pursuing that career. Ask them challenges and rewards, their daily routine and open up to them with your analysis. Ask a lot of questions. Every discussion will give you more clarity.
It’s a very important choice, so spend a lot of time analyzing and deciding! If you need help on making the right choice, don’t hesitate to talk to our Career Coaches on YourDOST and seek advice!