Each one of us go through this dilemma of choosing the right career path for ourselves at least once in a lifetime… for many it is a question that pops-up more often than once… Let’s see how we can articulate our thoughts to get a useful answer.
Making a choice for a career looks like a lifetime commitment and therefore it can be quiet intimidating. Questions like- “how do I know that it’s the right thing for me?” or “I don’t know what this career path offers?” or possibly “ Is there a future scope in this field?” …. There surely will be many many many more questions and doubts in your head when it comes to taking a decision for the so called ‘Right’ career….
Let’s start step by step and try to get there….
1. Checkout your Interests…
If you do what you love as your job then you won’t have to work a single day in your life. Make a list of all the things that you love doing… some of these may be the things that you pursued as extracurricular activities or hobbies…. Think of it in a way that if you had to do that thing 24/7 you would enjoy every minute of it. The list that you prepare may give you a direct hint to what you should choose as a career, while sometimes it is more of an indicative list… suggesting combination of hobbies into one career….
example:
I love blogging, I love travelling…. Then I could become a travel blogger …. Many hobbies relate to the real world highly paid careers. One single hobby could also have many career options…. Like for example I love drawing… in this case I could become illustrator, artist or even graphic designer…. Now prepare that extensive list….
2. Checkout your skill sets…
Apart from your interests and hobbies, your skills are like your unique selling points… The skills we have make us different from others. Choosing the right career based on your skill set is a good idea as you will be able to do it with ease. Think about what you are good at and what comes naturally to you… for example some people are naturally good at cooking or may be sketching or may be math…. If you choose a career based on a skill that you already have, you have a good chance of a secure future.
Suggestion:
Sometimes it may not be easy to list your skills, in that case ask people around you… you may get a good insight into your skills, some of them you may didn’t even know you had… like for example your friends and teachers may tell you that you have leadership skills, or you are good at public talks or you are creative or good at repairing things…. Make a list of such skills…. These can be turned into potential careers… these can be combined with interests listed before and can give you good career options…
3. Checkout your limitations….
Sometimes it takes more time to think and decide what career path you wish to choose… this is absolutely fine. It is ok to be unclear and unsure in the beginning. Many of your friends would have already made their career choices and are already working towards fulfilling their dreams, while you may be struggling to find the answer. Remember; it’s ok to take time. Rather it’s better to take some more time to make a decision that is right for you than rushing into the wrong one. Ideally you want a career that will result into less stress, more happiness, and more money in the future etc….. , for this it is important that you have a very good understanding of what you want and what you enjoy. For some people, this means taking some time off to decide what’s important to them. Do not feel bad if you need time off… Other than time, do consider your current and near future financial condition. You may be working hard and preparing for pursuing a course that you cannot afford… In this case you must not immediately give-up on your dreams.
Tip:
Checkout options like student loans, grants, aids or scholarships…. See if you need to prepare for these in
terms of an interview or an application form etc… being aware and prepared for a financial situation is always better. Other limitations could be travelling. Many students prefer to take education from their home town and do not wish to travel. Reasons could be many- finances, do not wish to be away from home, not able to manage on their own etc…. if that is the case with you then you will compulsorily have to look for institutes offering the course of your dreams in your home-town….
4. Checkout the Future scope….
Talking and thinking about future can bring up a lot of uncertainties for many as we don’t have a clear idea of the future. But not including ‘future’ in the process of choosing career path will be a bad idea. You can carefully list or look at options like where you see yourself working? Is it a family business or an office next to your house? What does your dream job look like? Or you see yourself as an entrepreneur? What kind of salary or earnings you are looking at? Compare the growth graphs of various careers… Define what acceptable financial security is for you? Also check future job stability. Some jobs are always in demand while some fluctuate with the market needs. Look at different careers and also study on an average how much money they make…. Based on this you can further fine tune your options….
Your career has to be a balanced combination of what you love and how much you earn….
At the end prepare a career board or a dream board and try to organize your thoughts and aspirations…
We hope this blog was helpful to you… for career counselling in design field get in touch with us at www.acubestudio.org or book an appointment by calling 8600012342
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