It’s common in young men to be undecided on a career path. Ironically, even when this is one of the most important decisions that a young man makes in his life, it’s one of the many life-altering things that they don’t teach in school. Many young people remain undecided on a career path even when they’ve already earned a college degree. This has a heavy influence on the level of fulfillment a man gets out of his profession.
We all know that a happy worker is a productive worker, and that being satisfied with your career choice is one of the best ways to strike a work-life balance. This is why choosing a career path is far more important than most believe it to be. Like all things, we need a plan, and you can’t formulate a plan if you don’t know where you want to be. This article simplifies the complicated process of choosing a career. These are the simplest ways to help direct you to identify a career path:
Evaluate Yourself
The most basic way to narrow down your career options is to evaluate your skills, your interests, and passions and to match these things with careers. More often than not, this is enough to help you make a shortlist of career paths that are compatible with your skillset. Even when some of these career paths are not currently compatible with your skillset, you also have to account for the likelihood that you’re able to acquire and hone the skills necessary for a career.
Take Career Assessments
Surprisingly, a simple Google search for “career assessment” is going to yield thousands of search results. Career assessments take into account your aptitude for a certain craft, as well as your interests. Some of these assessments are costly and unproven. This is the reason why these tests shouldn’t be your basis for a definite career path. However, it’s productive to take them because they introduce a bit of structure to your career path selection.
Generally, you’re going to want to stick to free tools but if you’re willing to spend a bit of money to help you find your true calling, then consider taking John Holland’s Self Directed Search (SDS).
Consult a Career Coach
Most people will tell you to consult a career coach but what they don’t tell you is when to do so. The best time to consult a career coach is before you secure gainful employment. This is so you have a broader selection of fields you can work in. Gainful employment can make it difficult to look at other options because it’s difficult to leave when you’re compensated well, even when you don’t love the job as much as you should. Remember that career path selection isn’t just about considering what you stand to gain from a career, but also what you’re willing to endure.
Consult Your Local Institutions
Universities and local colleges usually provide career information to their students and sometimes even to the public. Many locales also have employment agencies that work closely with local business owners and companies. These agencies sometimes provide training for some careers. Sometimes, you may not know which career you want to pursue until you’ve tried it. What makes these agencies particularly useful is that they often offer a wide variety of careers to choose from, which means that you’re going to be able to explore and even gain a firsthand experience of what it’s like in the field.
Ask People You Trust
Finally, you can also gain insight from people who know you best in terms of attitude, skills, and work ethic. Your professors, supervisors, and peers are all good sources of insight into a field you’re interested in working at. These people know what it takes to flourish in their field and they are able to determine if you’re a good fit for the job. They may even help you establish connections in the field, especially if you show a lot of potential in a particular field.
If you’re still undecided on a career path after going through these options, your best option will always be to continue adding to your skillset. Chances are, you haven’t found a particular skill that you really love doing. Hone the skills that you currently have, and try to acquire new skills through education.
There are many schools that offer high-quality training across various fields and mediums, whether it’s in medicine, engineering, law enforcement, and even counterterrorism. You should never stagnate. Always keep evolving, because you never know when you might find your true calling.
