Choosing The Right Career

For many bright-eyed teenagers, who are fresh out of school, choosing the right industry and career option can be a daunting challenge. We are exposed to many external voices, all commenting on what we should or could do. You've got parents, friends, teachers, councillors and more. Whilst these people usually have your best interests at heart, really, what they want to do, is to protect their agenda.

Parents want you to be successful so they don't have to pay for you anymore. So, they will be happy with whatever job you get, as long as you're not more successful than them! If it looks like your going to be more successful than them or that you are making smart choices, they might even get in your way. Parents want you to be successful so they don't look like bad parents, so they don't look like failures. They may genuinely care about you, but trust me, when it comes to choosing the right career, they will very rarely give the right advice.

Friends want you to be able to pay for things for them. So, they only care so much in that you have a job and that you got some spare money to lavish on them. No one wants to be seen with a rag clad homeless person and if you had no money and dressed like this, think about how many friends you would have... Not many. Friends only care about themselves and will never give you good career advice. Any job will do, for you, unless that job makes them look bad.

Teachers are not great at giving career advice, because they are trained to teach a specific subject or two, on mass, without ever developing a proper connection with students or understanding them as individuals. Teachers are paid to deliver a curriculum of information so that you pass your tests, not so you will find a meaningful and worthwhile career. Whilst teachers may care deeply about their students, they really are not equipped to be able to help you to make the right decisions about your career.

Career counsellors are probably the worst people to talk to about your career options because these people look at your grades, determine what subjects you will be eligible for at uni and work from there. You will never see a career guidance councillor working to get to know you as a person, over time. You'll probably get half an hour with them once or twice. They'll ask generic questions and spit out answers that may be logical, but at their heart, are rudimentary, meaningless and uncaring.

The best person to ask about what you should do for the rest of your life, what you should pour your energy into for countless hours, so you can pay the bills, so you can be happy, is you... It's not anyone else in this world. You know why? It's because no one knows you, like you. It's that simple. Everyone else has some kind of agenda that they care about, most of the time, they care about their agenda more than they care about you.

There are some questions you should be asking yourself before you make up your mind about what you are going to pursue as a serious career:

What am I passionate about?

When you know what you are passionate about, you will know the right direction to head in, because you will know what you will be comfortable doing, for hours on end, without it getting boring or tedious. You'll know how and why you would like to make a difference, all good knowledge to have when choosing your career.

Do I care more about myself or others?

If you care more about other people than yourself and you like making other people happy and this makes you happy. Then you should listen to your parents and listen to your friends and get the job they want you to have. Then you can make everyone happy and you will feel happy. Short term this is easy but long term, not such a good idea because you will end up feeling very empty inside.

Do I want to feel fulfilled or do I want to be full of money?

Some people are quite willing to grit their teeth and pursue a career that makes the bucks but doesn't fulfil them personally, just so they can make lots of money. If you are willing to sacrifice happiness so that you can make a lot of money, then you should listen to your career guidance councillor because they will tell you the exact job you are suited for, that can make the most money, depending on how smart and qualified you are.

What am I good at?

People generally like doing what they are good at and what they get good results in. So, if you are good at something, does this mean you should pursue it as a career? Well, no, not all the time, because despite being good at something, doesn't mean you actually enjoy it and you should always pursue a career in something you enjoy doing.

What makes me happy?

This is the question that everyone trips upon. Money doesn't make you happy. Money only buys you the things you want, not really need. Sure money buys food and clothing but it can't buy love and it can't buy happiness. If you find out what really brings you happiness, you'll be on the right track to finding the right career. It's different for everyone.

What makes me proud?

Pride is a somewhat blasphemed human quality. Ever heard the expression "Pride before a fall? Well, it's not as bad as it's made out to be, because you're going to have to figure out what makes you proud if you are going to work out the right career path for you, personally. Pride also comes from making achievements. You'll need to figure out the kinds of acts and achievements that bring you pride and self-worth if you are going to choose the right career, for you.

My advice to you is that you don't fall in line with anyone else's agenda or vision of what will make you feel worthy, fulfilled and happy, in the long run, regarding your career. The best thing you can do is to follow your heart, this may lead you to a career that makes everyone around you, despise you, but makes you feel the way you want. My advice then is to make some friends at work.

It all comes down to answering the questions above truthfully and getting to the heart of the issue. Then you will be equipped to be able to connect the dots and make the right choices for your long term fulfilment, alone. If you end up working in a job that you were told is the best option for you and isn't really your choice. I can guarantee you'll end up unhappy, because it's not about making the correct choice, it's about making a meaningful, emotional decision that leads to long term emotional stability, peace of mind and sanctuary in doing what you do, for a living.