“What do you want to be when you grow up?” Almost every single child gets asked this question and the answer is invariably something exciting like a princess or superman, perhaps even an astronaut. The answer seemed to come so much easier back then, than it does now. Deciding what you want to do for a living is no walk in the park, especially when you are young and in high school or just starting out at university.
It can be overwhelming to try to think about what you want to do for the rest of your life. But here’s the thing, your career choice may change a lot throughout your life so take it easy and figure it out as you go along. The aim of this article is to get you started on some kind of path and possibly even get you headed in the right direction. We have put together 5 hot tips to get you started on your career journey.
5 hot tips for finding your best career path
- Choose something that is in line with your interests:
What are you interested in? What do you enjoy reading? What do you love talking about? What are your favourite things to do? Your interests are a great starting point. To find fulfilment, you must venture into a career that you will enjoy. Also, you have a greater chance of doing really well at your job if you find something that you love.
- Consider your skills, talents and strengths:
If you are great at reading music and have a beautiful singing voice, perhaps you should consider a career in music. But if you have great leadership and organisational skills, maybe a career in management is ideal for you. If you have a knack for numbers and an analytical mind, accountancy could be calling your name. Consider what you are good at, combine it with what you’re passionate about and let that be your guide. - Do your research:
Take your time and research different careers and see which ones appeal to you the most. Most universities have online prospectuses that can be downloaded. A prospectus is a document that lists different university courses and what they entail. There is a variety of courses you can take and they all lead to different careers. Don’t just jump into something you’re only half sure of, only to have regrets later. Take it easy and go slow.
- Find a mentor:
If you have an idea of what you would like to do, find a mentor in that field and ask them a whole lot of questions, and remember, there’s no such thing as a stupid question when it comes to your career. This will give you an idea of what your career of interest entails and you can decide whether you want to consider something else or stick to what you have chosen. A mentor can help make or break your decision. - Do a bit of job shadowing during the school holidays:
Find a company that does what you are interested in and spend a few days at their offices. Seeing people in action will help you decide whether your career of interest is actually for you, not to mention it looks great on your CV.
Trying to decide what you want to do with forever and beyond can be quite daunting as there are so many career options out there, and some you probably didn’t even know existed. The trick is to be guided by your interests, talents and skills, and to find a mentor who will guide you. Remember to take your time and do as much research as possible so that you can go into a career that you will love. When you do what you love, you will surely thrive!
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