Questions to Ask Yourself When Choosing Your Career:
We all have dreams of living an affluent life and becoming like the role models we see on TV and social media. However, at the root of every successful career is self-assessment. Before you decide who you want to look like or live like, you must understand all you need to get there and how that matches your abilities and passion. A career is not just about money. You have to choose something that you will enjoy building and will keep motivating you to grow. Have a look at some of these self-assessment questions.
Who Am I?
The first important step is understanding yourself. Let us break down this question into specifics.
Your Personality
You must understand your temperaments, character, and ideal working environment. Where you want to work should match how well you handle pressure, your interactions with people, and your social abilities. These are some of the questions you should answer:
• Are you creative or artistic?
• Do you love leading or following others?
• Are you competitive?
• Do you love helping and empowering others?
• Are you an outdoors or indoors person?
• Do you enjoy working with others or alone?
• Do you come up with ideas or take action on existing ideas?
Your Passion and Hobbies
Choosing a career in the direction of what you enjoy doing is vital. This will work hand in hand with your personality. It is easier to find the motivation to do something you enjoy than working on something you dislike. If you don’t enjoy your career, the only benefit and motivation you will have is your monthly salary. Choose your career in the direction of your passion, and enjoy a lifetime of rewarding work.
Skills and Abilities
Your abilities are things you do with ease with or without training. On the other hand, you learn skills through training or practice. These two are essential since they help you decide where to fit easily.
We have two categories of skills; hard skills and soft skills. Hard skills include computer programming, filing, and innovation, whereas soft skills include teamwork, empathy, time management, and problem-solving. Both hard and soft skills are essential in the workplace.
Knowing your abilities and talents is very easy since you may notice them from a young age. These come naturally and are part of your strengths in your chosen field. If you cannot identify them, you can list everything you are good at and ask your family and close friends to help you.
What Are the Requirements?
Now that you know all your capabilities, it is easy to narrow down on the kind of environment that best suits you. The next step is researching the requirements to get into that career. This mainly has to do with the academic qualifications. Ask yourself these questions:
• What grade do I need for higher learning?
• Which course should I take in university/college?
• How many years will I study?
• What are the additional Courses needed?
• Which is the best learning institution near me?
This information helps you prepare your pocket and adjust your life plans according to the study schedule. Investing in the right learning program will help you gain market competitiveness and ensure you have the proper training to start your career path.
The Outcome
After the training season, you need to know what to expect. You do not go from school to millionaire in a day. Ensure you understand the system of operation of the path you choose.
What Is the Market Competitiveness of My Career?
It is essential to find out what the labor market looks like and how easy it is to get a job in the field of choice. While some areas of work may have ready job vacancies, others do not have many entry points. Some people usually start by doing alternative jobs as they look for their dream placement. Depending on what you want to pursue in life, you must understand the employment dynamics in that field.
Always be ready to take on alternatives that may lead you to where you want to be in the long run. However, if there are ready vacancies or you can create a place for yourself, be prepared to take the chance when it arrives. You should also be willing to begin at the available position and work your way up.
What Are the Work Schedules?
Do you know the work routines in your field? You must find out what kind of work schedules to expect even as you prepare to follow that path. Most office work and managerial duties usually operate from morning to evening. These schedules favor those in fields like administration, law, management, and also building and construction.
However, for those in hospitality, medical, transport, and tourism fields, you may require to adjust to different schedules. Most of these involve working in shifts or long hours, especially at the beginning of your career. Therefore, you have to have the right expectations and tune your schedules to fit into the system you will get into.
Salary and Lifestyle
Finally, you have to know the remuneration to expect. Whereas money shouldn’t be the focus of your career, thinking about it is inevitable. What kind of salary do you expect from your work, and how soon do you want to achieve it? While your desired salary may not be what is available initially, you may achieve it in due time as you go up the employment ranks. Your salary will help you achieve your desired lifestyle in your dream home.
Apart from the monetary aspect, consider also where you will live. Careers like banking, law, fashion, and hospitality, require residing in towns and cities since it is where these facilities operate. However, working in the departments of farming or forestry may require living away from big cities.
Conclusion
Before you leap into a field or pursue a course, dig deep into the details of its requirements. Self-discovery and expectation adjustments will help you come to terms with the best career path. Do not jump into a field due to the money. Thriving in your element will help you bring joy to yourself and the people you serve.