A career represents a significant time investment.
For many people, a career represents years or even decades dedicated to a single line of work. Because of this significant time investment, some feel reluctant to jump in or even begin a career. A number of considerations and self evaluations, though, ensure that you choose a career that is right for you.
Interests
According to the career and education advice website College Career Life, your personal interests top the list of considerations when choosing a career. While building a career out of a hobby or a passion might seem ideal, few employees find themselves working in their most desired field. Instead, College Career Life recommends choosing a career that holds interest enough that routine work is not boring. In addition, Penn State University recommends assessing a potential career path by evaluating what activities you pursue for fun, subjects you enjoy reading in books or seeing on television, courses you most enjoyed in school and what careers you find dominating your daydreams. Penn State also recommends evaluating topics that do not hold your interest or that you find boring, then avoiding related careers.
People Skills
Some people, according to College Career Life, thrive on constant conversations and interaction with others. These extroverted individuals likely prefer a career path that includes a large amount of interpersonal activities and communication, such as sales and customer service. Others, in contrast, need time to relax in isolation and enjoy peaceful downtime, and some simply prefer to avoid others altogether. Although some people intentionally choose a career with high exposure to others, College Career Life recommends choosing work that balances alone time and interpersonal activities.
Geography
The personal finance website the Simple Dollar notes that people who prefer not to move for work find their career choices somewhat limited. If you want to stay in your hometown, choose a career with a company or in an industry that thrives in your area. If you do not mind moving away, though, geography becomes less of a consideration.
Values
According to the Simple Dollar, some people find that otherwise exciting and enjoyable careers become uncomfortably mired in politics and ethical dilemmas. Others find careers helping others or serving the community more rewarding than higher-paying fields. Career experts at Penn State recommend evaluating issues such as personal philosophies, moral perspectives and religious and spiritual standings before fully jumping into a career. The Simple Dollar also recommends asking people already working in a particular line of work about office politics, ethical responsibilities and day-to-day activities.
Compensation
Most people work to earn an income, but different levels of income appeal to different people. The Simple Dollar notes that the ideal career need not pay a high salary, but it does need to offer a paycheck that covers basic necessities such as rent, utilities and food. Some jobs supplement paychecks with company-subsidized housing, free food or a vehicle allowance, and additional nonfinancial benefits can make a low paycheck more palatable.
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