Choosing career path

Well I am still busy searching and still trying to find my own.

Paulo Coelho says

"And, when you want something, all the universe conspires in helping you to achieve it."

In another book he wrote,

"If a person is living out his destiny, he knows everything he needs to know. There is only one thing that makes a dream impossible to achieve : the fear of failure."

But lets leave the meaning of these esoteric quotes for another day and discuss something practical instead.

If you are worried as to how you should choose a career path then keep reading. I have shared my experiences regarding what I think a person should do to explore and choose a career below:

1. Interview people

Some people are passionate about certain things since their childhood and they make sure that they pursue that passion and they really end up realizing their dreams. But this doesn't happen with everybody in the world so the next best thing for you is to research.

After graduating from high school (or even before that) talk to people about their professions and try to learn from them what they do and what a day in their professional life looks like and then think yourself whether you would like to see yourself working in the same position as them.

"How does it feel like working at this farm?"

"I am running on full capacity giving 10 liters milk daily."

"Holy Cow! That's too much!

"Benefits like grazing in this pasture all day long more than makes up for the loss."

2. Do as many internships as humanly possible

Even if you have already started a degree there are several distinct career paths which you can choose after graduation. The best way to test the jobs is to try doing as many internships as possible. They will not only let you sharpen your practical knowledge while you are in the university, but also let you observe different types of positions on which people are working.

Observe everything carefully while at internship

3. Follow your dreams but ready yourself for sacrifices

Many people advise that one should follow his dreams. While there is nothing wrong in pursuing one's dreams there is a strong possibility that you will run into things which you don't like. So you should practice intense realism (as Joost Elfers call it) while chasing your dreams and you should be willing to make sacrifices along the way.

“There are some people who live in a dream world, and there are some who face reality; and then there are those who turn one into the other.” Douglas H. Everett

4. Discover your strengths

Although this might sound odd but it is true that you are unaware of many of your natural talents. People, many a times, tend to overlook or underestimate some of their natural talents in the same manner as they exaggerate some of their attributes.

Now, don't just walk up to some of your friend and start asking for your natural talents. She might exaggerate your talents and you end up trotting arrogantly, full of yourself. Conversely, she can also underestimate your winning qualities causing you to feel even more depressed. What I suggest is to talk to anyone you can trust in terms of wisdom, for instance, your professor, maybe your parents or someone who has already experienced life, someone seasoned.

"I look so cool, why should I get advice."

5. Observe what makes you happy

OK, watching TV and lying in the couch may make some people happy but there are many other things in life that will interest you. See if its the numbers and number-crunching that interest you or painting florid landscapes. This may lead us into the left-brain and right brain personality discussion (which we will discuss some other day), the point is to actively observe your likes and dislikes and try to align your future career with them.



Good Luck!