How to Find the Right Career Path for You
Making the decision on what career path to follow can be a daunting one. It’s tempting to follow trends, or pursue a career that’s traditionally well-paying, but ultimately, will it make you happy? In this article, we’re going to guide you on how to find the career path that’s right for you.
Identifying Your Strengths and Passions
The first step to finding the right career for you is to identify your strengths and your passions. What tasks do you find yourself naturally excelling in? What activities, topics and people gives you the drive to excel? Intellectually challenging tasks? Creative outlets? Maybe you’re an extrovert and thrive in social settings? Once you’ve got a list of some of your key strengths, it’s time to think about your passions. Are there any topics that excite you? Is there a specific product or industry that you’d love to become an expert on?
Research Your Options
Now that you’ve identified some of your key strengths and passions, it’s time to do some further research. Look into roles that require a combination of the skills you identified, and speak with people already working in those roles. A great way to find out information about certain roles is to reach out on LinkedIn or other online forums. Speak to family and friends – you may be surprised to find someone in your network who works in a role that you’re considering!
Create a Plan for Your Development
Now that you have a clearer idea of what career paths are available to you, start to map out how you could get there. Are there any courses you could start on? Where can you develop your skills? Looking at job adverts can help give you a better idea of the skill set employers require.
Create a Test and Evaluate
If you’re still unsure of what career is right for you, why not create a test opportunity? There may be an internship available in your chosen industry, a part-time job, or perhaps even a freelance project? Experiencing work in your desired sector will allow you to evaluate whether it’s the right career for you. If it turns out that it’s not, it’s okay – you’ll have gained insight from the project which you can use to move forward.
Follow Your Instincts
Finally, trust your instincts. All the research in the world won’t necessarily tell you what you should be doing – that’s up to you. If a certain career path seems right, it probably is. So, don’t be afraid to take the plunge – with any luck, you’ll look back on this moment as the start of something truly special.
The Bottom Line
Finding the right career path for you doesn’t have to be a challenge. By identifying your strengths and passions, researching your options, creating a development plan and ultimately, following your gut, you’re more likely to be heading in the right direction. Good luck!
