7 answers
Eric
Student
Bronx, ID
3
Questions
Asked
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Is it okay to not know what you want to do as a career?
As a senior in high school, I've reached the point where I have to start applying to colleges. But I don't know what I want to do with my life. When I first came to the U.S, all my peers seem to be ready for college and already know what they want to do in life. It still scares me that my academics won't matter if I don't have a clear career path I want to pursue. I have interest in a lot of career paths right now but unlike my peers, I have not decided on one yet. I even planned on picking the one that pays the most but my mom told me to pick one that will make me happy. I'm scared to go to college with no decided major or career path in mind.
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7 answers
Monica Chibuogwu
Educational Consulting/Counseling
78
Answers
Lagos, Nigeria
Updated
Monica’s Answer
Hello Eric, trust you are fine ☺️
I completely understand your concerns, and I'm here to reassure you that it's totally okay to not have your entire career mapped out just yet. In fact, it's more than normal - it's expected! Many students enter college as undecided or exploratory majors, and that's perfectly fine. Some even discover new passions after completing their first degree, while others might pivot after their master's.
The truth is, life is full of twists and turns, and the only constant is change.
College is an incredible opportunity to explore your interests, ignite new passions, and uncover your strengths. You'll have the chance to dive into various courses, engage in extracurricular activities, and seek guidance from advisors and mentors who genuinely care about your success.
It's fantastic that you have multiple interests and are considering different career paths. That curiosity and openness are essential for growth, exploration, and discovering your true potential.
Your mom's advice is spot on, by the way! While financial stability is important, pursuing a career that brings you joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose is equally crucial for your well-being and success.
Here's the thing, your academic journey✈️ is not a straight line; it's a winding path of discovery. It's okay to take your time figuring things out. You might change your major, pursue internships, or explore different fields through volunteering or job shadowing.
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I'd like to share a brief story about my own career journey to illustrate that it's okay to not have everything figured out. I went into college undecided, and when I graduated, I was still unsure about my career path. However, during my reflection, I discovered a job opportunity at a school that needed a graduate in Agricultural Science. I took the job, and while working, I discovered my passion for teaching and counseling. Today, I'm grateful for that winding path, which led me to where I am now.
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Eric, your worth and identity extend far beyond your career choices. You are a unique, talented, and capable individual with passions, values, and strengths that will guide you toward a fulfilling career.
Remember, your journey is unique, and it's okay to take your time. You've got the support of everyone here in Career Village, and most importantly, you've got yourself. Keep exploring, learning, and growing.
You're going to do amazing things💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
I completely understand your concerns, and I'm here to reassure you that it's totally okay to not have your entire career mapped out just yet. In fact, it's more than normal - it's expected! Many students enter college as undecided or exploratory majors, and that's perfectly fine. Some even discover new passions after completing their first degree, while others might pivot after their master's.
The truth is, life is full of twists and turns, and the only constant is change.
College is an incredible opportunity to explore your interests, ignite new passions, and uncover your strengths. You'll have the chance to dive into various courses, engage in extracurricular activities, and seek guidance from advisors and mentors who genuinely care about your success.
It's fantastic that you have multiple interests and are considering different career paths. That curiosity and openness are essential for growth, exploration, and discovering your true potential.
Your mom's advice is spot on, by the way! While financial stability is important, pursuing a career that brings you joy, fulfillment, and a sense of purpose is equally crucial for your well-being and success.
Here's the thing, your academic journey✈️ is not a straight line; it's a winding path of discovery. It's okay to take your time figuring things out. You might change your major, pursue internships, or explore different fields through volunteering or job shadowing.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
I'd like to share a brief story about my own career journey to illustrate that it's okay to not have everything figured out. I went into college undecided, and when I graduated, I was still unsure about my career path. However, during my reflection, I discovered a job opportunity at a school that needed a graduate in Agricultural Science. I took the job, and while working, I discovered my passion for teaching and counseling. Today, I'm grateful for that winding path, which led me to where I am now.
✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨✨
Eric, your worth and identity extend far beyond your career choices. You are a unique, talented, and capable individual with passions, values, and strengths that will guide you toward a fulfilling career.
Remember, your journey is unique, and it's okay to take your time. You've got the support of everyone here in Career Village, and most importantly, you've got yourself. Keep exploring, learning, and growing.
You're going to do amazing things💪🏽💪🏽💪🏽
Thank you so much Ms Monica, I will use your advice to try many different things in college so I can discover what I enjoy as a career.
Eric
Arielle Goldberg
Software Developer
2
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Arielle’s Answer
To echo all of the other answers, it is absolutely okay to feel unsure about what you want to do! In fact, I changed my major 3 times just in my first semester at college! As I started taking classes and being exposed to new things, as cliche as it sounds, it was important to listen to my heart about what was interesting to me from the new things I was learning.
Rather than focusing specifically on a career or specific profession, I found it helpful to focus on general ideas that interested me. For example, did I want to make things & be really hands-on? Did I want to help people? Did I like math or history or both? Personally, I am very interested in technology, but I am also interested in helping improve people's lives. That led me to pursue a master's degree in Information Science, which at my school was about researching & designing human-technology interaction. When I was in high school, I didn't even know that was an option! Once you can find these general ideas that interest you, you can start to find majors or careers that align with those interests.
But remember, you can always change your mind! As you continue your education and career journey, you will learn more about new areas (that you might've not even known were options!), and you can pivot to something that interests you even more than what you are currently doing!
Rather than focusing specifically on a career or specific profession, I found it helpful to focus on general ideas that interested me. For example, did I want to make things & be really hands-on? Did I want to help people? Did I like math or history or both? Personally, I am very interested in technology, but I am also interested in helping improve people's lives. That led me to pursue a master's degree in Information Science, which at my school was about researching & designing human-technology interaction. When I was in high school, I didn't even know that was an option! Once you can find these general ideas that interest you, you can start to find majors or careers that align with those interests.
But remember, you can always change your mind! As you continue your education and career journey, you will learn more about new areas (that you might've not even known were options!), and you can pivot to something that interests you even more than what you are currently doing!
Itamar Costa
Accountant
10
Answers
Lisbon, Portugal
Updated
Itamar’s Answer
It’s totally normal to feel unsure, but there are ways to explore your options:
Explore Interests: Reflect on the activities, subjects, or hobbies that make you feel energized or curious.
Take Career Quizzes: Use online assessments to find careers that align with your strengths and personality.
Research Careers: Dive into different jobs by watching videos, reading articles, or shadowing professionals.
Talk to Others: Ask teachers, family, or mentors about their career paths for inspiration and guidance.
Stay Open: Keep exploring, and trust that your path will become clearer with time.
Remember, you don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Many successful people didn’t know what they wanted to do at your age.
Explore Interests: Reflect on the activities, subjects, or hobbies that make you feel energized or curious.
Take Career Quizzes: Use online assessments to find careers that align with your strengths and personality.
Research Careers: Dive into different jobs by watching videos, reading articles, or shadowing professionals.
Talk to Others: Ask teachers, family, or mentors about their career paths for inspiration and guidance.
Stay Open: Keep exploring, and trust that your path will become clearer with time.
Remember, you don’t have to have it all figured out right now. Many successful people didn’t know what they wanted to do at your age.
This advice is very helpful. Thank you Mr Itamar. I will try all the options.
Eric
Danuta Charland, PhD, MCJ, CAGS
Pre-Health Academic Advisor
20
Answers
Boston, Massachusetts
Updated
Danuta’s Answer
Studies indicate that a majority- more than 80%, of college sophomores change their majors. It's completely normal to be uncertain about your future career. Many adults, for instance, often switch careers due to job dissatisfaction or burnout.
Sometimes, students choose specific majors to satisfy their parents or to fit in with their friends who might influence them to study the same subjects.
Consider taking the 16 Personalities or MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) test to discover your interests. This test offers valuable insights into different personality types and recommends careers that match these traits. You can try the free version "16Personalities Test" by googling it.
Sometimes, students choose specific majors to satisfy their parents or to fit in with their friends who might influence them to study the same subjects.
Consider taking the 16 Personalities or MBTI (Myers-Briggs Type Indicator) test to discover your interests. This test offers valuable insights into different personality types and recommends careers that match these traits. You can try the free version "16Personalities Test" by googling it.
Lorena Scabello
Software developer
3
Answers
Campinas, Brazil
Updated
Lorena’s Answer
It's perfectly okay to feel unsure about what you want to do, especially when you're young and new to the world of college. Remember, if you pick something and later realize it's not what you want for your life, it's completely fine to switch it up. You can change your courses as many times as you need to. Being indecisive is natural, especially when it comes to making such a significant life decision.
You rock! This advice is very helpful.
Eric
Elizabeth Thesing
Engineering
8
Answers
Springfield, Ohio
Updated
Elizabeth’s Answer
I'm going to tell you a secret of mine: I still don't know what I want my career to be, and I've been in the workforce for over a decade!
My career path reflects this somewhat, though until my current position I've always been in something related to engineering. Another secret: having an engineering degree has opened up my world because employers want people who "know how to think." I haven't used the meat of my degree (chemistry) in any of my positions, but I've had success in all of them!
Really, though, any degree can propel you on a path to a fulfilling career. You don't have to have it figured out now - in fact, most students in their first year of college are taking basic required classes anyway and haven't started to specialize yet. You almost have a built-in year at college to learn more about what you might want to do!
One option you have, if one is close by, is to take your pre-reqs at a community college your first year while you learn more about degree options. This might save you some money while also giving you time to figure out what path to pursue. Most accredited colleges have classes that transfer to universities for credit, but you would want to verify that before signing up for classes if you go that route.
I recommend visiting some universities when they have open houses on their various programs. Ask questions about what kinds of classes you'd be taking and what job opportunities graduates have. You can also look up some of this online, but I feel visiting in person (when possible) allows for more open discussion and Q&A sessions.
You don't have to have it figured out yet! You are doing just fine even thinking about it now. Think about what classes you like, what interests you have, and what you enjoy learning about. Then research what degrees will allow you to follow up on those interests!
And if you get a degree and later change careers, just know that you're in a good group of people who have done the same. It's okay to change careers after college! We are human, our interests, wants, and needs change all the time!
My career path reflects this somewhat, though until my current position I've always been in something related to engineering. Another secret: having an engineering degree has opened up my world because employers want people who "know how to think." I haven't used the meat of my degree (chemistry) in any of my positions, but I've had success in all of them!
Really, though, any degree can propel you on a path to a fulfilling career. You don't have to have it figured out now - in fact, most students in their first year of college are taking basic required classes anyway and haven't started to specialize yet. You almost have a built-in year at college to learn more about what you might want to do!
One option you have, if one is close by, is to take your pre-reqs at a community college your first year while you learn more about degree options. This might save you some money while also giving you time to figure out what path to pursue. Most accredited colleges have classes that transfer to universities for credit, but you would want to verify that before signing up for classes if you go that route.
I recommend visiting some universities when they have open houses on their various programs. Ask questions about what kinds of classes you'd be taking and what job opportunities graduates have. You can also look up some of this online, but I feel visiting in person (when possible) allows for more open discussion and Q&A sessions.
You don't have to have it figured out yet! You are doing just fine even thinking about it now. Think about what classes you like, what interests you have, and what you enjoy learning about. Then research what degrees will allow you to follow up on those interests!
And if you get a degree and later change careers, just know that you're in a good group of people who have done the same. It's okay to change careers after college! We are human, our interests, wants, and needs change all the time!
Thank you for the advice Ms Elizabeth. I will try to go to open houses so I can find the best college possible for me.
Eric
Joseph Ford
172
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Joseph’s Answer
Your mother is sooooooooooooo right. Pick the area that gives you joy and makes you happy. College can be exciting and fun but what is also will do is help you mature and grow. The areas of study for you or anyone should be in either Liberal Arts or a particular subject matter that has your interest. Remember you can always change your path and remember to always listen to your mother. lol
I appreciate the advice Mr Joseph.
Eric