Itzel
I have many option for a career but don't know which one to pick what can I do to choose the one that best fits me?
#decisionmaking
2 answers
Bawana Radhakrishnan
Bawana’s Answer
Key is to be open to explore different experiences, especially when you are starting out. As you do, look for the skills and experience set you are building for your self and professional development. The broader the base you build to start, the easier it is for you to expand your opportunities.
Typically whether you planned it or not you will have made a decision through your experience choices within 5-10 years. But there is no need to rush that decision. As long as you are growing, learning and of course - making a decent living, enjoy your career journey and don’t fixate on a specific destination or path.
Victoria German
Victoria’s Answer
Hi Itzel,
This is a great question!
Finding a career is a very hands-on process.
A career is a journey and exploring your options in part of that journey.
Here are some active ways you can discover your future career:
Make a list of what you like, what you are interested in, and what you are good at doing. It could be one list of three separate lists. Whatever makes the most sense to you. Add new ideas as you find new areas.
Start a journal or a notebook, it could be either paper or electronic. Choose whatever medium is the most useful to you for expressing your ideas and interests. Basically what you are building a career journal/portfolio that allows you to collect ideas that you can see, review, and add to as an organic visual map. You could even make a collage or make a poster of what different careers look like. Pick out pictures that motivate you or remind you about what is important to you.
Don’t worry if you are interested in lots of different things, cut out pictures, articles, and reminders and put them in your book. If you do this online, make bookmarks, crop pictures, make word clouds of ideas that interest you because you are making a book about yourself.
Start volunteering for school events and for community organizations that you are most interested in learning more about. Talk to people doing these jobs. Write down in your journal what you thought: good, bad, you are writing what you thought for your future self. Work on it a little every day. Go back and read it later. You will learn as you read. Maybe you will discover something you didn’t realize was important to you by going back later and rereading your notes. Highlight important discoveries. Your career will start to reveal itself as you create your journal.
You can even make different sections for different types of careers. If you really don’t like something, be honest and try to figure out why. Go on to the next experience. Go online and listen to TED talks or visit websites about the career you are interested in. PBS also has many free shows, events, and documentaries about careers in all different fields: https://www.pbs.org/
Consider taking STEM courses or working on STEM volunteer experiences so that you can see if this is a possibility: google STEM careers, there are many links. These are some to start.
https://careerinstem.com/stem-careers-list/
https://money.usnews.com/careers/slideshows/the-25-best-stem-jobs-for-2017
I am very excited for you. Have fun with your career journal.
Victoria recommends the following next steps: