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How do you figure out what you want to be in the future?
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8 answers
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Raymond’s Answer
Karina,
Start with something that you are very passionate about. Is it math, science, history, art, engineering, or something else?
Ask yourself, can you make a living doing this as a career? If so pursue it. If you do not think so, dont let that discourage you. You can find a way to do something you love even if it's not how you envisioned it.
I always wanted to be a teacher. I love helping people grow and learn new things. Currently I am a supervisor in customer service with a company I love, and I teach peopld every day. It's not how I envisioned it, but I am still doing what I love.
So use your passion to find a direction and then look for ways to make that a viable career.
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Tammy’s Answer
Choosing a path can be difficult but it is helpful to talk with those who have gone before you. Start with talking with people older than you. Ask your parents, your grandparents, your neighbors, your teachers, older friends, siblings, cousins, etc. about how they selected their path. Sometimes it is nice to hear how others have learned about themselves and what led them to where they are.
What do you like to do in your spare time? What motivates you? What are you passionate about? If you had a day where you could do anything you want, how would you choose to spend it? The answers to these questions wont necessarily lead you into a career because you need to sort out what are hobbies versus what are career paths, but if you know you love spending time with animals or kids or you love building things or have a passion for understanding how things work or you love being outdoors, etc. are all indicators of the types of fields you might enjoy. Learn about yourself and what you like. Make a list and see what things could possibly have a job connected with it. What do you absolutely NOT like doing? That is important to know as well. For example, If you hate traveling, you should not choose to be a airline pilot or a salesman.
Are you volunteering anywhere? Maybe try spending some time volunteering locally with something that sounds interesting to you. If you like it, then you can explore more career options. Now is also a really good time to start thinking about a summer internship or a summer college program camp for high school students. The applications for many summer programs are due in March/April. Talk to your School Counselor about possibilities. Pick three different fields that you have even a small interest in and see if you can go spend a day shadowing someone in one of those fields.
Have you done any career inventories? Does your school offer the ASVAB? Sign up and take it! This is a free program that assesses your skills and abilities and matches you with jobs in that field. Have you taken an Meyers-Briggs test? This is a personality test which helps you understand how you relate to the world around you. There are some free online ones but I particularly like the version at https://www.16personalities.com/.
Lastly, its ok to head to college undeclared major. Spend the first year taking your core classes but exploring all the possibilities the college offers. Take an elective in a few things that sound interesting and then talk to your professors about careers in that field. Ask your academic advisor for help selecting classes that will give you a wide range of experiences so you can figure out what is the best fit!
Good Luck!
What do you like to do in your spare time? What motivates you? What are you passionate about? If you had a day where you could do anything you want, how would you choose to spend it? The answers to these questions wont necessarily lead you into a career because you need to sort out what are hobbies versus what are career paths, but if you know you love spending time with animals or kids or you love building things or have a passion for understanding how things work or you love being outdoors, etc. are all indicators of the types of fields you might enjoy. Learn about yourself and what you like. Make a list and see what things could possibly have a job connected with it. What do you absolutely NOT like doing? That is important to know as well. For example, If you hate traveling, you should not choose to be a airline pilot or a salesman.
Are you volunteering anywhere? Maybe try spending some time volunteering locally with something that sounds interesting to you. If you like it, then you can explore more career options. Now is also a really good time to start thinking about a summer internship or a summer college program camp for high school students. The applications for many summer programs are due in March/April. Talk to your School Counselor about possibilities. Pick three different fields that you have even a small interest in and see if you can go spend a day shadowing someone in one of those fields.
Have you done any career inventories? Does your school offer the ASVAB? Sign up and take it! This is a free program that assesses your skills and abilities and matches you with jobs in that field. Have you taken an Meyers-Briggs test? This is a personality test which helps you understand how you relate to the world around you. There are some free online ones but I particularly like the version at https://www.16personalities.com/.
Lastly, its ok to head to college undeclared major. Spend the first year taking your core classes but exploring all the possibilities the college offers. Take an elective in a few things that sound interesting and then talk to your professors about careers in that field. Ask your academic advisor for help selecting classes that will give you a wide range of experiences so you can figure out what is the best fit!
Good Luck!
Updated
Freddie’s Answer
Hi Katrina,
I'm so excited that your working on planning your career. One thing I would recommend doing is shadowing your friends and relatives or possibly interview random people about there careers. It will cause for you to communicate and be proactive in building your future. I started by interviewing my parents friends as I came across them at functions or just visiting. It'll spark alot of conversation and possibly open the door to your future! Be Encouraged! Reach For The Stars! 😁
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Martina’s Answer
Determine what makes you happy. What is your passion? Focus on your strengths. In what subjects or classes do you exceed? Answering these questions will guide you to what you want to be in the future.
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Pro’s Answer
Try an Interdisciplinary, Liberal Studies, or General Studies major, that will let you combine multiple interests. Or an Individually Designed major that you can even name yourself.
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Lynette’s Answer
What you want to be in the future is really who you are now! You can start with asking yourself what would I do if I had all the money in the world. Then, once you have an idea of what you want to do. Start researching and talk to people who are in that field. Funny, in high school I said I wanted to be a Lawyer and through different choices throughout college and life. I ended up with a Psychology degree and am a Network Technician. When life gives you choices, pick the one you think you would like best. For me, the choice was to work for Tap Plastics or AT&T. Always pick what you think is more suited to you.
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Simeon’s Answer
I would see which careers you'd be interested in as a starting point. See if any of the fastest growing fields call out to you as a starting point. From there, watch videos on YouTube of people describing their favorite and least favorite parts of their jobs. Talk to real people if you can so you can ask more detailed questions. If nothing is calling out to you, I'd say that business degrees are usually pretty safe. Go with accounting, finance, or marketing. If you have a clear passion, then research which degrees companies look for. I'd look at the online job boards such as indeed or monster to see what you would need to get into those jobs.
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Gloria’s Answer
Finding out what you want to do is a journey that you don't have to take alone. Since you are just starting your college experience, you should not feel a lot of pressure to decide on a major just yet. Most of your major work is done during your junior and senior year. I would suggest that you work hard on the general courses that you need to take at your university – English, History, Math, etc. I would also recommend that you challenge yourself with the elective courses that you take. If you do not really know what you want to major in, you should start to look in places where you have never looked. Take the elective that you don’t even know what it is. That will expose you to new experiences that may catch your attention. Or you may find that something you don’t think would be a good major is actually what you want to do. You should not be afraid of majors where you are not quite sure what you will do with it as a job. This can be difficult if you don't have endless funds. You also should engage in tasks that allow you to engage with people who give you different perspectives. You should volunteer with different organizations. You will learn about different people with different jobs, and meet people who may be able to help you in the future.