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How do I narrow down my options on what career path to follow?

I am a senior in #high-school and have a variety of preferences for education,coaching, and psychology . #career-choice All of my options make me want to take all #career-paths .

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Ken’s Answer

Congratulations on being interested in finding the right career to follow.. It takes a special person to enter into a specific career field and meet the demands which that career area presents. The first step is to get to know yourself to see if you share the personality traits which make one successful in that area. The next step is doing networking to meet and talk to and possibly shadow people doing what you might think that you want to do to see if this is something that you really want to do, as a career area could look much different on the inside than it looks from the outside.  When I was doing college recruiting, I encountered too many students, who skipped these important steps, and ended up in a career/job for which they were ill suited.

Ken recommends the following next steps:

The first step is to take an interest and aptitude test and have it interpreted by your school counselor to see if you share the personality traits necessary to enter the field. You might want to do this again upon entry into college, as the interpretation might differ slightly due to the course offering of the school. However, do not wait until entering college, as the information from the test will help to determine the courses that you take in high school. Too many students, due to poor planning, end up paying for courses in college which they could have taken for free in high school.
Next, when you have the results of the testing, talk to the person at your high school and college who tracks and works with graduates to arrange to talk to, visit, and possibly shadow people doing what you think that you might want to do, so that you can get know what they are doing and how they got there. Here are some tips: ## http://www.wikihow.com/Network ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/nonawkward-ways-to-start-and-end-networking-conversations ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/4-questions-to-ask-your-network-besides-can-you-get-me-a-job?ref=carousel-slide-1 ##
Locate and attend meetings of professional associations to which people who are doing what you think that you want to do belong, so that you can get their advice. These associations may offer or know of intern, coop, shadowing, and scholarship opportunities. These associations are the means whereby the professionals keep abreast of their career area following college and advance in their career. You can locate them by asking your school academic advisor, favorite teachers, and the reference librarian at your local library. Here are some tips: ## https://www.careeronestop.org/BusinessCenter/Toolkit/find-professional-associations.aspx?&frd=true ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/9-tips-for-navigating-your-first-networking-event ##
It is very important to express your appreciation to those who help you along the way to be able to continue to receive helpful information and to create important networking contacts along the way. Here are some good tips: ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/the-informational-interview-thank-you-note-smart-people-know-to-send?ref=recently-published-2 ## ## https://www.themuse.com/advice/3-tips-for-writing-a-thank-you-note-thatll-make-you-look-like-the-best-candidate-alive?bsft_eid=7e230cba-a92f-4ec7-8ca3-2f50c8fc9c3c&bsft_pid=d08b95c2-bc8f-4eae-8618-d0826841a284&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_20171020&utm_source=blueshift&utm_content=daily_20171020&bsft_clkid=edfe52ae-9e40-4d90-8e6a-e0bb76116570&bsft_uid=54658fa1-0090-41fd-b88c-20a86c513a6c&bsft_mid=214115cb-cca2-4aec-aa86-92a31d371185&bsft_pp=2 ##
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tonni’s Answer

I like the really detailed answer above about how to narrow down an initial choice. To add to that I'd say, you want to do your best to think through what you're good at and what you like to do to pick a path, but ultimately you really won't know until you dive in. Most of us try a few things before we find what we enjoy. Pick something, and DIVE IN FULLY. The BEST thing you can do is no matter what you choose, give it a year and put your everything into it. Whether it ends up being the right fit or not, you'll learn a ton about what you like and what you don't, you'll be challenged and you'll be exposed to other types of jobs too.

Additionally, if the first job you choose isnt the right fit, you'll need references and introductions to get into the job you do want. If you haven't given a strong effort you won't be able to use that experience as a reference.
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Nicole’s Answer

Hello,


It can be very difficult at this stage in your life to really want to narrow down a specific career path. Some advice I have heard recently that I love is to decide on what you feel your purpose is. For example, are you drawn to helping people, are you a leader, do you have compassion and empathy for individuals and their particular struggle. If you can nail down your passion or what gives you joy and satisfaction then that will help you pick the best career path that will help you best fulfill your passion or purpose in life.

Nicole recommends the following next steps:

Strengthfinders is a great book and includes a test that will help you figure your 5 top strengths.
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