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I'm having trouble deciding what I want to do with my future and what could be the best possible option for me.

I want to go to college and go into the field of psychology or maybe do sports, but I'm having trouble deciding if that's what I really want to do as a career. I want to have multiple options/ideas so that I choose the best possible future for me.
#career #college #sports #psychology

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Subject: Career question for you

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Terence’s Answer

I believe that the best way to develop a career path is to blend your interests, your skills, and your personality. It takes a level in introspection and continued thought as you gain more exposure and experience. As you see and do more, your interests may change. Your skills will develop as well. Even your personality will shift as you go through different life stages.

For skills, these are probably more tied to the professional skillset you have. These can and will continue to develop.

In your case, I would dive deeper into what aspects of psychology and sports you're specifically interested in. Is it the learning and understanding about the people you're working with? Is it more broad, like discovering things about the human brain and what makes it work? Similar with Sports - is it the competition? The team aspects or individual sports?

In terms of your personality, are you naturally empathetic? Do you build an understanding of people as you interact with them? In sports, are you driven to improve? Are you drawn to the team environment or are you self driven?

These aren't all the questions out there, it's just examples of things I'd be looking to understand to help develop a career path. I say "path" because it's not just 1 job, it's a range of jobs that're probably related and all continually develop over time.

You often here people say "do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life". I believe this comes from the blend of interests, skills and personality. Marrying these takes into account the things you like to do, things you don't like to do, and the things you're good at.


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Matthew’s Answer

I was in a similar boat to you at the same stage in life. I wanted to work in sport, but didn’t know what aspect of sport I wanted to specialise in. To be honest, I wasn’t really sure of what the options were, and ended up doing a degree in sports science to get a general feel for multiple aspects.

This was helpful, however, in hindsight, it would have been better to research specific areas beforehand and look for work experience opportunities. Work experience is the best way to understand how much you’ll truly enjoy a field of work - my end goal was to become a Physical Education teacher, however I realised that I actually hated it when doing work experience, so it saved me from a career path which would have almost certainly failed. Read into the options, find some that interest you, then look for work experience opportunities. The best time to do work experience is when you’re young, before bigger financial pressures enter your life at a later stage.

Have you considered a career in sport psychology? The appreciation of the importance of psychology in sport is constantly growing, and it’s an extremely interesting topic, applying psychological theories and methods to a sporting environment.

Hopefully this is of some help - in summary, research and work experience is the way forward!
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Cathy’s Answer

I recommend asking your parents, friends and teachers what they see in you. What are your strengths, weaknesses and what really makes you light up.
List these traights and then talk to a guidance counselor to research a number of careers.
All the best to you.
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Simeon’s Answer

I would talk to people who are in the field and see how they feel about their jobs to get a better idea of it's a good fit for you or not, especially with the amount of time it takes to do a psychology degree. I would even suggest volunteering at a hospital and listening to the patients to get an idea for if listening to people who are struggling is a comfortable fit for you or not and if you could see doing that kind of thing for a career. I agree with Matthew that sports psychology would be worth considering.
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Natasha’s Answer

I would start by talking with your parents about your dreams, affinities and talents. Take time to sit down with your school counselor or career advisor to formulate an outline of classes and curriculum that are appropriate for you.

Experts project that the future of work will entail people having more than one career in their lifetime, so do not be extremely worried now about the perfect answer as to what to do in later years. However, remain open to learning new areas of knowledge throughout your life.

Seek out guided learning in the form of summer jobs, apprenticeships or internships.
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