10 answers
tanishka
Student
Faridabad, Haryana, India
2
Questions
Updated
830 views
how will i know what i want to become
i am student of class 10th. neither too good nor too bad in studies. i haven't choose till know what i want to become. all of my family members are asking me what i want to become , bit still i don't know.. i think i can take commerce in 11th.
i can say that i am a good speaker, listener, and also confident..i really need help to know what i can do for my future. What career should i choose? what line should i go? #student#india #expert
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10 answers
Nikki C
10
Answers
Updated
Nikki’s Answer
Being a good speaker and listener could be helpful in many different fields.
One of the other people who answered above mentioned taking a career quiz, which could be a great idea to start thinking about potential options. However, it is important to stay open to all the possibilities. Just because the career quiz suggests one particular area doesn't mean you shouldn't consider others as well.
Here is one career quiz you could take: https://www.princetonreview.com/quiz/career-quiz.
Also, I think you may want to also consider what you want to do after you graduate high school. Do you want to go to college, or would you prefer a trade/technical school? Or do you want to start working right after high school full-time? If you know which option you would like to go with, then you could look up more information to help narrow your future career options. For instance, if you want to go to college, you could look at the different majors offered at different schools and the classes for them to see if any particular majors interest you. You could do the same thing with a trade/technical school and look at what degrees are offered to see if any of those would interest you.
If there is a particular area that you want to explore more, then try to find people you know in that career to talk to or possibly reach out to people in that area on LinkedIn. Then, you can learn more about that area. Also, try to find opportunities to either shadow or intern in that area to see what it is like day to day and if you would really be interested.
I hope this helps! You still have time to decide, and you should try to stay open to all the possible options! It is okay to not know everything right away. In fact, some people switch careers later in life or change majors in college. Good luck figuring out what you want to do!!
One of the other people who answered above mentioned taking a career quiz, which could be a great idea to start thinking about potential options. However, it is important to stay open to all the possibilities. Just because the career quiz suggests one particular area doesn't mean you shouldn't consider others as well.
Here is one career quiz you could take: https://www.princetonreview.com/quiz/career-quiz.
Also, I think you may want to also consider what you want to do after you graduate high school. Do you want to go to college, or would you prefer a trade/technical school? Or do you want to start working right after high school full-time? If you know which option you would like to go with, then you could look up more information to help narrow your future career options. For instance, if you want to go to college, you could look at the different majors offered at different schools and the classes for them to see if any particular majors interest you. You could do the same thing with a trade/technical school and look at what degrees are offered to see if any of those would interest you.
If there is a particular area that you want to explore more, then try to find people you know in that career to talk to or possibly reach out to people in that area on LinkedIn. Then, you can learn more about that area. Also, try to find opportunities to either shadow or intern in that area to see what it is like day to day and if you would really be interested.
I hope this helps! You still have time to decide, and you should try to stay open to all the possible options! It is okay to not know everything right away. In fact, some people switch careers later in life or change majors in college. Good luck figuring out what you want to do!!
thank you nikki
tanishka
Mat Lewit
Program Manager
6
Answers
San Jose, California
Updated
Mat’s Answer
I would think about what you enjoy. You will be much happier if you are thinking of a career in a field that interests you. For example, if you really enjoying exercise. Research careers that have to do with exercise or fitness. Try to volunteer or get a job related to the field you are interested in to see if you would like it. Another option is to tap into your network or even cold call someone that is in that field and ask if you can do an informational interview to learn about their job. This is a great way to understand what people do and do not like about the profession you are considering. You will find people really love to talk about their job especially if they are passionate about it. You never know an informational interview can sometimes lead to a job or internship.
Madison Bonovich
Future of Work Coach (www.futureofworklab.co)
2
Answers
San Francisco, California
Updated
Madison’s Answer
Hi Tanishka,
Emerging technologies, climate change, digital transformation, and now COVID 19, are rapidly accelerating change in the future of work & learning.
In-demand skills are becoming obsolete or changing faster and faster.
This next generation (your generation) can expect to change jobs and professions multiple times across many new emerging sectors; and will have to continuously upskill to stay employable. You will (actually we all will) have to take on the mindset of being Life-long Learners!🔥🔥🔥
Throughout your life, you have probably been asked many times by friends and relatives, “What do you want to be when you graduate?” 😳
The question is becoming irrelevant for today’s students.
“What are you going to do next to learn & adapt?” is the question in this era of rapid change, AI, & automation. Where you are going to learn & how you will learn is changing also---4-6 year degrees might take too long now a days. By the time you graduate, your learning might be out-dated.
But don't worry...finding your next step just got a lot more exciting!!! 🔥🔥🔥 There are a lot of emerging learning & work pathways to explore (not just traditional university degrees). You now have the option during your continuous learning journey to learn through:
Mobile-first University Degrees
Emerging Tech Bootcamps
Online MicroBachelor Degrees
Startup Experiences
Talent/Gig Economy Platforms
Virtual Intern & Apprenticeships
Entrepreneurial Gap Year
Corporate Academies
Skill Accelerators
If the world of work is changing so rapidly, does it make sense to tie your vision and your “next step” choices to a single occupational identity? “I want to be a manager, a lawyer, a doctor, a singer?”
Just realize that you are going to cycle through many identities in your long life. Instead of focusing on an occupational identity, the better way of going about it is to ask, What Impact do I want to have in this world?
The future of work & learning is rooted in purpose. When thinking about your next step after graduation, you need to start thinking about which role you want to play in solving the most pressing challenges affecting our planet and societies. Look at this through a “future of work lens”.
Example: I find value in learning & working on issues such as: accelerating the transition to zero-carbon world; supporting the growth of equitable, inclusive & just societies; or making healthcare affordable, effective & personalized for all…
Use the global challenge you are interested in as their north star for making next step decisions on what in-demand skills to learn next and finding like-minded peers to work with.
We believe that finding purpose will make it easier for you to:
Get involved & stay motivated;
Learn new just in time in-demand skills & mindsets;
Navigate ambiguity;
Form a network of like-minded peers who will help you drive change.
Hope that helps. This is what we coach at “Future of Work Lab” in our Future Fit Navigator e-learning course. Good Luck! 😀
Emerging technologies, climate change, digital transformation, and now COVID 19, are rapidly accelerating change in the future of work & learning.
In-demand skills are becoming obsolete or changing faster and faster.
This next generation (your generation) can expect to change jobs and professions multiple times across many new emerging sectors; and will have to continuously upskill to stay employable. You will (actually we all will) have to take on the mindset of being Life-long Learners!🔥🔥🔥
Throughout your life, you have probably been asked many times by friends and relatives, “What do you want to be when you graduate?” 😳
The question is becoming irrelevant for today’s students.
“What are you going to do next to learn & adapt?” is the question in this era of rapid change, AI, & automation. Where you are going to learn & how you will learn is changing also---4-6 year degrees might take too long now a days. By the time you graduate, your learning might be out-dated.
But don't worry...finding your next step just got a lot more exciting!!! 🔥🔥🔥 There are a lot of emerging learning & work pathways to explore (not just traditional university degrees). You now have the option during your continuous learning journey to learn through:
Mobile-first University Degrees
Emerging Tech Bootcamps
Online MicroBachelor Degrees
Startup Experiences
Talent/Gig Economy Platforms
Virtual Intern & Apprenticeships
Entrepreneurial Gap Year
Corporate Academies
Skill Accelerators
If the world of work is changing so rapidly, does it make sense to tie your vision and your “next step” choices to a single occupational identity? “I want to be a manager, a lawyer, a doctor, a singer?”
Just realize that you are going to cycle through many identities in your long life. Instead of focusing on an occupational identity, the better way of going about it is to ask, What Impact do I want to have in this world?
The future of work & learning is rooted in purpose. When thinking about your next step after graduation, you need to start thinking about which role you want to play in solving the most pressing challenges affecting our planet and societies. Look at this through a “future of work lens”.
Example: I find value in learning & working on issues such as: accelerating the transition to zero-carbon world; supporting the growth of equitable, inclusive & just societies; or making healthcare affordable, effective & personalized for all…
Use the global challenge you are interested in as their north star for making next step decisions on what in-demand skills to learn next and finding like-minded peers to work with.
We believe that finding purpose will make it easier for you to:
Get involved & stay motivated;
Learn new just in time in-demand skills & mindsets;
Navigate ambiguity;
Form a network of like-minded peers who will help you drive change.
Hope that helps. This is what we coach at “Future of Work Lab” in our Future Fit Navigator e-learning course. Good Luck! 😀
Atul Bhankharia
Sales
475
Answers
Mount Laurel, New Jersey
Updated
Atul’s Answer
Sometimes answers to your question is around you.
Many of my family members are in a business and they finish college and decide to expand family business.
Few of them have studied to become a corp lawyer because they know someone who is a lawyer.
Others have learned diamond sorting/analysis and either they are working for themselves or for a large company in Belgium, Hongkong, London, Singapore or Dubai. We have many family members who are in Diamond business. Many found it is easy to step in to get their feet wet here.
Acquire a degree first and if you enjoy software development- go for higher degree in Computer Sc.
There are many jobs in this industry and many companies in CA have a satellite office in India for the software development. Delhi Gurgaon is one one of them.
Put your heart in scoring well in Math and Science to become a good software developer.
Many of my family members are in a business and they finish college and decide to expand family business.
Few of them have studied to become a corp lawyer because they know someone who is a lawyer.
Others have learned diamond sorting/analysis and either they are working for themselves or for a large company in Belgium, Hongkong, London, Singapore or Dubai. We have many family members who are in Diamond business. Many found it is easy to step in to get their feet wet here.
Acquire a degree first and if you enjoy software development- go for higher degree in Computer Sc.
There are many jobs in this industry and many companies in CA have a satellite office in India for the software development. Delhi Gurgaon is one one of them.
Put your heart in scoring well in Math and Science to become a good software developer.
thank you Patrícia
tanishka
Patrícia Landim
Marketing and Communications Manager
16
Answers
Lisbon, Portugal
Updated
Patrícia’s Answer
Hi Tanishka,
Understanding what career path you should follow, or at least get to know the options, is the reason why we're all here :)
So, I think you're already starting off with a good point: understanding your strengths and weakness part of the process. Another think you could think about is what you'd like to have in a job, "do I like talking with people? Do I like working on the computer? Do I like to organize or follow instructions?", add some more questions like this according to what makes sense to you, and then write it down in a list.
Once you have this list, you can try to drill it down into professions that seems to make sense according to the list, and then you can go and find out more about those specific professions (you may do your research online, and also ask about it on careervillage.org).
Some ideas I'd still like to give you straight away, from the characteristics you mentioned about your self, such as being a good speaker, a good listener and confident: look for jobs in communication or teaching for instance.
Something else you may want to try out is a career quiz, which you can find a lot online. Here Glassdoor's career quiz of you want to take a shot at it: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/quiz-what-job-best-fits-your-life/
Still, this quiz may be just a guide, either it could give you something where you think "ok, that seems perfectly fitted to me" or a "I've never thought about that ", but no matter what, you'll be pushed to challenge yourself, which is always a good thing. Then, you should always trust what you find best for you, regardless of a quiz.
I hope this is helpful :)
Understanding what career path you should follow, or at least get to know the options, is the reason why we're all here :)
So, I think you're already starting off with a good point: understanding your strengths and weakness part of the process. Another think you could think about is what you'd like to have in a job, "do I like talking with people? Do I like working on the computer? Do I like to organize or follow instructions?", add some more questions like this according to what makes sense to you, and then write it down in a list.
Once you have this list, you can try to drill it down into professions that seems to make sense according to the list, and then you can go and find out more about those specific professions (you may do your research online, and also ask about it on careervillage.org).
Some ideas I'd still like to give you straight away, from the characteristics you mentioned about your self, such as being a good speaker, a good listener and confident: look for jobs in communication or teaching for instance.
Something else you may want to try out is a career quiz, which you can find a lot online. Here Glassdoor's career quiz of you want to take a shot at it: https://www.glassdoor.com/blog/quiz-what-job-best-fits-your-life/
Still, this quiz may be just a guide, either it could give you something where you think "ok, that seems perfectly fitted to me" or a "I've never thought about that ", but no matter what, you'll be pushed to challenge yourself, which is always a good thing. Then, you should always trust what you find best for you, regardless of a quiz.
I hope this is helpful :)
Waleed Abuawf
Mechanical Engineer
39
Answers
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Updated
Waleed’s Answer
Try a lot of things.
If you can’t figure out what type of job you want, you can go to the unemployment office (even if you have a job) and they have all sorts of equipment to help you figure out what job you might enjoy.
If you have an interest, such as cooking, look into making that a career.
Be aware - there is a big difference between having a job and having a career. Either is fine, just decide which would better suit you.
Do you like helping people? Do you like being outdoors or would you rather sit in a comfortable office? Do you like being busy so the time goes by fast? Do you like being around people or would you rather have a solitary job? These are just some of the things you need to figure out.
If you can’t figure out what type of job you want, you can go to the unemployment office (even if you have a job) and they have all sorts of equipment to help you figure out what job you might enjoy.
If you have an interest, such as cooking, look into making that a career.
Be aware - there is a big difference between having a job and having a career. Either is fine, just decide which would better suit you.
Do you like helping people? Do you like being outdoors or would you rather sit in a comfortable office? Do you like being busy so the time goes by fast? Do you like being around people or would you rather have a solitary job? These are just some of the things you need to figure out.
Serena Leung
International Investment Associate Director
38
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Serena’s Answer
Hi Tanishka,
I understand this can be a frustrating phase to go through,
My suggestion would be to start by listing out what you enjoy doing,
And what you certainly don’t enjoy doing.
I am true believer in developing your career in an area of true interest and hopefully passion.
Since you have multiple interests, I would suggest you to list out the possible careers that incorporate each interest,
or potentially identify career that can involve more 1 interest.
Start doing some research online on what those careers offers, reach out to people in those profession and ask them on their experience,
seek internship opportunities or job shadowing to have a taste of a day in the life in your aspired career.
Pave your way to receive further education or certification that allows you to begin your career in the respective field.
If it is difficult to nail down only 1 career that satisfy your interest and passion,
it is not uncommon to have multiple career at the same time - as long as you can manage time wisely,
Plan ahead and make informed decisions by reaching out and researching,
Good Luck!
Regards,
Serena
I understand this can be a frustrating phase to go through,
My suggestion would be to start by listing out what you enjoy doing,
And what you certainly don’t enjoy doing.
I am true believer in developing your career in an area of true interest and hopefully passion.
Since you have multiple interests, I would suggest you to list out the possible careers that incorporate each interest,
or potentially identify career that can involve more 1 interest.
Start doing some research online on what those careers offers, reach out to people in those profession and ask them on their experience,
seek internship opportunities or job shadowing to have a taste of a day in the life in your aspired career.
Pave your way to receive further education or certification that allows you to begin your career in the respective field.
If it is difficult to nail down only 1 career that satisfy your interest and passion,
it is not uncommon to have multiple career at the same time - as long as you can manage time wisely,
Plan ahead and make informed decisions by reaching out and researching,
Good Luck!
Regards,
Serena
Simeon Snow
Risk Assurance
1790
Answers
Houston, Texas
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
Generally, I would research which fields are growing quickly these days. If you're drawing a blank on what you'd like to do, see if any of the fast growing fields call out to you. This will give you a lot more structure than trying to get a vague sense of your passions and trying to brainstorm a way to turn it into money. Most people don't have a passion that they are aware of right away. Also, passions tend to change from season to season. Lastly, look at videos on YouTube of people in their careers talking about what they love and hate. See if any of their descriptions sound like a good fit for you. It's just as important to figure out if you can deal with the downsides of a job as it is to figure out what you'd love about a job.
Keith Rodgers
Sales Director
108
Answers
Phoenix, Arizona
Updated
Keith’s Answer
Life is a journey and a process of learning. What you are today will not be who you are tomorrow. Soak up the opportunity to learn new things and through that effort, your life will develop into what you desire it to be. Popular studies suggest we change careers approximately 7 times over our life, so don't stress too much about "what you want to be when you grow up" because your focus should be on being your best you - right now. The rest will come...
chris orourke
Director of Engineering
3
Answers
Cary, North Carolina
Updated
chris’s Answer
In order to make a decision on path its important to expose yourself to as many fields as possible. this could be through reading, volunteering or even meeting with and interviewing people in different fields.