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How did you first realize what career you enjoyed?
I cant seem to think of a area I would enjoy working in. I tried to base it on liked/disliked subjects but still no luck #business #jobs #career
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13 answers
Updated
Nash’s Answer
Here are a few things to keep in mind -
WORK SHOULD BE FUN AND CHALLENGING -
When you wake up and are excited to go into to work.
Work feels like fun and you enjoy the challenge.
Even when you had a bad day and a tough moment, you still feel good about yourself
you see the positives and are still excited for the next day.
An 8 hour workday doesn't really feel like 8 hours.
You feel productive and you feel like you made a difference
If you are not enjoying a certain job and its not fulfilling, look elsewhere.
It's not always the job itself, sometime its the people around you.
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU LIKE -
Be willing to fail. Failure is one of the best things for growth and
its okay to fail.
Ensure you get as many internships as possible to test the waters in different
industries
Figure out what you like and what you don't as quickly as possible.
Listen to your intuition and natural curiosities. What books are you reading?
What podcasts are you listening to? Follow those curiosities.
Be honest with yourself about if you enjoy a job / career / path.
You can always make changes.
Take the time to think about where you want to be.
How are you going to get there? What is your action plan?
Know what paths you don't want to go down /
what careers you don't want to explore.
PURPOSE -
When you feel like you have purpose and a voice within the company.
You feel like the work you're doing is making a difference.
There is a sense of fulfillment.
WORK SHOULD BE FUN AND CHALLENGING -
When you wake up and are excited to go into to work.
Work feels like fun and you enjoy the challenge.
Even when you had a bad day and a tough moment, you still feel good about yourself
you see the positives and are still excited for the next day.
An 8 hour workday doesn't really feel like 8 hours.
You feel productive and you feel like you made a difference
If you are not enjoying a certain job and its not fulfilling, look elsewhere.
It's not always the job itself, sometime its the people around you.
FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU LIKE -
Be willing to fail. Failure is one of the best things for growth and
its okay to fail.
Ensure you get as many internships as possible to test the waters in different
industries
Figure out what you like and what you don't as quickly as possible.
Listen to your intuition and natural curiosities. What books are you reading?
What podcasts are you listening to? Follow those curiosities.
Be honest with yourself about if you enjoy a job / career / path.
You can always make changes.
Take the time to think about where you want to be.
How are you going to get there? What is your action plan?
Know what paths you don't want to go down /
what careers you don't want to explore.
PURPOSE -
When you feel like you have purpose and a voice within the company.
You feel like the work you're doing is making a difference.
There is a sense of fulfillment.
Updated
Sandra’s Answer
I agree with everything Kali said here. In addition, if you are about to look at paths for college, there is nothing wrong with going as 'Undecided' which is what I did. I really liked Theatre but didn't know if I wanted to major in it. I went as Undecided, took theatre classes but other classes as well based on what I was good at (math, problem solving), including a Computer Science class because it simply intrigued me. Turned out I was good at CS and actually enjoyed it. It has been a great career for me. I still do Arts on the side as a hobby. So I agree, try as many things as you can, volunteer in areas of interest but also try to reach out to people in that industry (LinkedIn, friends) and ask for 'what a day in the life of..' looks like. I have had many students pleasantly surprised at what I do after I've spoken at Universities. They thought my job would be boring ! :) Above all, enjoy the journey!
Good luck!
Good luck!
Updated
Jason’s Answer
I had always had a strong interest in psychology, then fueled by an amazing professor in college.
But in reality, it was not until I was looking forward to going to work that I had that thought consciously.
But in reality, it was not until I was looking forward to going to work that I had that thought consciously.
Updated
Simeon’s Answer
For me, it was less that I realized I enjoyed this particular field and more that I was excited about what a great opportunity it was. I've learned a lot of skills in this organization and learned a lot about how a diversity of companies operate. It's also been a great place to learn all manner of professional business skills.
Updated
Sirlei’s Answer
Hi Marquis,
With me it was really from quite an young age.
I have an aunt who is an Accountant, with a home office. Every time I would spend time at her house to hand out with my cousin, I would also hang out with her. I had a fascination with the office environment, computers, calculators, phones ringing....
I loved to play office as a child as well.
I never really saw myself majoring in anything other than Business Administration and pursuing a career other than those related to the Corporate world. I never really focused on a specific industry though.
I do believe it's important to think about financial security, but I highly recommend you also trying to find something you're passionate about, and go for it!
Best of luck!
With me it was really from quite an young age.
I have an aunt who is an Accountant, with a home office. Every time I would spend time at her house to hand out with my cousin, I would also hang out with her. I had a fascination with the office environment, computers, calculators, phones ringing....
I loved to play office as a child as well.
I never really saw myself majoring in anything other than Business Administration and pursuing a career other than those related to the Corporate world. I never really focused on a specific industry though.
I do believe it's important to think about financial security, but I highly recommend you also trying to find something you're passionate about, and go for it!
Best of luck!
Updated
Rob’s Answer
There are some great answers here for sure and great direction. I especially agree with spending some time working summer jobs, part-time or via internship in an area or two where you think you would have interest. I personally did this while in high school just doing some basic jobs to make money (banquet waiter, sprinkler system installation, etc.) , but then moved into jobs that were more in alignment in my interests. I did an internship with a local bank working on the finance side and then the next year working in the information technology department. Independent of the actual job functions I performed, it was a great opportunity to learn different areas of a business to see what would keep you interested, passionate and wanting to continue to learn and grow.
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Matthew’s Answer
I'll say that for myself, I didn't necessary seek out a career that I loved when I was starting out in the workforce. I was in a similar place, struggling to find something I was passionate about, and couldn't quite pin it down. However, still needing a job, I started with something basic, and from there looked around even within the business. That gave me the opportunity to explore a variety of types of work within that business, whether it was managing people, going into sales, or moving in other directions. In time, that job provided me the potential to move into something that I didn't know I would like, but have come to very much appreciate and enjoy.
Kali Odell
Academic Advisor, School of Public Policy at Oregon State University
10
Answers
Updated
Kali’s Answer
Hi Marquis! I work as a career and academic advisor at a university, but in school I studied political science, so the first thing I’d share is that what you study or like in school doesn’t always have to relate to a career you enjoy. I decided to work as a student advisor based on a job I had in college that I ended up really enjoying. So a good way to start exploring what careers are out there and what you enjoy could be looking for volunteer or internship opportunities, or even clubs at school. It can be helpful to think about what questions like what are you good at? What kind of tasks do you enjoy doing? What are you interested about beyond school (like what you enjoy talking about with friends)? Once you answer some of these questions, that might help you figure out more about areas/jobs you’d like to try out. For instance, say you really like to talk about cars, you could Google “jobs” and “cars” together and see what comes up. Maybe you also enjoy taking to people and being in competitive environments, you might decide you want to work at a car dealership. Or maybe you have a talent for art and a passion for athletic shoes- so maybe you’d be interested in marketing or design work at a company like Nike. These are simple examples and usually finding a career you like is more complicated than finding just two things you enjoy and brining them together. But thinking expansively about these questions will hopefully bring you closer to figuring it out. In the meantime, try out as many new things as you can! Sometimes you learn more from experiences you don’t enjoy than ones you do. But always take note of the positive and negative parts of an experience so you do learn from them. You won’t find a career that has zero negatives, but hopefully you’ll find one where the positives significantly outweigh the negatives.
Finally, keep in mind that very few of us actually find that there’s one perfect career out there for us. There are probably a lot of paths out there that you would enjoy and given how long we spend in our working years, there’s a decent chance you’ll switch careers several times throughout your life as you continue to develop new skills, talents, and interests.
Make a list of your skills/talents, things you are interested, and activities you enjoy doing
Do internet research on how the things on your list intersect; you can find stuff through Google or onetonline.org is a helpful general tool
Look for volunteer/job/club opportunities that interest you and get involved with them!
Finally, keep in mind that very few of us actually find that there’s one perfect career out there for us. There are probably a lot of paths out there that you would enjoy and given how long we spend in our working years, there’s a decent chance you’ll switch careers several times throughout your life as you continue to develop new skills, talents, and interests.
Kali recommends the following next steps:
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Andy’s Answer
How did you first realize what career you enjoyed?
Marquis, This is a great question and one everyone ponders when they graduate high school and people ask, "So, what are you going to do with your life?" I agree with previous responders here that you should assess your strengths. What are you good at? What do you like to do? Are you personable and enjoy spending time with people? Do you like to be part of a team and work towards a goal? Are you more analytical and like to work alone on the computer? I recommend that you try to take an online assessment to determine career options related to what you like. A great one is the CliftonStrengths assessment. If you are considering college, most classes in the first two years are more general and not related to a specific major. That can give you time to find out what you enjoy, what your good at and what holds your attention. As mentioned, it's very important that you like what you do and it holds your interest. Otherwise, you only have a "job" and not something you can build on that you love. From my own experience, I originally thought I wanted to be in the medical field. However, I realized after my freshman year in college, that I wasn't cut out for that field and did not have the academic abilities it required. Based on my sports background, love of working with people and starting my own business in high school, I realized that a major in Business was my best bet. Once I chose business it took a year to find the best area of business for me. I chose marketing and found it to be the best choice for me. Another thought is to try jobs in related fields that you have interest. Try to get an internship or job within a company in that discipline. From there, you can find out if you like the work and try to meet managers and supervisors that can give you their perspective.
Good luck in your journey. Remember, it's a marathon not a sprint. So, take your time and enjoy the process.
Marquis, This is a great question and one everyone ponders when they graduate high school and people ask, "So, what are you going to do with your life?" I agree with previous responders here that you should assess your strengths. What are you good at? What do you like to do? Are you personable and enjoy spending time with people? Do you like to be part of a team and work towards a goal? Are you more analytical and like to work alone on the computer? I recommend that you try to take an online assessment to determine career options related to what you like. A great one is the CliftonStrengths assessment. If you are considering college, most classes in the first two years are more general and not related to a specific major. That can give you time to find out what you enjoy, what your good at and what holds your attention. As mentioned, it's very important that you like what you do and it holds your interest. Otherwise, you only have a "job" and not something you can build on that you love. From my own experience, I originally thought I wanted to be in the medical field. However, I realized after my freshman year in college, that I wasn't cut out for that field and did not have the academic abilities it required. Based on my sports background, love of working with people and starting my own business in high school, I realized that a major in Business was my best bet. Once I chose business it took a year to find the best area of business for me. I chose marketing and found it to be the best choice for me. Another thought is to try jobs in related fields that you have interest. Try to get an internship or job within a company in that discipline. From there, you can find out if you like the work and try to meet managers and supervisors that can give you their perspective.
Good luck in your journey. Remember, it's a marathon not a sprint. So, take your time and enjoy the process.
Updated
Jessica’s Answer
Hey Marquis,
It was the same for me, when deciding on what I want to work on for the rest of my life.
Though I have learned that sometimes, it is not about thinking that much far ahead, it is about starting with what you are passionate about and learn as you go, then switch depending on your interests, needs and market change.
I would definitely advocate for as much internships or part time jobs as possible that would eventually help in identifying your work passion.
Otherwise, there is always Plan B which is studying a second degree, or obtaining a masters' degree. For example, in my case, I studied architecture, but due to market conditions, I have shifted my career by obtaining my masters and now I am working in the business field. We are living in a fast-paced world with ever evolving technologies, it is hard to anticipate exactly where we will end up. The key is to remain resilient.
I hope this helps!
It was the same for me, when deciding on what I want to work on for the rest of my life.
Though I have learned that sometimes, it is not about thinking that much far ahead, it is about starting with what you are passionate about and learn as you go, then switch depending on your interests, needs and market change.
I would definitely advocate for as much internships or part time jobs as possible that would eventually help in identifying your work passion.
Otherwise, there is always Plan B which is studying a second degree, or obtaining a masters' degree. For example, in my case, I studied architecture, but due to market conditions, I have shifted my career by obtaining my masters and now I am working in the business field. We are living in a fast-paced world with ever evolving technologies, it is hard to anticipate exactly where we will end up. The key is to remain resilient.
I hope this helps!
Updated
N’s Answer
You also don't have to know right away.
When I graduated from high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. As a matter of fact, my parents chose a major for me (Industrial Engineering), based on my grades and what I seemed to be good at and I just went for it, because I had nothing else in mind. After one year in college, being in the types of classes an engineer would need to take, and having an "Intro to Industrial Engineering" class, helped me understand that it wasn't for me. So I changed majors after a year, and ended up doing IT instead.
When interviewing, I had no idea what field I wanted to be in either, and I was just going with the flow to see what field the interviewing was going to lead me to. As a matter of fact, when I got interviewed, one of the interviewers suggested a career path where they thought I would be a good fit . They told me they could see me as a good fit in their forensics data analytics practice, and I did not even know what Forensics meant at the time, but i was open to hearing and learning more about it. I am 30 years old today and I am in this field that they thought would be a good fit for me. Do I love it? Yes and No. It all depends on many factors. Do I think that is the only future for me? Absolutely not. I still don't know where the future may lead my future, but I am open to landing on a different career path, if that appears to me as a better fit, even if that is 10 years from now.
When I graduated from high school, I had no idea what I wanted to do. As a matter of fact, my parents chose a major for me (Industrial Engineering), based on my grades and what I seemed to be good at and I just went for it, because I had nothing else in mind. After one year in college, being in the types of classes an engineer would need to take, and having an "Intro to Industrial Engineering" class, helped me understand that it wasn't for me. So I changed majors after a year, and ended up doing IT instead.
When interviewing, I had no idea what field I wanted to be in either, and I was just going with the flow to see what field the interviewing was going to lead me to. As a matter of fact, when I got interviewed, one of the interviewers suggested a career path where they thought I would be a good fit . They told me they could see me as a good fit in their forensics data analytics practice, and I did not even know what Forensics meant at the time, but i was open to hearing and learning more about it. I am 30 years old today and I am in this field that they thought would be a good fit for me. Do I love it? Yes and No. It all depends on many factors. Do I think that is the only future for me? Absolutely not. I still don't know where the future may lead my future, but I am open to landing on a different career path, if that appears to me as a better fit, even if that is 10 years from now.
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Mark’s Answer
Hi Marquis!
Kali has given an excellent answer!! I have two daughters that both went into nursing. My oldest knew she wanted to be a nurse from the start. My younger daughter however, did not. It's like all of a sudden, she was graduating from high school and she didn't know what she wanted to do... It's all happening so fast!!
Sandra makes a good point that you really don't have to decide right away. What helped my younger daughter too was that she was able to take a test that helps one discover their strengths and recommends a major.
I know so many people that found work to support themselves through college which ended up being so enjoyable and lucrative that after graduating, they stuck with it. And typically, what they learned in college, still proved to be very useful!
Hope this helps!
Mark
Kali has given an excellent answer!! I have two daughters that both went into nursing. My oldest knew she wanted to be a nurse from the start. My younger daughter however, did not. It's like all of a sudden, she was graduating from high school and she didn't know what she wanted to do... It's all happening so fast!!
Sandra makes a good point that you really don't have to decide right away. What helped my younger daughter too was that she was able to take a test that helps one discover their strengths and recommends a major.
I know so many people that found work to support themselves through college which ended up being so enjoyable and lucrative that after graduating, they stuck with it. And typically, what they learned in college, still proved to be very useful!
Hope this helps!
Mark
Updated
Anne’s Answer
Lots of great responses here.... for me, I was passionate about "teaching" things to anyone/everyone as a kid. I thought I wanted to grow up to be a teacher; however, as I got into a job while I was in college, I found a lot of satisfaction in 'teaching' customers how to use something. That drove my interest as technology changed (and it changes quickly) to get more involved with the company's technology developments and educating our sales teams and customers about that technology and its applications. Long story short, I became a 'teacher,' just not in the classroom with children. Now, I manage those 'teachers!' :) Your interests can take you to more places than you may realize!