4 answers
Elvin
Student
Miami Gardens, Florida
4
Questions
Asked
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Choosing a career is not an easy thing to do because you never know what you want in life unless you try it. Whether or not that depends on you, how do you know what career you want.
I am 19 years old. I have no experience with jobs I had a mini job in which I learned a lot about the flow of electricity from one area to another. # #career
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4 answers
Eric Gregory
Sr. Systems Administrator
1
Answer
Clarksville, Tennessee
Updated
Eric’s Answer
Great question, a good place to start is to ask yourself "What do I like to do" or "what am I interested in in general" Then go look for careers that deal with that. My strategy when I was 19 was to just work different jobs until I found one that suited me. I worked in restaurants and followed that for a bit, worked in construction, I even went to Alaska and worked on a commercial fishing vessel for a while.
Eventually I accompanied my girlfriend (Now my wife) to her college admissions appointment. The admissions rep looked at me and said "You look like you'd be interested in our computer programs. I had no history in computers, but here I am 25 years later with a lucrative and enjoyable career in Information Technology.
Get out there and explore is the best advice I can give.
Eventually I accompanied my girlfriend (Now my wife) to her college admissions appointment. The admissions rep looked at me and said "You look like you'd be interested in our computer programs. I had no history in computers, but here I am 25 years later with a lucrative and enjoyable career in Information Technology.
Get out there and explore is the best advice I can give.
Stephen Scaringella
Technology Executive
20
Answers
Holliston, Massachusetts
Updated
Stephen’s Answer
Hi Elvin,
Making a career decision is hard, for some they know early on what they want to do and what they are good at. For others it takes time, so first don't worry that you don't know yet. I always ask, what are you passion about? What subjects did you like in school? Is there an interest or hobby you have that you like? Find a few different things and then research the types of classes you would take if that was your major and career choice. Then I recommend looking if there are any free online classes you could take or look at your local community college where you could take a class or two to see how you like it. This will allow you to explore without spending a lot of money to find an interest.
Best of luck!
Making a career decision is hard, for some they know early on what they want to do and what they are good at. For others it takes time, so first don't worry that you don't know yet. I always ask, what are you passion about? What subjects did you like in school? Is there an interest or hobby you have that you like? Find a few different things and then research the types of classes you would take if that was your major and career choice. Then I recommend looking if there are any free online classes you could take or look at your local community college where you could take a class or two to see how you like it. This will allow you to explore without spending a lot of money to find an interest.
Best of luck!
Mark Morgan
Telecom Engineer/Truck Driver
148
Answers
Newburgh, Kentucky
Updated
Mark’s Answer
Hi Elvin!!
You are so right... I know many who make a choice only to find, they don't like it!! Sometimes, they're not smart enough... And it's not that they're not smart. It's that they haven't picked a path where they have interest or a strong skill set. I have three children. One of them just eats math up!! Like his mother! The other two... not so much. Math is not for everyone. Some people can draw and some people can't. I can play music, but I can't even draw a stick man! My financial adviser started out on the medical track... He's the one who used the phrase "not smart enough" when he told me his story. He's really a sharp guy. Science however, is not his strong suit nor his interest. So he switched to finance. He loves what he does! He's good at it! And he is thriving in his business!
The beauty of it is, you don't have to declare a major right away. Even if you pick a major, the first couple of years are spent getting the electives out of the way. So take Eric's advice and explore what you think you might want to do. Do you like to write? Marketing perhaps... Engineering? Medical? Law enforcement... and even when you decide, career paths have many different opportunities... Nursing for example! There are so many different kinds of roles for a nurse!
First things first, talk to your career counselor at your high school. I would definitely plan on college. There are a wide variety of benefits that come with earning a college degree. These days, a college degree is often a minimum requirement for a job and if you have a job, not having an education or degree might hold you back from being promoted. Having a degree increases the number of career opportunities you'll be qualified for. Typically, jobs requiring a degree tends to offer higher paying salaries than jobs that don't require a degree.
So, remember, you have time... Things to consider or start thinking about now are your strengths and what you're interests are. Summer jobs and internships help too, because you can get a feel for a particular role, etc. Years ago, I had a friend at church who wanted to be a school teacher. One summer we had a vacation bible school and she taught a class. It only took one week of VBS for her to figure out that she did NOT want to be a school teacher!
Good luck!!
Mark
You are so right... I know many who make a choice only to find, they don't like it!! Sometimes, they're not smart enough... And it's not that they're not smart. It's that they haven't picked a path where they have interest or a strong skill set. I have three children. One of them just eats math up!! Like his mother! The other two... not so much. Math is not for everyone. Some people can draw and some people can't. I can play music, but I can't even draw a stick man! My financial adviser started out on the medical track... He's the one who used the phrase "not smart enough" when he told me his story. He's really a sharp guy. Science however, is not his strong suit nor his interest. So he switched to finance. He loves what he does! He's good at it! And he is thriving in his business!
The beauty of it is, you don't have to declare a major right away. Even if you pick a major, the first couple of years are spent getting the electives out of the way. So take Eric's advice and explore what you think you might want to do. Do you like to write? Marketing perhaps... Engineering? Medical? Law enforcement... and even when you decide, career paths have many different opportunities... Nursing for example! There are so many different kinds of roles for a nurse!
First things first, talk to your career counselor at your high school. I would definitely plan on college. There are a wide variety of benefits that come with earning a college degree. These days, a college degree is often a minimum requirement for a job and if you have a job, not having an education or degree might hold you back from being promoted. Having a degree increases the number of career opportunities you'll be qualified for. Typically, jobs requiring a degree tends to offer higher paying salaries than jobs that don't require a degree.
So, remember, you have time... Things to consider or start thinking about now are your strengths and what you're interests are. Summer jobs and internships help too, because you can get a feel for a particular role, etc. Years ago, I had a friend at church who wanted to be a school teacher. One summer we had a vacation bible school and she taught a class. It only took one week of VBS for her to figure out that she did NOT want to be a school teacher!
Good luck!!
Mark
Howard Christiansen
Professor
54
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Howard’s Answer
The best way to discover a career is to first explore all of your interests and what you love to do most. Choosing a career for the money only is not a good idea. You have to be somewhat sure that you are going to love what you do.
Next you will need to experiment working in different jobs that you think you m ight like. A great career often does not happen immediately. It takes much soul searching and getting enough experience to make the right choice. I worked for 17 years in a corporation as an internal consultant and there were times that I loved what I did and times that I did not enjoy what I was doing. I then applied for a job as a college professor and for the last 25 years have enjoyed every minute of it. I chose teaching because I love to help people and also enjoy being around young people.
Hopefully my information has helped you Elvin and I wish you the best on your journey through life.
Next you will need to experiment working in different jobs that you think you m ight like. A great career often does not happen immediately. It takes much soul searching and getting enough experience to make the right choice. I worked for 17 years in a corporation as an internal consultant and there were times that I loved what I did and times that I did not enjoy what I was doing. I then applied for a job as a college professor and for the last 25 years have enjoyed every minute of it. I chose teaching because I love to help people and also enjoy being around young people.
Hopefully my information has helped you Elvin and I wish you the best on your journey through life.