What made/helped you pick your career?

Jessica,

I had no idea what I wanted to do up until the day before I started LPN school. I figured I'd end up in healthcare somehow but I just wasn't sure what. My mom told me that if I don't go to school, I would not getting an allowance & would have to work. That was a "no" for me. Since LPN school was only 14 months, it wasn't too bad & i figured I'd at least have a job that paid well... 11 years later, I'm still in nursing & plan that I will be for the remainder of my working years. I found it very interesting & I guess it eventually grew on me.

Since you were able to narrow down your choices, doing some internship in your areas of interest might be helpful. You'll be able to see what these professionals actually do & be able to decided what you see yourself doing in the future. Good luck!!!

Hi Jessica -
This answer will be different depending on the person and experience. For me I wanted to own my own business, by doing so I felt going into the field of accounting would help me navigate through business and help me with the financial aspect. You should try to determine what you would like to do and work towards that goal.

Hi Jessica, I personally had a hard time picking what I wanted to study. I repeatedly would reference hard copy files of various careers (you now have the internet) during my first and second year of college to evaluate what career I wanted to enter. Eventually I wound-up studying Community Health Education but may have been better off seeking a more actual medical type degree (think nursing, physician assistant, etc.) even if wanting the same career. I found many jobs in Communrlity Health only nurses qualified for and I was not one. I now believe I am being called moreso into Christian ministry and could use my former education to do it if I wanted to along with some ministry training. The common factor I see for you is you want to help people as I did and do. For me, cost of my education became a factor too. A good college advisor (free service) should be helpful to you and you can try to get one through the admissions office on the campus of your choice and admittance. You can get your general education classes done first (think math, english, etc.) during your first year(s) of college study before deciding on a career if needed as I did. Recently I have found a great resource and I will share it with you as a next step. You should find the resource helpful for your situation. Yay!

Hi Jessica!

Here is a site that contains helpful exercises that will assist you:
https://www.themuse.com/advice/14-free-personality-tests-thatll-help-you-figure-yourself-out

If you find something that looks interesting
- talk to your school counselor about participating in coop, intern, shadowing, and volunteer programs that will allow you to see what people are doing, how they got there, and how you feel about that
- talk to the head of alumni relations at your school to arrange to meet and talk to graduates of your school who are working in those areas to learn more

Best of luck! Keep me posted. I would like to follow your progress.