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For people who have many interests in a lot of different career fields was it hard for you to pick a job, and did these interests help you in your job?

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Katherine’s Answer

Hi Mahmoud – It’s great that you have diverse interests. Your interests and talents will definitely help you succeed in your chosen career. One thing I’ve found is that some interests are temporary while others will inform your career path. For example, I participated in orchestra throughout high school and some in college. While I feel learning that discipline was valuable, I don’t spend time in my job or free time doing anything related to music. However, the time I spent developing writing and analytical skills are important to my current career in search engine optimization (SEO).

You might consider these questions when thinking about your career path:
- Where does your natural talent lie? This may or may not overlap with your interests. For example, you may be interested in becoming a lawyer but have stronger intuitive skills that would serve you well as an entrepreneur. Try to capitalize on your natural strengths.
- What are your financial goals? If you have a certain lifestyle in mind, you might want to consider which types of jobs are in demand and offer the pay range that will help you achieve that lifestyle. Thinking about this can also help you choose a college (or other) program after high school. Try to find a career that suits your interests and strengths while considering the marketability of your chosen skillset.
- Can you get real-world experience before you make a commitment to a college or career path? You may think a career will be a perfect fit for you but not realize what that job actually entails. For example, I went into college certain I wanted to be a wedding planner. After interning at a wedding planning firm, I changed my mind and found an internship in a different industry the next summer. Try to take advantage of real-world opportunities before you commit to a career path.

I hope this helps. Good luck on your journey!
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Meghna’s Answer

First, it is great that you have the awareness of your many interests. This will in fact help you do well in life granted you figure out a method to explore each interest without getting stuck in the rabbit holes. It is important to clearly define why you are taking on a new job or a new assignment. If the job provides you the income you need that is an important factor to consider, most of us have to work to support ourselves and our families. For those with many interest the most critical skill you need to develop is time management and prioritization. You will have to be very disciplined with the time you spend on your many activities and interests, perhaps one gives you financial security, another gives you creative joy, and another gives you intellectual satisfaction. Try to map out these activities in terms of what you are getting from them on a calendar on your phone, laptop or make a paper calendar. Visualizing where your time is going will help you make changes over time to find the right balance and find opportunities that are at the intersection of more than one interest. Also remember your most important skill might not be the skill itself but your ability to transfer your learning from one skill to another. This is the craft you will be improving on over time and will make you a valuable part of teams you will work with.

Also here is a great Ted Talk by Emilie Wapnick on a term she created called Multipotentialite. You might get some inspiration from this.
You can find it on youtube by searching on "Emilie Wapnick: Why some of us don't have one true calling"
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elle’s Answer

i'm somone who is interested in a lot of different subjects but working life is about specific skillsets and what you like to do on a day to day basis. do you like interacting with others all day? or do you prefer working on things by yourself in front of a computer? do you enjoy analyzing data? do you like managing projects? etc. These are all skillsets that can be useful in a variety of fields - so if there's some things you like to do more than others on a daily basis, focus on a role in that allows you to do those activities and in a subject you enjoy.
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Lauren’s Answer

Hi Mahmoud,
Great question! One thing that I have found really fun about working for a big company like Verizon is that there are tons of opportunities. If you are someone who has many interests, I would encourage you to look at large organizations. You could have a career that goes into multiple functions like Finance, Technology, Human Resources, and Sales. Or you could explore lots of different roles in one function, for example, in human resources you could work in recruiting, learning & development or compensation. The possibilities are endless!
Best of luck!
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Julie’s Answer

I have so many interests and I have worked in so many different fields, but, I have found one thing in common with all of it, I love to help people, always have and always will. I am currently working for the county in the human services department, I get to help families and at risk adults and kids every single day and I absolutely love my job.
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Frank’s Answer

Hello Mahmoud,

It is great to have many interests and it can make it difficult to figure out a career. I always had interest in video games, computer science, networking, forensics, and other. In my experience I had careers in some aspect of these interest (outside the forensics) and while some were a enjoyable experience, others were not that great and made my interest dwindle in those areas. But I will say it was nice to explore all my areas of interest and being able to try a few things I would not have thought of doing when I was thinking of my career. Just think about what will bring you joy, whether if it is your number 1 interest or not, and go for it.
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Madi’s Answer

Growing up, I had many different interests that could have became my career field. I wanted to be a dancer, an elementary school teacher, a scientist, etc. I ultimately ended up going into the field of accounting.

Admittedly, it was hard to narrow it down. Personally, I thought about what I wanted my life to look like in five years. I asked myself questions such as: how many years will it take to break into this career field? Will I be able to afford a school that would prepare me for this career field? Do I want to work in an office? Do I want to work in a studio, doing physical work all day? Do I want to work in a lab?

Essentially, picturing how you want your life to look in the years beyond college can help your narrow down a career paths. In the end, you may still be left with more than one career to explore. The beauty of college is that you are allowed to take classes in different subjects even if that isn't your major. Take classes, talk to people in different fields and make the best decision for you.
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Brandon’s Answer

Personally, I'm someone that does have many different interests in various areas so I completely understand the thought process. (some of my interests are - computers, video games, cars, etc.) What I found in my life so far is that my interests tend to add value in many industries, regardless of whether my jobs/roles actually involved those elements directly. In my current role in the telecommunications industry I manage a team of technology experts that develop software systems. While that doesn't even remotely involve cars or video games in the tritonal sense, some of my employees and colleagues have those same interests and it allows us to connect/talk on a personal level, elevating the work that we do and how we partner as a team. You will also find that some of the building blocks of your interests will play into a huge variety of fields/jobs well beyond the obvious choices.
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Janet’s Answer

Great question and it's hard to know at such a young age what you want to do for a career. My career has made many twists and turns since but all had one common thread, I always enjoyed what I did/do. I'm in the fashion industry and started in retail. I knew I loved clothing and had no idea I was going to make this a career but I kept doing what I loved. I was always flexible and open to new opportunities when they came about. I somehow landed in the footwear industry many years later and work for one of the top footwear brands in the country. I can honestly say I still very much enjoy what I do many years later.
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