12 answers
Artrinity
Student
Joliet, Illinois
2
Questions
Asked
854 views
what helped you decide on your career?
How did you decide?
Was it a hard decision?
Were there any life changing decisions?
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12 answers
George Unzueta
Sales
1
Answer
Chicago, Illinois
Updated
George’s Answer
Hello Artrinity.
As you’ll learn with time and as people share their stories with you, everyone’s career path will be a little different. In my case, my path “kind of” picked me. I really wanted to be an electrical engineer when I headed to college. When arriving to an institution of higher learning, I instantly saw that I was unprepared for the workload and discipline that was needed to complete assignments and tasks. I stayed on course with the electrical engineering degree and after 3 years and I was barley getting by with C’s. I made the hard decision and realization that economics as a course of study and practice made 100% more sense to me. The material was intuitive to me it made logical sense. While in college, I had a sales job that exposed me the business world and as the material that I was learning in school started to intersect with what I was already doing at work, I made the decision to peruse a course of study that was directly related to what I liked, what I understood and what I could see myself doing for the long run. I have been in a sales related industry since 1998 and it’s been a great ride!
George
As you’ll learn with time and as people share their stories with you, everyone’s career path will be a little different. In my case, my path “kind of” picked me. I really wanted to be an electrical engineer when I headed to college. When arriving to an institution of higher learning, I instantly saw that I was unprepared for the workload and discipline that was needed to complete assignments and tasks. I stayed on course with the electrical engineering degree and after 3 years and I was barley getting by with C’s. I made the hard decision and realization that economics as a course of study and practice made 100% more sense to me. The material was intuitive to me it made logical sense. While in college, I had a sales job that exposed me the business world and as the material that I was learning in school started to intersect with what I was already doing at work, I made the decision to peruse a course of study that was directly related to what I liked, what I understood and what I could see myself doing for the long run. I have been in a sales related industry since 1998 and it’s been a great ride!
George
Thank you!
Artrinity
Ethiopia Grant B.S.Ed., MEd., M.S.Ed., ITMH
Early Childhood Educator
10
Answers
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Updated
Ethiopia’s Answer
It wasn't hard for me to decide that I wanted to be an Educator. I've known this since I was a little girl. I would find myself teaching other children at church etc. However, I also want to say that you don't have to stick with one area forever and that's a lesson that I am currently learning. I am finding that I am ready for a change and that I can always look into careers that involve children but not directly and that are closely still related to my field.
Paul Goetzinger MPA
Academic and Career Consultant and Freelance Writer
751
Answers
Seattle, Washington
Updated
Paul’s Answer
Hi Artrinity:
Let me give you some of my personal perspective on your question and provide some insight regarding my decisions:
1. How did you decide?
It was always my goal to have a career in public service. I always liked assisting people to resolve their problems and provide them with options regarding achieving their goals in life. My education was oriented towards achieving the goal of public service. I suppose a great amount of this came from my parents, who instilled strong core values in me, and encouraged me to help others I encountered in life. So making this decision included a lot of my personal experiences and family core values. I figured that if I went into an occupation, that did not reflect these values, then I would probably not be very happy. So, I went into something that I enjoyed to do, and something that I knew would make a difference in the lives of others. So this was how I decided which occupation to choose.
2. Was it a hard decision?
The only issue that I believed I encountered was which sector of the public service to go into. I have done a number of things in the public sector, which helped me to achieve my goal of helping others. This included periods working in law enforcement, the legal field, non-profit occupations and then college and university education. The decisions to pursue these areas was not really hard for me, because they all filled the primary goal of public service to others.
3. Did you have any life changing decision?
Yes, leaving and pursuing certain occupations within the public sector was difficult. I suppose that much of that had to do with the element of the unknown, and many of us can get apprehensive when we are pursuing a new job or goal, because we do not know what to expect. Giving up my law enforcement badge for the classroom was definitely one of those changes. But all decisions we make in life have a certain element of risk involved with them. We just need to determine how much risk we are willing to take. In my case I made the right decisions regarding my occupations. I was able to make the transition from law enforcement to education very easily.
I hope this has been helpful in answering your question. Good luck in your future endeavors and best wishes in achieving your life goals.
Paul
Let me give you some of my personal perspective on your question and provide some insight regarding my decisions:
1. How did you decide?
It was always my goal to have a career in public service. I always liked assisting people to resolve their problems and provide them with options regarding achieving their goals in life. My education was oriented towards achieving the goal of public service. I suppose a great amount of this came from my parents, who instilled strong core values in me, and encouraged me to help others I encountered in life. So making this decision included a lot of my personal experiences and family core values. I figured that if I went into an occupation, that did not reflect these values, then I would probably not be very happy. So, I went into something that I enjoyed to do, and something that I knew would make a difference in the lives of others. So this was how I decided which occupation to choose.
2. Was it a hard decision?
The only issue that I believed I encountered was which sector of the public service to go into. I have done a number of things in the public sector, which helped me to achieve my goal of helping others. This included periods working in law enforcement, the legal field, non-profit occupations and then college and university education. The decisions to pursue these areas was not really hard for me, because they all filled the primary goal of public service to others.
3. Did you have any life changing decision?
Yes, leaving and pursuing certain occupations within the public sector was difficult. I suppose that much of that had to do with the element of the unknown, and many of us can get apprehensive when we are pursuing a new job or goal, because we do not know what to expect. Giving up my law enforcement badge for the classroom was definitely one of those changes. But all decisions we make in life have a certain element of risk involved with them. We just need to determine how much risk we are willing to take. In my case I made the right decisions regarding my occupations. I was able to make the transition from law enforcement to education very easily.
I hope this has been helpful in answering your question. Good luck in your future endeavors and best wishes in achieving your life goals.
Paul
Thank you, Paul for the advice.
Artrinity
Christian M
Consultant
6
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Christian’s Answer
what helped you decide on your career?
How did you decide?
Was it a hard decision?
Were there any life changing decisions?
I find that the act of choosing a career isn't a single decision that you would arrive with complete certainty or accuracy. There are so many influences inside one's worldly view and how you pick up interests through your growth. That fluid nature of curiosity and interest is something I believe everyone has, but it just takes another step in profound thought of how intentionally you would want to pursue something.
You can begin, I think, by noticing what are your talents or things you enjoy doing and therefore have started to master some form of it. This can be hobbies like painting or more creative work, or skills like math and numbers, to topics like economics and science.
Once you have these interests, take an account of how they all relate to each other ( or don't), and begin to think about ways you could practice them in certain job fields/industries. This can be hard just because you will not know all the different types of careers there are out there, but general research can get you at a good foundation to explore further. The next important step would be somehow getting in contact with people already doing what you think you would want to be doing. This can be done somewhat easily by finding public contacts and calling through varied mediums. Close conversations can help either invigorate your passion or make you realize it isn't for you. It's all about trying new things and being open to other people's perspective in this process.
Ultimately after research and deeper insights from practitioners you will have a strong idea of whether or not you like a particular job type. Defining this exactly can be very challenging, but it is important not to think this as the one job you will have forever and you will more than likely adapt new skills/interests as you grow through switches. Part of this process is also defining what you want out of a career and other life related questions if you value work/life balance or having a family in the near future. These can be big questions you wouldn't know the answers to maybe now, but should still consider what it is you ultimately want out of a career.
How did you decide?
Was it a hard decision?
Were there any life changing decisions?
I find that the act of choosing a career isn't a single decision that you would arrive with complete certainty or accuracy. There are so many influences inside one's worldly view and how you pick up interests through your growth. That fluid nature of curiosity and interest is something I believe everyone has, but it just takes another step in profound thought of how intentionally you would want to pursue something.
You can begin, I think, by noticing what are your talents or things you enjoy doing and therefore have started to master some form of it. This can be hobbies like painting or more creative work, or skills like math and numbers, to topics like economics and science.
Once you have these interests, take an account of how they all relate to each other ( or don't), and begin to think about ways you could practice them in certain job fields/industries. This can be hard just because you will not know all the different types of careers there are out there, but general research can get you at a good foundation to explore further. The next important step would be somehow getting in contact with people already doing what you think you would want to be doing. This can be done somewhat easily by finding public contacts and calling through varied mediums. Close conversations can help either invigorate your passion or make you realize it isn't for you. It's all about trying new things and being open to other people's perspective in this process.
Ultimately after research and deeper insights from practitioners you will have a strong idea of whether or not you like a particular job type. Defining this exactly can be very challenging, but it is important not to think this as the one job you will have forever and you will more than likely adapt new skills/interests as you grow through switches. Part of this process is also defining what you want out of a career and other life related questions if you value work/life balance or having a family in the near future. These can be big questions you wouldn't know the answers to maybe now, but should still consider what it is you ultimately want out of a career.
Thank you for the advice.
Artrinity
Samantha Brooks
Investigations & Forensics Associate
55
Answers
New York, New York
Updated
Samantha’s Answer
Hi Artrinity! The first thing I did was make a list of subjects/jobs I knew I liked and didn’t like. I also wrote what I thought were my best and worst skills, to help guide me in the right direction. Often eliminating potential career paths makes it much easier to find the right one for you. Ultimately, I found that I enjoyed math and did well in my math classes. I also realized I was very detail oriented and good at noticing errors. This thought process lead me to forensic accounting, which is what I do now. I also took some online quizzes to help me determine which careers might be the best for me. These quizzes select jobs you might enjoy based upon your personality, skills, and interests. While they don’t always work for everyone, I know many people who have used these quizzes to help them in deciding on a career. Once you decide on a potential career, I would recommend speaking to professionals who work in that industry and shadowing or interning, to confirm that you would really would enjoy the job. The best thing you can do is talk to as many people as you can about what they do and why they like their jobs. Best of luck!
Thank you so much!
Artrinity
Terica Johnson
Experience Senior Manager
34
Answers
Atlanta, Texas
Updated
Terica’s Answer
Hello! I remember when I was in high school and one of favorite teachers told me, " most adults change careers about 5 times in their lifetime and they have about 20-30 jobs." That made me feel comfortable knowing that I might not get it "right" on my first try and that was okay. Growing up I always wanted to be in a profession that gave back, helped the community, and made the world a better place. This made me go to college for education. I truly believe that children are our future. However, I eventually graduated with a degree a business. It was easier to decide what wasn't for me versus what was for for me. I decided during my student teaching that teaching wasn't the best fit for me. Therefore, I started working in customer service and I have been here over 16 years with over 6 promotions. I still find ways to give back, help people and support my community through volunteering and community events. In addition to working full time I also own my own business working with kids. I can honestly say I decided what I loved first and found a way to do that daily in the best way for my life. That could be a place start for you if you are questioning what's right for you. Think about things that you love and start exploring those ideas. Remember to give yourself grace, be patient with yourself, and trust your instinct.
Best of luck to you on your exploration journey!
TJ
Best of luck to you on your exploration journey!
TJ
Thank you so much for the advice.
Artrinity
Rebecca Tang
Banking
1860
Answers
Hong Kong
Updated
Rebecca’s Answer
This is an interesting question. Firstly, I would start on what I have interest on, e.g. hobbies, favourite subjects. Then, I have identified the careers that is related to these.
If you find difficulties to decide your future career, I suggest you can consider.
1. Think about your interest, hobbies and favourite subjects, etc. and identify the careers related to these.
2. Find out more on these careers and choose a few of these careers you have interest
3. Try to speak to someone who are working in these careers.
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers. Find out the relevant subjects in the college and entry criteria.
Having said that, people may change their career in their life time. This happens to a lot of people. It may be because of interest change, move to another location, etc. Just consider it prudently before making the change.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
If you find difficulties to decide your future career, I suggest you can consider.
1. Think about your interest, hobbies and favourite subjects, etc. and identify the careers related to these.
2. Find out more on these careers and choose a few of these careers you have interest
3. Try to speak to someone who are working in these careers.
4. Shortlist 1-2 careers. Find out the relevant subjects in the college and entry criteria.
Having said that, people may change their career in their life time. This happens to a lot of people. It may be because of interest change, move to another location, etc. Just consider it prudently before making the change.
Hope this helps! Good Luck!
Priya Mathew
Licensed Professional Counselor Associate, Art Student
170
Answers
Dallas, Texas
Updated
Priya’s Answer
Hi Artrinity,
What helped me decide was a majority of my spirituality, gut feeling, and taking classes in various majors. When I took classes, I was able to realize "Man I really do not/do like this!" And then I went with my gut. I think, right now, even though I am working toward my career, there are other paths that are also interesting me so I am exploring my options openly =). Things get a little less pressured after college, at least for me! I did have a tough time and felt a lot of pressure in college due to those around me, but you really do have some time to feel things out and try out different classes and see what works for you. I decided by the end of my second year, but I am always journeying, even now!
What helped me decide was a majority of my spirituality, gut feeling, and taking classes in various majors. When I took classes, I was able to realize "Man I really do not/do like this!" And then I went with my gut. I think, right now, even though I am working toward my career, there are other paths that are also interesting me so I am exploring my options openly =). Things get a little less pressured after college, at least for me! I did have a tough time and felt a lot of pressure in college due to those around me, but you really do have some time to feel things out and try out different classes and see what works for you. I decided by the end of my second year, but I am always journeying, even now!
Thank you for sharing your perspective.
Artrinity
Katie Robertson
Marketing Coordinator
3
Answers
Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Updated
Katie’s Answer
Hello,
I'm a recent college graduate who is working in Marketing/Public Relations. The reason I got into communications is because of the extracurriculars I did in high school. I was extremely passionate about them, so I started googling fields similar to what I was doing until I found something that seemed like a good fit for my interests and skills. That was a great starting point. I also had a lot of part time jobs and internships in high school and college that helped me see what I was good at and narrow down more specifically what I wanted to do in communications. My idea of what I want to do for the rest of my life continues to evolve, and I think the most important thing to keep in mind is you don't have to have everything figured out right away. Take the job that excites you the most and go from there. You can always quit or change your mind (if you have the resources you need), so don't be afraid of a little risk.
I'm a recent college graduate who is working in Marketing/Public Relations. The reason I got into communications is because of the extracurriculars I did in high school. I was extremely passionate about them, so I started googling fields similar to what I was doing until I found something that seemed like a good fit for my interests and skills. That was a great starting point. I also had a lot of part time jobs and internships in high school and college that helped me see what I was good at and narrow down more specifically what I wanted to do in communications. My idea of what I want to do for the rest of my life continues to evolve, and I think the most important thing to keep in mind is you don't have to have everything figured out right away. Take the job that excites you the most and go from there. You can always quit or change your mind (if you have the resources you need), so don't be afraid of a little risk.
Lucia Noe
Process/Manufacturing Engineer
4
Answers
El Paso, Texas
Updated
Lucia’s Answer
Hi Artrinity,
What helped you decide on your career? Were there any life changing decisions?
Experiencing things first hand and also talking to people working in certain fields is what helped me. I always enjoyed painting/drawing/crafts, and when I was in high school, I took advertising and graphic design classes, which made me really want to pursue art as a major. However, once I started college, I began making connections with other art majors, and talking to them about their experiences and how they saw their lives with an art degree after college, which made me realize that I saw art as a hobby rather than a career. I moved to engineering, and everything seemed to flow for me.
How did you decide? Was it a hard decision?
I wanted to do something that contributed to something greater, and that is how I chose engineering. I felt that with engineering experience I had large range of fields that I could venture into, never getting bored. Also, back then, I wanted to stay close to home, so I chose a field that would allow me to do so. It was not a hard decision because I had already tried something that I loved to do, but realized that it wasn't for me.
In order to narrow down some ideas to chose your career path, I would recommend asking yourself the following questions:
1) What likes/dislikes do I have?
2) What are my priorities (family, friends, money, etc.)? - for example, if you value family time, look for careers that will have work/life balance
3) Do I see myself doing the same thing for the rest of my life? - if you are a person who enjoys doing different things, look for something that will allow you to continue growing and learning
4) Where do I want to work? - if you want to stay close to home, then look for careers that will allow you to stay close to home
5) What are my strengths and weaknesses?
6) Is there a field that covers several of my interests? - if you have several interests, and you are feeling pressure to decide, you can pick something that will leave some flexibility to move to something else if needed
What helped you decide on your career? Were there any life changing decisions?
Experiencing things first hand and also talking to people working in certain fields is what helped me. I always enjoyed painting/drawing/crafts, and when I was in high school, I took advertising and graphic design classes, which made me really want to pursue art as a major. However, once I started college, I began making connections with other art majors, and talking to them about their experiences and how they saw their lives with an art degree after college, which made me realize that I saw art as a hobby rather than a career. I moved to engineering, and everything seemed to flow for me.
How did you decide? Was it a hard decision?
I wanted to do something that contributed to something greater, and that is how I chose engineering. I felt that with engineering experience I had large range of fields that I could venture into, never getting bored. Also, back then, I wanted to stay close to home, so I chose a field that would allow me to do so. It was not a hard decision because I had already tried something that I loved to do, but realized that it wasn't for me.
In order to narrow down some ideas to chose your career path, I would recommend asking yourself the following questions:
1) What likes/dislikes do I have?
2) What are my priorities (family, friends, money, etc.)? - for example, if you value family time, look for careers that will have work/life balance
3) Do I see myself doing the same thing for the rest of my life? - if you are a person who enjoys doing different things, look for something that will allow you to continue growing and learning
4) Where do I want to work? - if you want to stay close to home, then look for careers that will allow you to stay close to home
5) What are my strengths and weaknesses?
6) Is there a field that covers several of my interests? - if you have several interests, and you are feeling pressure to decide, you can pick something that will leave some flexibility to move to something else if needed
Alissa Dean
Enterprise Sales
4
Answers
Rolling Meadows, Illinois
Updated
Alissa’s Answer
Hi Artrinity,
How did you decide?
Was it a hard decision?
Were there any life changing decisions?
This is a great question. I first went to school to become a Teacher and Athletic Trainer. While in college, I got a job doing customer service for the current company I work for, Verizon. I was just really good at it, so I paused school and started working full time. Having said that I did go back to school a few years later all the way up to Masters of Science in Management for Business. This was life changing for me, but I found that I loved both my job and my company. At first it was a hard decision to move from something I wanted to do for as long as I could remember, to an entirely different career choice. As time when on I was so glad I made the change, even within my company I stay challenged, and if I am not, I look for another position within my company to renew myself. I have always found positions that have outstanding leadership, this has help aide in my successful career, and one of the largest factors when I look at changes.
Some things to help you think about your career and if you need a change:
1. Do you wake up excited and energized to work?
2. Are you making the kind of money that is needed to support your life balance, how is your quality of life?
3. At the end of the day, do you feel good knowing what you did that day had an impact?
4. If you are ready to make a move but just can't jump, what is preventing you from jumping,
My advice to you is to do what you love and what you are good at (usually these things go hand in hand). If you do what you love you will never work! 21 years later I couldn't be happier, and loving what I do, and this helps me perform better.
How did you decide?
Was it a hard decision?
Were there any life changing decisions?
This is a great question. I first went to school to become a Teacher and Athletic Trainer. While in college, I got a job doing customer service for the current company I work for, Verizon. I was just really good at it, so I paused school and started working full time. Having said that I did go back to school a few years later all the way up to Masters of Science in Management for Business. This was life changing for me, but I found that I loved both my job and my company. At first it was a hard decision to move from something I wanted to do for as long as I could remember, to an entirely different career choice. As time when on I was so glad I made the change, even within my company I stay challenged, and if I am not, I look for another position within my company to renew myself. I have always found positions that have outstanding leadership, this has help aide in my successful career, and one of the largest factors when I look at changes.
Some things to help you think about your career and if you need a change:
1. Do you wake up excited and energized to work?
2. Are you making the kind of money that is needed to support your life balance, how is your quality of life?
3. At the end of the day, do you feel good knowing what you did that day had an impact?
4. If you are ready to make a move but just can't jump, what is preventing you from jumping,
My advice to you is to do what you love and what you are good at (usually these things go hand in hand). If you do what you love you will never work! 21 years later I couldn't be happier, and loving what I do, and this helps me perform better.
I appreciate you taking the time to answer this.
Artrinity
Jane Juan
Medical Assistant/Physician Assistant Student
7
Answers
Cerritos, California
Updated
Jane’s Answer
Hey Artrinity!
I was in the same position a few years ago. I went into university with an Undecided major. I wanted to try Animation as a major, but my university actually didn't allow people to transfer into the Animation major. I would keep those kinds of things in mind. A lot of universities don't let you take classes from other majors and may not let you transfer into particular majors if you have already matriculated into the school. (I eventually chose and transferred into Chemistry/Biochemistry, but even then, it took two semesters for me to be able to get into the major due to all the prequisities it needed. It's likely different for Business/Art majors, but it is something to keep in mind).
If you have some time before you're applying, I would think about asking your teachers, your parents, and your parents' friends, basically any trustworthy adult, if you could shadow them for a little bit or if you could ask them questions about their jobs. It's going to be a lot of hit and miss because it is hard to explain the particulars of your job to someone outside of the field, and sometimes you can't really tell until you've spent years sitting down and doing the work yourself, but it could at least give you a little glimpse into what each career might be like. The one other bonus is that you might be introduced to jobs you didn't know about before.
If you're applying for college soon, and still haven't decided, a good option is community college. You'll have a lot more room to explore there, and the cost will be a lot cheaper. A lot of my friends weren't sure about what they wanted to do, and they went to community college and then matriculated into UC Berkeley once they figured it out. One nice thing is that even if your GPA isn't great in highschool (because highschool is already tough enough without the school portion of it), if you go to community college and get good grades there while exploring your interests, it can help with your options for schools.
There are also a lot of online resources for you to look at to learn about other subjects, and there's always the library as well, which has a lot more resources than you'd think. I know my library has a section dedicated to the usual university undergraduate careers as well as technician jobs. The main benefit of the library books is that you know that they come from more reputable sources than just any random person online (Haha.....).
I didn't do these things before my undergrad, but I wish I had!
I'm a bit off topic now, but let me answer your question on how I decided.
I decided on becoming a physician assistant. I finished my undergrad in Chemistry/Biochemistry with the intention of going to pharmacy school because I like chemistry, helping people, and the job paid well, but I thought about it a little more, and after working as a pharmacy technician, I decided not to. There was a multitude of reasons for why I backed out at the last minute, and even if my particular career choices aren't relevant to you, I think the reasons might be.
First, for chemistry/biology, it's only after I graduated that I realized that most relevant jobs for chemistry/biochemistry need further schooling. There are other pathways, but the most standard ones, going into research or the medical field do require more schooling, more time, and more money. The other general option is industry, but I don't know too much about that. I knew I wanted to stay in the medical field because I want to help people and I like medicine, and there were a few other options out there such as clinical lab scientist, nursing, x-ray or ultrasound technicians, and so on, but I liked the amount of freedom physician assistants have, and I liked that the schooling is for around two years, so currently, I am in the process of fulfilling my preqrequisites for physician assistant school.
What I learned: Consider how much schooling you're willing to go into and how much debt you're willing to go into. During the time you're in school (undergrad or grad), you're stressed about school, and it's likely you'll be working part time as well and that debt is accumulating (unless you get scholarships or have money), so the one thing I would say is that even if you love learning, love the subjects you're learning about, during that time period of school, the quality of life (freedom to buy what you want, freedom to spend time with friends and family, freedom to pursue any hobbies) is not always that great.
Second, for pharmacy, working as a technician, I realized that the burn out rate is high. This is something I'd really suggest you look into. For a lot of high-paying professionals like doctors, lawyers, accountants, the pay is great, but the burn out rate can get high. My highschool history teacher used to be a lawyer, but she quit to become a teacher. My friend's mom who is an accountant goes in on the weekends to work.
What I learned: It's important to think about the level of stress you're going to be under for the career you're looking at. Regardless, you can always, always switch careers, and like Terica answered above, most adults change careers 5 times in their lifetime.
Third, some people say "do what you love". I love illustration, writing, and reading, but there is always a difference between doing it as a job and doing it as a hobby. Even when I was considering animation, I was considering it because for the most part, it wouldn't be personal, and I would be okay compromising on it - it's still pretty either way, haha. If you want to go into something that you love, it's important to realize that you do your job for money, and when money is the end goal, the way that you do things is going to have to be different. There's pressure and compromise and you're likely going to have to do what your client or boss tells you to do, even when you're right. Even if you go into it as an entrepeneur, you are probably going to have to learn business (accounting, marketing, PR etc) instead of only focusing on what you love. I'm not that experienced, but I do think that it's not always true to do what you love. I'd say it's better to find a job that you find fulfilling, and for me, that would be physician assisting.
I'm still working towards my career goal of becoming a physician assistant, but it really was a difficult decision for me. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time and money, and I'm always worried about how I'm going to be able to financially help out my friends and family if anything ever happens in the near future because I have a while to go before I'm making any real money and medical bills in America are insane. The one comforting thing to me is that in becoming a physician assistant, I'll be in a career I find fulfilling, and I just try to keep that in mind when I'm stressed.
Otherwise, another thing I would keep in mind for choosing a career is the quality of life. In terms of quality of life, I don't mean pay, though having good finances is very important to having quality of life. I mean having the freedom to spend time how you want. If you have high pay, but you're always working overtime and barely see the people you love or can't do your hobbies, I don't think it's very worth it. There's also the consideration of how widespread the jobs are/where the jobs for that career are located. Are you willing to move? Are you willing to be apart from your family and friends? It's little things like that that become more important once you've been in your career for many years because it all starts to build up.
If you have no idea what you're into, and you're up to learn anything, I would suggest looking at freecodecamp (.org). It's a completely free site where you can learn frontend and backend coding, and the site is very user-friendly. I started playing with it just for fun, and I like it a lot. Software engineering/computer programming is a hot field right now and it's well paying often with good benefits, and women are underrepresented in tech. Otherwise, business is always a solid major to go into, and there's a lot more flexibility in moving around than I would say there is in the scientific/medical field or in engineering.
I know I wrote a ton, but hopefully something in there helps! Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions!
I was in the same position a few years ago. I went into university with an Undecided major. I wanted to try Animation as a major, but my university actually didn't allow people to transfer into the Animation major. I would keep those kinds of things in mind. A lot of universities don't let you take classes from other majors and may not let you transfer into particular majors if you have already matriculated into the school. (I eventually chose and transferred into Chemistry/Biochemistry, but even then, it took two semesters for me to be able to get into the major due to all the prequisities it needed. It's likely different for Business/Art majors, but it is something to keep in mind).
If you have some time before you're applying, I would think about asking your teachers, your parents, and your parents' friends, basically any trustworthy adult, if you could shadow them for a little bit or if you could ask them questions about their jobs. It's going to be a lot of hit and miss because it is hard to explain the particulars of your job to someone outside of the field, and sometimes you can't really tell until you've spent years sitting down and doing the work yourself, but it could at least give you a little glimpse into what each career might be like. The one other bonus is that you might be introduced to jobs you didn't know about before.
If you're applying for college soon, and still haven't decided, a good option is community college. You'll have a lot more room to explore there, and the cost will be a lot cheaper. A lot of my friends weren't sure about what they wanted to do, and they went to community college and then matriculated into UC Berkeley once they figured it out. One nice thing is that even if your GPA isn't great in highschool (because highschool is already tough enough without the school portion of it), if you go to community college and get good grades there while exploring your interests, it can help with your options for schools.
There are also a lot of online resources for you to look at to learn about other subjects, and there's always the library as well, which has a lot more resources than you'd think. I know my library has a section dedicated to the usual university undergraduate careers as well as technician jobs. The main benefit of the library books is that you know that they come from more reputable sources than just any random person online (Haha.....).
I didn't do these things before my undergrad, but I wish I had!
I'm a bit off topic now, but let me answer your question on how I decided.
I decided on becoming a physician assistant. I finished my undergrad in Chemistry/Biochemistry with the intention of going to pharmacy school because I like chemistry, helping people, and the job paid well, but I thought about it a little more, and after working as a pharmacy technician, I decided not to. There was a multitude of reasons for why I backed out at the last minute, and even if my particular career choices aren't relevant to you, I think the reasons might be.
First, for chemistry/biology, it's only after I graduated that I realized that most relevant jobs for chemistry/biochemistry need further schooling. There are other pathways, but the most standard ones, going into research or the medical field do require more schooling, more time, and more money. The other general option is industry, but I don't know too much about that. I knew I wanted to stay in the medical field because I want to help people and I like medicine, and there were a few other options out there such as clinical lab scientist, nursing, x-ray or ultrasound technicians, and so on, but I liked the amount of freedom physician assistants have, and I liked that the schooling is for around two years, so currently, I am in the process of fulfilling my preqrequisites for physician assistant school.
What I learned: Consider how much schooling you're willing to go into and how much debt you're willing to go into. During the time you're in school (undergrad or grad), you're stressed about school, and it's likely you'll be working part time as well and that debt is accumulating (unless you get scholarships or have money), so the one thing I would say is that even if you love learning, love the subjects you're learning about, during that time period of school, the quality of life (freedom to buy what you want, freedom to spend time with friends and family, freedom to pursue any hobbies) is not always that great.
Second, for pharmacy, working as a technician, I realized that the burn out rate is high. This is something I'd really suggest you look into. For a lot of high-paying professionals like doctors, lawyers, accountants, the pay is great, but the burn out rate can get high. My highschool history teacher used to be a lawyer, but she quit to become a teacher. My friend's mom who is an accountant goes in on the weekends to work.
What I learned: It's important to think about the level of stress you're going to be under for the career you're looking at. Regardless, you can always, always switch careers, and like Terica answered above, most adults change careers 5 times in their lifetime.
Third, some people say "do what you love". I love illustration, writing, and reading, but there is always a difference between doing it as a job and doing it as a hobby. Even when I was considering animation, I was considering it because for the most part, it wouldn't be personal, and I would be okay compromising on it - it's still pretty either way, haha. If you want to go into something that you love, it's important to realize that you do your job for money, and when money is the end goal, the way that you do things is going to have to be different. There's pressure and compromise and you're likely going to have to do what your client or boss tells you to do, even when you're right. Even if you go into it as an entrepeneur, you are probably going to have to learn business (accounting, marketing, PR etc) instead of only focusing on what you love. I'm not that experienced, but I do think that it's not always true to do what you love. I'd say it's better to find a job that you find fulfilling, and for me, that would be physician assisting.
I'm still working towards my career goal of becoming a physician assistant, but it really was a difficult decision for me. I feel like I've wasted a lot of time and money, and I'm always worried about how I'm going to be able to financially help out my friends and family if anything ever happens in the near future because I have a while to go before I'm making any real money and medical bills in America are insane. The one comforting thing to me is that in becoming a physician assistant, I'll be in a career I find fulfilling, and I just try to keep that in mind when I'm stressed.
Otherwise, another thing I would keep in mind for choosing a career is the quality of life. In terms of quality of life, I don't mean pay, though having good finances is very important to having quality of life. I mean having the freedom to spend time how you want. If you have high pay, but you're always working overtime and barely see the people you love or can't do your hobbies, I don't think it's very worth it. There's also the consideration of how widespread the jobs are/where the jobs for that career are located. Are you willing to move? Are you willing to be apart from your family and friends? It's little things like that that become more important once you've been in your career for many years because it all starts to build up.
If you have no idea what you're into, and you're up to learn anything, I would suggest looking at freecodecamp (.org). It's a completely free site where you can learn frontend and backend coding, and the site is very user-friendly. I started playing with it just for fun, and I like it a lot. Software engineering/computer programming is a hot field right now and it's well paying often with good benefits, and women are underrepresented in tech. Otherwise, business is always a solid major to go into, and there's a lot more flexibility in moving around than I would say there is in the scientific/medical field or in engineering.
I know I wrote a ton, but hopefully something in there helps! Good luck, and let me know if you have any questions!