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How do I know what career path is suited for me?

not sure what to major in either

career college career-path career-choice career-paths
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Courtney’s Answer

Jennifer,
Spoiler alert: you won't wake up and see large arrows directing you to a certain path. The journey may be more like the bumper rails at the bowling alley that keep the bowl somewhat headed toward the pins.
Not everyone gets it "right" the first time and not everyone gets it "right".
My answer will sound "non-standard", like: stay away from things that are not interesting to you or do not make you want to get up in the mornings.
Last "non-standard answer": college etc. is not for everyone.
Start simply by looking at what people do for living that may interest you and make sure your journey to a career does't consume you.
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Nivedita’s Answer

Hi Jennifer,

Exploration is the key here. You can explore and enroll into multiple courses via Google search.
You can just start with one small step and achieve great results.
For example, suppose you like painting..so thinking from a career perspective - you could think about digital painting/ digital design. If you explore further you will learn about Graphic design, UI/UX design..so you see - one small thought led you to a career choice. Similarly analyse your core skills and try to find a career that aligns with your skills.

Once you feel fascinated by some topic or option, search for courses related to that. Enrol in short courses maybe 2-3 hours and make sure you complete them. You will have the feeling of accomplishment and at the same time must have learnt a new skill. It will clarify you on whether or not to choose that as a career.
If you feel that your choice is right, then dig deeper and now enroll in longer duration courses/practical internships etc. Go with the choice that your instinct gives.

There is a website "theforage.com" that have 4-5 hours virtual experience certificate program, absolutely free of cost. These courses are structured by real time companies like Accenture, Cognizant and so you would learn things in a technical manner. You can enroll in any course of your choice. It's definitely a great experience.

Hope that helps. All the best!

Regards,
Nivedita
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Melissa’s Answer

Part of college is 'trying things on' and see if they 'fit'. I say this because you are still learning who you are, what you like, what you don't like. You will take varied courses in your first year of college and some of those might interest you. Think about what kinds of things in a broader sense do you enjoy doing? What kind of person are you -- do you love to help people, do you love to solve puzzles, do you love to teach people how to do things? Do you enjoy taking things apart and see how they work, do you love to create? Answers to these questions help guide toward a college (business college, engineeering college, nursing college, etc.) within a university. Because you are still learning about yourself, be kind to yourself and give yourself time and space to find out what might interest. Try not to be afraid to take a course and then feel badly if it doesn't interest you. Finding out what you don't want to do is as valuable as finding something that pique's your interest. You are also still discovering what kind of people feed your soul and you want to spend your time and energy on. This isn't a race, don't let any university make it seem as such nor the speed or paths your friends may be on. Your path through college may not be the same as anyone else's. That is OK. If you pick a major and change it, that's ok too. Just trust yourself and have patience. One last note that is something that helped keep me calm and accepting about my path -- many people get a college degree and throughout their career do something different, a little or sometimes a lot different, than what they got their degree for. 1 job leads to the next job and the next job -- oftentimes different positions within the same company. Get a degree -- it gets your resume looked at and opens so many doors! From there you will have many oppportunities to do different things in your career. Best of luck to you!
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Mike’s Answer

There really isn't any pressure to determine your career path as you enter college. You only need to work toward your first step. I believe nearly half of all college grad change their career by their last 20's because it takes a while to see what you really like, don't like, and what you are really good at. So unless you have all of that figured out already, work toward something you think you'd enjoy doing at an entry level and then find some good mentors to guide you on your long-term path.
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Patrice’s Answer

Hi Jennifer,
Great question, and it's okay that you are not sure of your career path. What are you passionate about? What do you enjoy doing so much that you would do that thing even if you were not being paid for it? If you know the answer to those questions, perhaps you can turn your passion into your career. You don't have to declare a major before going to college. Take your core courses in college, talk with an academic advisor, review the school's course catalog for inspiration.

I hope this helps. Good luck to you! I'm sure you will be a great choice.
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James’s Answer

Hello there. I used to ask myself this question. This will take trial and error most likely. You know you've chosen the right career when you aren't watching the clock, wondering and hoping when you're going to get off. I've had jobs where I looked at the clock a lot. I've had jobs where I would have worked for free.
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