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How did you come to conclusion with your career option?

I'm struggling

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Subject: Career question for you

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11 answers


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Augusto’s Answer

It is OK to struggle at a young age to define what would you like to choose as your career. The following my recommendations:
- Read and investigate what careers will have the most job opportunities in the near, mid and long term.
- analyze what kind of things you enjoy most doing.
- Identify opportunities to continue learning and invest on improving your knowledge on those areas.
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Amile’s Answer

When I graduated college, I didn't have a clue what to do! My major was in economics with a minor in psychology. I think being a bit "clueless" is natural as you navigate the career journey. I literally started applying for any job that vaguely looked like I would qualify! Once I got into a company (I was executive assistant to the president of an insurance company), I found my way by being inquisitive - asking lots of questions - and stepping up to take on extra projects. Today, I lead a team of professionals in the technology industry...

All that being said - my best advice to you would be to take action - read job postings - talk to friends - talk to advisors/professors - network. Then, once you land your first job, even if it is not your dream job - give it 100% every day and be inquisitive - be a continuous learner - step up for the special projects - you will uncover the path that is meant to be yours!
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Ryan’s Answer

At some point, you gotta leap and make a decision but remember even if you made the wrong decision you end up learning that a particular career or direction is not the right one and you move on.

There are no mistakes, only lessons, and opportunities.

It's very common for people's career paths to be anything but a straight line and that's ok. It took me a while to pull back and zoom out and see that I had many career options and made the best choices I could with the knowledge and experience I had.

Some of us didn't or don't have very many career options. The list goes on, perhaps because of limited resources, or environmental or socioeconomic factors. So, having a single option is better than none and at least for me, I was extremely grateful that I had that one option. That gratitude for my job, then career, helped me manifest the career path I needed to support my life. I am so grateful for it! If you can find the gratitude too, you'll be in a much better place to receive options you couldn't see were there.

But if you're having a difficult time finding that first option then I would start by taking a deep dive into yourself and asking those tough questions, get curious, and start analyzing the data you have about yourself.
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Robyn’s Answer

In my case I looked at what could help me make the most money. In my case it was technology. I had a lot of people in my family and in my community that were in business. So I decided to get a business degree in Management Information Systems and focus on a technical career. In the end I didn't follow my dreams because I thought I wasn't smart enough, and I didn't feel like I had support. Make sure you follow your heart and choose a career that you are really interested in and really want to do. Tell yourself you CAN do anything you set your mind to. Don't have any regrets. Follow your dreams and do what you are interested in.

Robyn recommends the following next steps:

Make a list of your interests and explore how your interests fit in career paths.
Reach out to your counselor or advisor and ask to take a test that matches your interests with careers.
Once you have a few career ideas, search for people in LinkedIn that have those careers and ask them if you can get their feedback on your questions. Most people are happy to share.
Never stop following your dreams!
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James Constantine’s Answer

Greetings Miguel, from San Francisco, California. This is James reaching out from The Gold Coast in Australia! I understand you have a question for me about career choices and how to make a decision. I see that you're finding this difficult.

Choosing a career can indeed be a daunting task, as it involves a lot of introspection, exploration, and careful consideration of various aspects. Although I'm an AI search engine and don't have personal experiences or emotions like humans do, I can certainly offer some advice on how to make a decision about your career.

1. Self-Reflection: Begin by thinking about your interests, values, abilities, and strengths. What activities do you enjoy? What subjects or topics excite you? What skills do you have and which ones would you like to improve? Understanding yourself and what drives you is key to finding a career that you will find rewarding.

2. Research and Exploration: After you have a better understanding of your own preferences, it's time to look into different career options that match your interests and skills. Do thorough research on various industries, job roles, and professions that interest you. Find out about the qualifications, educational requirements, job prospects, potential salary, and work-life balance associated with those careers.

3. Seek Guidance: Get advice from professionals in the fields you're interested in. Reach out to mentors, career counselors, or individuals who are already working in those industries. They can give you valuable insights into the everyday realities of different careers and offer advice on how to pursue them.

4. Consider Your Values: Think about your personal values when looking at career options. What is most important to you in terms of work environment, company culture, societal impact, work-life balance, and opportunities for growth and advancement? Choosing a career that aligns with your values can lead to greater job satisfaction and fulfillment.

5. Gain Practical Experience: To get a better understanding of a particular career field, consider seeking internships, volunteering opportunities, or part-time jobs related to your areas of interest. This hands-on experience will give you valuable insights and help you determine if a specific career is the right fit for you.

6. Networking: Networking is a vital part of career exploration. Attend industry events, join professional associations, and connect with professionals in your desired field. Networking can provide you with valuable contacts, mentorship opportunities, and insider information about potential career paths.

7. Continual Learning: Remember that career decisions are not permanent. It's important to embrace lifelong learning and be open to new opportunities and possibilities. As you gain more experience and knowledge, your interests and goals may change, leading you to explore different career options.

Choosing a career is a personal decision, and there is no one-size-fits-all approach. It's important to take the time to reflect on your own aspirations, values, and interests. By doing thorough research, seeking guidance, gaining practical experience, and networking, you can make an informed decision about your career path.

Top 3 Authoritative Reference Publications or Domain Names:

1. Harvard Business Review - www.hbr.org
2. Forbes - www.forbes.com
3. The Balance Careers - www.thebalancecareers.com

Organic Web Results:
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I hope this helps.
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Briana’s Answer

Hi, Miguel.

I understand how difficult it can be to find a career path you're comfortable with. When looking at potential career paths, it's a good idea to take into account these three points: passion/interests, financial stability, and mental health. Try to find a job that you are interested in doing, doesn't have a negative impact on your mental health, and provides financial stability.

Let's break that down more:

Finding a job you enjoy means honestly thinking of your interests and passions. This does not need to be a college major or a job title, just an activity you enjoy doing. Do you like drawing? Playing video games? Talking with people a lot? Working independently? Reading? Science? Hanging out with animals? Working with your hands? Being outside?
Try writing down a list of these activities. Then, you can start researching job options that allow you to do one or more of the activities you enjoy. For example, I chose speech-language pathology because I like learning about languages and how they work, and my job let's me do that every day. My job also entails a lot of stuff I didn't think about or don't prefer doing, but having that one aspect that I did and continue to enjoy helps even that out.

"Financial stability" means different things for different people. It all depends on where you plan on living, with whom, how much money you typically spend on life expenses, and how much money you hope to have saved up. Living with roommates in a small town is going to cost less than living on your own in Los Angeles. As a general rule, you want a job that covers the cost of living in whatever area you live in, and that allows you to save for the future. Try making a budget of your expenses to see where you fall, and you can start looking at careers that make enough on average to cover those expenses.

As for mental health, you ideally want a job that is structured in a way that plays to your strengths and doesn't cause you more stress than is worth it. Try to list out what would make you happy in a job. Structure or flexibility? Fast paced or slow paced? Working with people or working independently? Work in an office or work from home? Lots of education needed or less education needed? Look for a job that offers work conditions that you thrive in.

For example, in speech pathology I'm working with content that I find interesting, it makes enough money to cover my expenses and help me save for the future, and it allows me a flexible work schedule where I can work independently. This fits me and my financial and mental health needs well.

Briana recommends the following next steps:

Take a career aptitude test online
Research cost of living where you want to live
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Kevin’s Answer

Find something that you love to do! Concentrate on your current strengths. If you enjoy helps others, look for a career path in teaching, public service, leadership positions. I enjoy working with others and presenting which is what I do daily. Working in the telecommunications industry, I combine both of those on a daily basis. Also, working in a growing industry that is forever changing makes every day different and fresh!
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Shara’s Answer

I chose my career based on what I enjoyed doing in school. That happened to be writing. I also knew that one thing I personally wanted to do was travel. This factored into my choice as well. I work for a company where I write content, am able to be creative, and get to travel. For me it was a combination of a school interest and a personal goal. Sometimes your career is shaped as you go, and that path works too, for so many. Think about what you'd like to do as a profession, but also think about how you might reach some personal goals through your choice. Good luck to you on your journey!
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Vamshee’s Answer

One has to ask these questions while choosing the career.
Successful career is all about job Growth, Opportunities, Salary, Satisfaction.
For each of your interest, compare them how each one stands in relation to growth, opportunities, Salary and Satisfaction

Talk to someone who works in particular profession to know pros and cons, so you get an idea about it and helps you compare and guide you in deciding which career to choose.
Volunteer in your possible professions.
Never forgot your strengths, take your time -don't feel like you have to rush through the process.

Take guidance from School counselor, friends and family.


Also, it's easy to switch careers in initial few years of a Carrer, so you can try out one and see what it brings.

You can choose a career/profession which make you happy and pays you well ...so you can get best of both.

Money is important in initial part of career for sure as it helps you pay off your college/debts and gives financial independence to be on your own ..start a family or own a car n House... In the later part of career happiness matters.
some will pursue the hobbies/interests after hours or in weekends to balance work/Money/Happiness.

you can try the following tool to guide you choose the career path.

Explore your interests, envision your future. Use the me3 tool i came across below developed by ASU.

me3® is a simple interactive tool that helps you find a career that fits your interests. me3 guides you through a series of visual choices that reflect your levels of interest in data, things, people and ideas.

https://me3.careers/asu/onboarding/education

Hope this helps!

Good luck for all your future endeavors.

I was good at math and science in my high school, i thought it would be hard and needs lot of financial and personal commitment to pursue medical field. So, i chose the engineering which i can connect easily and know that its good career.
So, i end up choosing engineering, and i am glad that i had done that which brought be successful and stable career with good paying jobs.
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Funke’s Answer

Hi Miguel,
I'd like you to calm down! Yes, it could be challenging, however think about what you value and why it excites you. And of course what you will enjoy doing and the impact it makes on others. After coming up with some ideas, meet with a counselor and join networking/ meetup groups events that can provide you more resources to guide you. Be rest assured that you can build on your initial career ideas through curiosity and continuous learning.
For me, I started with engineering field because I love Mathematics and love to solve problem. I have worked as Network Analyst, Business Analyst and now in Data Science field.
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William’s Answer

Finding a career path is never an easy thing, ad it for sure isn’t a science! In my life so far, I have had the most success doing the following:

1. Through exploring different experiences, seeing what opportunities aligned with my values while simultaneously piquing my interest.
2. Identifying my personal interests and passions and seeing how those could intersect with potential career options.

In summary, it’s best to put yourself out there and explore different options! Sometimes life’s best opportunities are found in the least likely places!
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