Should I look for a career that I'm good at or something I'm interested in?

Actually, you should consider both. You should consider careers in all areas because you don’t want to limit your options. The best jobs are the ones we don’t consider work and therefore we enjoy going to. In my experience, the jobs that interest me don’t pay as well as the jobs that I am good at. So I work the job that I am good at that pays well as my primary job, and then the thing that I enjoy I do as a hobby part time. An interest survey is a good way to identify jobs that align well with your interest. www.scholastic.com has a survey that allows you to get to know you. As a next step, you should start there and then identify all of your interests and then turn those interests into a job you will enjoy!

Hi Grace,

You have been given some excellent advice already. One additional assessment you may want to consider is StrengthsFinder. It focuses on your natural strengths and provides some insight into the meaning for your education and career options.

Grace, just because you are good at something does not mean it is the right job for you. There is usually some aspect of that skill that will be the right job for you, but, your challenge is to find it. What do I mean? Let's say you are good at math. So, you become an accountant. Turns out, being locked away in a room by yourself all day is not your thing (apologies to accountants , I know this is not always true - just used to make a point!) Maybe you are a people-person, and were meant to be a math teacher!

Conversely, just because you are interested in it does not mean you will be good at it. What if you want to be a singer, but are horrible at it? Perhaps your real calling is in being a producer. Some aspect of the area of interest, other than what you originally thought.

Not very easy, I know! This is why assessment testing becomes important. Do a few of the tests, and see what they tell you. Also, try this. write down what you are good at, and then try to list all the jobs you could get using those skills. Do the same thing with what interests you. You will be amazed at how many possibilities there are.

other skill and interest assessments are available at this site:

https://www.careeronestop.org/ExploreCareers/explore-careers.aspx?&frd=true

I was going to actually recommend this assessment as it focus on your areas of strength. When I was in high school, as an exchange student I took the navy aptitude test. I never considered accounting as my career until I took the class and when the results of the test came. I'm actually not on the book keeping role but more on the finance and problem solving on the finance perspective. 

Something that helped me was to work a summer in a law firm and another summer on an accounting firm. Obviously no pay and doing filling, arranging documents that sort of things; but that really was an eye opener for me on what I wanted to do. 

Talk to professionals that work on your areas of interest what they have done, what was their mayor, what they love the most on their current job and their career path, also ask the not so fun part of the job. They can also recommend you which college is better depending on what you are rooting too. 

It is important what you like, what you are passionate about and what you are good at. If you are still unsure the first year try to take subjects that can be good for wither or and a class for either major and see what you like.