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When you’re trying to figure out what you want to do with your life, it can feel completely daunting and overwhelming. Especially when you’ve never worked before, or only had a part time job. There are so many factors to consider, it can be difficult to determine which ones matter. This blog post outlines some of the key questions you would ask yourself when planning your career path. Answering these questions won’t plan your path for you, but it will give you the information you need to start making a plan.
The most important thing to think about when thinking about your future career is the overall vision for your life. Your job and career are one aspect of your life, but there are so many others to think about. It’s important to do some thinking about your ideal scenario when you’re an adult. What things are most important to you? What things are you certain you don’t want? Having a clear vision for what your life looks like will help you select a career that will get you there.
After thinking about your overall vision, consider your day to day life. Do you imagine traveling and moving around often or always staying in one place? Do you like the idea of a reliable routine, or the flexibility to build your own schedule? Would you prefer that your days are quite predictable, or do you want each day to be different from the last? Thinking about the best version of your day to day life will help you narrow down careers that are a better fit for you.
Think about everything you enjoy doing. Consider topics and ideas you enjoy reading or learning about and activities you enjoy. They might be hobbies, activities in school, or leisure activities. Think about more specific tasks you enjoy doing as well. Did you really enjoy that one time you had to plan a big project from scratch? Do you enjoy speaking in front of other people? Perhaps you know that you love to draw, but only on your ipad. Having a clear idea of what you like to do is a great place to build from when thinking about potential career paths you might enjoy.
Another good piece of information to have when planning out your career is a clear idea of your skillset. What kinds of things come naturally to you, versus what kinds of things do you typically have to work at? It’s a good idea to lean into your strengths to find a career for which you’re well-suited. However, there is nothing saying that you can’t pursue a field or a career that does not come naturally to you. If your passion is something that you really have to work at, you are likely to find yourself feeling quite accomplished and rewarded. Knowing this information, however, will help give you a sense of what skills to build on and practice as you pursue your goals.
Considering your geographic location can be quite useful in thinking about a career. If you’re certain you never want to live in a city, it’s important to consider careers that are available in rural areas. If you know you want to move around a lot, you probably don’t want to pursue a career where you need to be licensed in a specific state to practice. This consideration has different levels of impact for different people depending on its importance. However, if you’re certain about living in a specific type of place or even a specific city, it’s useful to know what kinds of careers are available to you.
Different types of careers require different levels of education and training. When thinking about a future career, it’s useful to know your openness to more education and training. Would you mind spending 8 years in school after high school? Would you prefer to go right into the workforce and upskill as you go? Knowing what you are and are not open to when it comes to levels of education will help you narrow down your options based on the level of education and training they require.
No one likes to admit that money is important, but the amount of money you make very much determines your lifestyle. It’s important to think about the type of lifestyle you want and how much money you’ll need to make it happen. Are you someone who wants to own a home? Do you want to be able to travel for leisure frequently? Are you so driven by purpose that you’re willing to spend your whole life in an apartment with roommates? Although this answer might change over time, it’s useful to consider how important your income is to you right now to choose a career that will give you the lifestyle you want.
There is no right answer when thinking about a career, but it’s important to know for yourself whether you envision your career being your passion or a means to pay for your life. Everyone should aim to at least like their job, but it is important to some people to be truly passionate about what they do. If passion is important to you, you can start by making a list of things you are passionate about and learn what careers are related to them. If you prefer to think of your job more as a means to fund the parts of your life you’re more passionate about, you might want to consider the types of jobs that will both fund the lifestyle you want and leave you with enough energy to pursue your passions outside of work.
You’re going to spend a large portion of your life at work, and the people you’re around will greatly impact your experience. For this reason, it’s a good idea to think about the types of people you want to interact with at work, considering coworkers, bosses, and clients or customers. If there are specific types of people you know you don’t want to work with, you can eliminate career paths that might attract those types of people. If there are specific traits that will positively add to your experience at work, it’s a good idea to look for career fields that attract those types of people. Lastly, you might want to consider how often you want to interact with others at work, and whether you’d prefer a more social or a more solitary environment.
Every person deserves to find success at work and in life, and finding successes keeps us motivated to work hard. For this reason, it’s crucial for you to know what your own version of success is, so that you know what to work towards. Does success have to do with achievements that you can show off? Is it monetary? Is it about impact or helping others? There’s no right answer, and it is quite different for different people. It might even change in different stages of your life. However, it’s essential to know what will make you feel that you have succeeded so that you can plan for a career that will allow you to achieve your version of success.
Once you’ve answered these questions, a great next step is to prioritize them. It’s likely that some of these factors are more important to you than others. Additionally, it is likely that you might have to make some compromises when choosing a career. For these reasons, after you have gathered this knowledge about yourself, you must decide which things are most important to you and which things you are willing to compromise on. Once you have determined your priorities, you will be able to plan for careers that tick the most important boxes.
After you have prioritized, you’re ready to start your research. Start by Googling or asking Chat GPT about careers that align with the answers to your questions, particularly your priorities. Keep a list of any that sound intriguing, and don’t be afraid to write things down even if they’re a “maybe.” Having a lot of options is valuable when exploring careers, and will allow you to try different things and determine what you like best.
Planning your career can be a stressful and daunting task, but YA Success Coach specializes in making the process fun! We center our practice around getting to know your child as an individual and discovering their unique strengths and interests. From there, we will help them explore a wide variety of options to develop a plan that they find truly inspiring and motivating. Once they have set a goal, a Success Coach can help them develop all of the career readiness skills necessary to achieve their goals. Contact us today to learn more about how Success Coaching can help your child plan their next steps.
Having a conversation is the first step to helping your child realize their full potential and set them up for success!