6 POINTS TO
CONSIDER BEFORE CHOOSING A CAREER
- Understand
Yourself:
The fact that you are different and uniquely special is not in doubt; that is the
reason you should know yourself well before you make any career choice, as what
is good for your friend or anybody for that matter, may not necessarily be good
for you.....
Self-knowledge
is very important because it leads to self-discovery and self-discovery leads
to self-actualization which ultimately leads to fulfillment in life and career.
Who are you? What kind of personality do you have? What are your likes and
dislikes? Do you love to work alone or in company of others? Do you prefer
indoor jobs to outdoor ones? Do you cherish working for yourself or for others?
Are you reserved or outgoing, naturally quiet or very outspoken? All these
questions you must answer to determine your personality. This will help you take productive steps towards making a decision
you won't regret.
- Analyze yourself
and your situation:
Carefully
and honestly determine your intellectual and interactive strength and weakness.
Find out what you are good at. Discover and develop your innate abilities i.e.
your talents. To do this, ask yourself the following questions: what is it that
you do so well? Where do you think you have an advantage over your colleagues?
What do you enjoy doing with little or no encouragement? Your answer to these questions might be your talent. Perhaps you have many answers, what it means is
that you have more than one talent i.e. you are multi-talented. Try to arrange
the talents and abilities in order of priority to determine you best career.
“If you recognize your talents, use them appropriately, and choose a field that
uses those talents, you will rise to the top of your field”.
- Discover your
Interest
Find
out what career or type of job arrests your personal interest. Your interest is
what you like to do, many people describe it as “what I would like to be in the
future”. Sometimes it is your life’s goal and ambition. It is good to know what
course or career interest you the most and begin to work towards it. Though
people don’t always end up as what they truly desire; your case can be
different as you match your talents with your interest and getting all the
necessary information well ahead of time. This in turn prepares you and helps
you in making timely decisions devoid of unnecessary wasting of time and
energy.
- Understand your Options
Obtain
as much information as you possibly can about the various career options that
are available to you, particularly, those that arouse your interest. Things you
need to find out include what the career is all about, requirement for the
career, mode of training, duration of training, where the career is available,
prospects of the career, challenges of the career, what the career entails,
what it takes to successfully go into the career, the demand of the career on
you and so on. For instance, if you choose to study medicine you should prepare
to spend some nights every month in the hospital away from your family and the
comfort of your home.
You
can check the section on “Career” on this site to get more information you may
need about your career of interest. For example, career in Business Administration, Career in Law, Career in Medicine, Career in Pharmacy and so
on.
- Discuss
Discuss
your career plan with your career guidance teacher or counselor. They are there
to guide you and they sure know more than you do. They have been specially
trained to help you make an informed decision about your career. Freely open up
to them and you will be amazed at the level of assistance they can render to
you.
Also,
it is imperative to discuss with your parents or guardian. You can be sure of
their love and support. Many of them have been where you are now and no doubt
have some experiences you can learn from.
It
is however your own duty to make your choice. “Listen to advice but make your own decision ultimately”. No one can truly know what works
for you, so carry out your own research and make a choice based on your
talents, interests and ability.
- Keep God in it
Without God, you have no career.
The surest way of making the right choice not only in career but in life
generally, is to seek the mind of your creator. He made you and He knows
exactly what is best for you. This you can do by praying sincerely and waiting
upon Him. “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Do not rely on your own
understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths”.
“I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will
guide thee with mine eye”. If you are a child of God, these are infallible
promises you can count on. And, if you are not yet a child of God, the door is
wide open to you now. Repent, confess your sins, forsake them and surrender your life fully
to Jesus. Will you delay? Delay can be dangerous!
Image Credits: Design My Best Life
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