Posted on 3 August, 2011
Tips for Exploring Career Choices
62Exploring career choices can sometimes feel like a balancing act. On one hand, it's very unreasonable to think you're supposed to have it all figured out in your teens and early 20s, when most people are under the most pressure to make a career decision. At the same time, you can let yourself get trapped in a cycle of indecision, fear of change, and procrastination to where you put off what you'd love to do in favor of something that does really fit.
Many times people don't know where to start. A good place to begin is to set aside some time to focus only on career ideas. Grab a notebook, get a soda or a cup of coffee at a relatively quiet restaurant (or any place where you can get away and think), and begin brainstorming and writing ideas of what you want your life to look like within the next 5-10 years.
You also want to write down what you love to do and how those activities can be turned into either a job or self-employed business. See how you can combine different interests into a niche career that would be special and important to you. Once you have a direction, you can begin finding ways of moving toward what you want and away from the things that won't help you.
I did all of these steps at 19 years old, and it is amazing what you can do in life when you learn how to focus and develop your dream. Your plans may change over time, but you can always repeat the process above any time you're at a crossroads and want to change something that isn't working for you.
Finding a mentor or mentors is important as well. Having successful people in your life pulls you to wanting to do more in life, regardless if the mentor is in your career field or not. A lot of success principles carry over to life in general, and it's helpful to have role models and examples in your life.
The final tip I have is to never stop being willing to learn something new and pursue where new ideas take you. If you're interested in a particular job or business, try to absorb as much information as you could be well prepared if you wanted to transition into the field.
This process does work. I was a psychology and broadcasting major in college, which did help me. I kept learning outside of formal education however about subjects like business, writing, and online marketing. I'm now making a significantly higher income than most people my age and am on the verge of being able to "retire" to write full-time in my mid-20s without needing a day job.
It still takes work, and there's no secret formula to replace that. It's just knowing how to focus your efforts in ways that will help you the most and get you in the position to do what you love. Good luck and best wishes to you!
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