In life there are certain moments and situations that are a turning point in our life. They mark a before and after and everything boils down to a choice. These choices are not always right or wrong, but they do lead us to one path or another. One of these decisions comes when we must decide what we want to dedicate ourselves to for the rest of our lives, which is why it is so important to know how to choose a career. Don’t worry if you don’t know what you want to study, because practically everyone who decides to study at the university is in the same position. There are even people who, once they have started a career, drastically change branches because they realize they don’t like it. So how do you choose a career? Whether you are going to start now or if you have decided to change, we are going to explain everything you need to know to make the most appropriate decision.
Instructions for choosing a career
Once you are clear that you want to study at the university, how to choose a career becomes the question that will go around your head the most. In order to answer it in the most appropriate and efficient way, you need to stop, breathe and think calmly about what we tell you next.
- Make a list of your own personality. Before knowing what you want to do, you need to know yourself well. For this, it is best to make a small list, such as the pros and cons, in which you write down your strengths on the one hand and your weaknesses on the other. It is very important that you write down not only your knowledge, such as that you are good at mathematics, but also that you write down characteristic traits of your personality. Are you open with strangers? If not, you should rule out everything that has to do with customer service. Are you apprehensive or dizzy at the sight of blood? Well, you know that any medical, nursing or similar career is ruled out.
- Think about your abilities. By now, you will know which subjects are your strong points and which are your weak points. This fact should not be a determining factor for the choice of career, but it can give you a clue about what interests you the most. For example, subjects like physics can be difficult but you are passionate about it and you are interested in it; but to other simpler ones you put less desire even if they are better for you. It is very important to know how to differentiate between what you like and what you are good at. Just like it is also important to know if you are good at it because it is easy or because you really like it.
- Think about your hobbies and interests. It is very common to leave this point aside when choosing a career. However, it is one of the main reasons that we must take into account. Behind a hobby or an interest there may be a professional future. If you enjoy doing sports you can choose a career related to it. Or if you enjoy traveling and getting to know new countries, tourism or translation may have a professional outlet that suits you. The vocation is usually hidden in the things we like the most, with which we enjoy the most. Take time to find out what you really like and you will already have a clue on how to choose a career.
- Look for information. Once you are clear about all of the above, it is time to get down to work and find the career that suits you. For this, the ideal is that you go to the counselor of your educational center. If you can’t, search the internet. Most likely, there will be several options that you will find, that is, several university degrees that suit your personality.
- Make comparisons with specific information. Once you have several races in mind, look up the syllabi for all of them and start comparing them. Sometimes we make the mistake of staying with the title to discover that the agenda and ” what the race is about” has nothing to do with what we thought at first. This step, although tedious, is very important since it can make you opt for one or the other.
- Visit the universities. Going to the faculty that teaches the degree that interests you is as important as knowing which one you like. There they can give you much more information and answer all the questions that arise. In addition, on many occasions the center where they teach the degree we like is in another city or far from our home, which forces us to find means of transportation. Make sure the faculty is accessible to you.
- Know the job opportunities. On many occasions we allow ourselves to be guided by the agenda or what we expect from that university degree without really taking into account their professional opportunities. For example, a psychologist can not only work in a private practice, but can also work in hospitals, educational centers, prisons, and even in private companies for personnel evaluation.
- Pay attention to the cost. Even if you are able to get a scholarship to study, you should keep in mind that there are courses that require a much higher extra cost than others. We have a clear example in Art, since the material to study its subjects is usually high-priced and will require an investment regardless of whether or not you are a scholarship beneficiary.
What do you need to choose a career?
It has become clear that in order to know how to choose a career it is necessary to assess a series of options and be clear about certain concepts that will help us in our choice. All this can be summarized in:
- Knowing yourself. What do you like and what do you want to do in the future is the most important thing to keep in mind.
- Know all the options you have. It may be that what you like is too far from your home or involves an economic effort that you cannot afford. Be realistic and look for alternatives, normally to get to a job you can access it in several ways. Make sure you know what they are.
- Evaluate and decide. Evaluate the types of career that suit your tastes. Examine each agenda, assess the professional opportunities and choose based on what you think best suits your personality.
Tips for choosing a career
Finally, keep in mind that whenever it comes to making an important decision, we usually ask our closest circle. Listen to them and keep their advice in mind, but don’t be guided by them.
Be realistic, sometimes what we like we can not do. You may be very attracted to medicine but unable to see blood. You may get used to it over time, but perhaps you should think of other alternatives.
Don’t get overwhelmed with the word vocation. Surely many people around you will give you advice on how to choose a career by vocation, even if you don’t know what yours is. Don’t worry. Not everyone is clear about their vocation. Some people find out once in the world of work. Others never get to find out. And a few lucky ones have always had it. Relax, if you do what you like, everything will be fine regardless of whether or not it is your vocation.
Don’t worry if you get the wrong race either, it happens quite often. Think that this is how you experiment and discard, do not get overwhelmed. Take a distance and relax, sometimes when we least think about something it’s just when the solution comes.
And most important of all to know how to choose a career : choose one that you like. On numerous occasions we think more about job opportunities or the money we are going to earn in the future than what really matters. Think that you are going to dedicate yourself to it for 30 or 40 years, every day until retirement. Since you are going to spend 8 hours a day working, it better be on something you like, right?