THE BILINGUAL JOB FAIR BLOG

Selecting Your Career

January 15, 2012

Choosing a career or a field is a difficult decision for some; and really easy for others. Why?  I believe that this happens because some people connect with their true self early on in life. It takes others longer to know who they really are – and who they want to be when they ‘grow up’.

We all have heard someone say: ‘I knew I wanted to be a Teacher, a Veterinarian, a Nurse, a Musician, a Singer, or a Physician when I was 11, or 15 years old.’  Those folks seem to be happy going to work and enjoy what they do. They know who they are and what they want to do work-wise. We have also seen some of our friends and family struggle with their jobs. They really don’t like what they are doing at work and hate waking up every morning because they have to face another day at their ‘meaningless job’. They feel like they are wasting their lives doing something trivial, and tasks they truly do not enjoy.  If you are in this latest dissatisfied group, these are my recommendations for you:
1) Decide what you are passionate about. What do you like to do? What inspires you? Most importantly, envision the job you would like to have in the field you like – and see how you can get into that field.
2) Be real and decide how much money you want to make – and how much you need to survive each month. Take into account when you grow older and as your family grows. In other words, be honest with yourself and be realistic with the field you select and with your individual qualifications. Select a field that matches your financial and personal expectations. For example, if money is important to you, don’t select a field that doesn’t pay much because you will not have the financial circumstances you will be happy with. On the other hand, if money is not that important to you, then you don’t have to take the money aspect into consideration as much as other people. Another example would be if you are not a morning person, but the job you select starts at 5am or 7am Monday through Friday. You would be miserable waking up so early.
3) Other questions you can ask yourself:
Are you good with people, do you like to work with your hands, are you mechanically or technically inclined? Would you like to work in the front area or behind the scenes? What are your personal attributes? What personal gifts do you think you have – which you can offer to the business world? What can you contribute to a company? Why should they hire you versus someone else?

Having a job we like is important in our lives because a ‘job’ is part of our daily lives. We all need to feel a sense of contribution to the world; like we are important contributors in our respective communities. Think long and hard about who you are and who you want to be in the business world. What personal gifts do you have which make you unique? What makes you ‘You’? Think long and hard. The answer to some of these questions can make a big difference in our daily lives…when we ‘grow up’. May you find a great career and job!

Filed under: Advancing your Career,Career advise,College Life,College Students,Job Hunting,Management

Tags: career advise, career tips, Choosing a career, Choosing a field, Job Hunting, job search, Selecting your career, Selecting your field