If you do not know what career you want then you are not the only one.
There are many more just like you, who don't have a set career plan and are not sure which career they want to pursue in their professional life. Choosing the right career path is the source of happiness and success. However, when you make a poor decision of not selecting the right career path by using information which is not based upon research, it can affect your prosperity, relationships, and career prospects for many years to come.
Though it might be difficult to narrow down career choices, careful self-evaluation can help you determine the right career path. In this article, we will discuss the different factors which can help you find out what you want to do in your career.
1. Identify your key skills and strengths
Be familiar with the skills and knowledge that you already possess. Prepare a list of things and activities that you liked to perform during your younger years and at high school. What gives you energy? What takes that energy away? Looking at your previous experience, books that you read, certificates that you have done, your education and training, write down what is it that you are good at, what do you do well or better than others?
List out the different strengths required to perform those activities. Once completed, you can use a free assessment tool available on the internet to help you identify additional strengths related to what you love to do. The assessment tool will then provide a list of different careers based upon your strengths, which you may want to investigate further.
2. Ask your friends and families
At times you may not be the best person to judge yourself. Thus, it is useful to look for help from people who know you the most. These people could be someone from your friends and families. Take their feedback as they might be able to tell you when you seem the happiest and what excites you the most. The answer might surprise you. Be open to what you might not be aware of about yourself. Being open to an external perspective might help you identify areas you have not thought of yet. What do people come to you for when they are looking for advice? What comes naturally to you?
3. Seek Career Counseling
Another way to figure out what you want to do in your career is to get insights from a career coach. A career coach can be an incredible asset to have by your side for any professional. Whether it's about helping you to rewrite your resume, or to have more clarity about your long-term career objective, or you are simply unsure which path to take – career coach is one thing that you certainly need to have. Getting a different perspective from an expert professional can be of extreme help.
To find out which career better suits you, you need to discover who you are and what matters you the most in your life. Do not make the same mistake that many career changers make. Know what you want from your life and through your professional career.
Elena Agaragimova
Bessern Coach - Global Talent Development Adviser