You cannot choose a career based on what others are choosing or where their interests lie. You have to make an individual decision. Your career choice decides where you will be in a few years and how your life will shape up. Therefore, it must be a well-thought-out process.
Learning becomes a fun activity if your chosen career is according to your liking. Otherwise, it is all a forced endeavor. Hence, allocate ample time for this process or take help from your friends and family; you can also contact an education counselor and discuss your predicament.
The good news is no matter where your interests lie, there is a profession you can get into. If you are in a rut, unable to discern what you really like, discuss it with your teachers, talk to your parents, and share it with your friends. Quite possibly, you will come up with a solution.
While many universities and colleges give you an option to change the degree within the allowed window, a wrong decision still results in a wastage of time and effort. So, you must make the right decision.
- Availability of online mode of education
The availability of online education is becoming a standard for choosing a career. Online education gained traction during the pandemic when it provided the convenience of education to students all over the globe.
Something that was a necessity a few months ago has become a choice now.
Online education is especially preferred when you are doing a job. Some professions benefit more from online education than others. For instance, due to the shortage of nursing staff in the hospitals, it is extremely difficult for nurses to abandon their responsibilities and continue their education.
Distant learning accelerated programs suit them better. Therefore, more nurses enroll in online accelerated BSN and MSN programs to upskill themselves. These accelerated programs take less time to finish; more importantly, nurses can dispense their responsibilities simultaneously.
- Interest in the field
Your interest and passion for getting knowledge about a field is another factor to consider when deciding on a career. You cannot get stuck in a profession that you despise.
Parents often make their kids study or pursue the course against their wishes. Such a situation is harrowing for the student as they have to bear the burden of exams, assignments, coursework, etc., about a subject they have no interest in.
Think about the things that make you happy. Do you want to be part of the social work fraternity? Are you interested in traveling, tourism, and exploring the world? Or do you like to paint and play with color? Some people are builders by nature; they want to create stuff. They must choose engineering or architecture.
Simply put, choose what you like, not what others impose on you, even if they are your parents.
- Job prospects of your chosen career
Undoubtedly, choosing a career, you enjoy working in would be best. But you cannot ignore the job prospects of your career either. Ultimately, you need a job to earn money and establish your life.
Various authentic websites can educate you about the job prospects of your chosen career. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics is one just platform that can help you immensely.
On the website, search your chosen field, and you will have all the data about the job outlook and the growth of your chosen industry.
- Salary prospects
Apart from choosing a career of your liking, you must consider the salary prospects. There is no harm in choosing a career because it pays well.
Some professions and fields are inherently high paying than others. Several online sources can tell you what people in your chosen career are paid. Some of these online resources include Glassdoor, BLS, and PayScale.
Often such websites have salary calculators to help you calculate your prospective salary based on location, education, and experience. For instance, if you are interested in public health, you may want to compare what public health professionals in various states earn and what qualifications you need to earn a handsome salary.
- Skills you need to succeed in your career
Skills are the strengths that allow you to succeed in your chosen field.
A person aspiring to become a marketer must excel in communication skills, should be forthright, can present their ideas, and possess critical thinking.
Similarly, for the job of a nurse, you need compassion, problem-solving, critical thinking ability, teamwork, leadership, and the ability to work under pressure.
It is possible to learn many of these skills during your degree program. Still, some of these skills must be inherently present in a candidate to make them suitable for the career. So, go for a career for which you possess the skills.
If you are confident and have good negotiation skills, go for sales. Similarly, people who are good at public handling and have empathy are suitable for social work.
- Work-life balance
With cut-throat competition in the market, it is too easy to get entangled and be part of the rat race that destroys your peace of mind. You will see many people justifying it in the name of career success.
Do you want the same to happen to you? Or do you want to cherish your life but have a successful career too? The latter option seems too enticing to ignore. So, when choosing a career, make sure it allows you to strike a work-life balance.
Conclusion
Choosing a career involves more than your whims and guesses. It requires you spend some time looking at various factors before reaching a decision.
You should not be embroiled in a career you don’t find interesting, nor should you choose a profession that destroys your peace of mind by lacking a work-life balance.
Your ideal career depends on your interest and passion, skills and qualifications, and future salary and development prospects. Once you find a career that converges all these aspects, don’t hesitate to grab it.
Hope the article is of help and you enjoyed it thoroughly.
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