5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me About Choosing A Career

"The only way to do great work is to love what you do. If you haven't found it yet, keep looking. Don't settle."

 - Steve Jobs 

Imagine a world where Steve Jobs was just a calligraphist, a video game designer, or an industrial technician. Would it still have the path-breaking Apple in it? Well, guess what? It would. Because despite the watertight compartments which separate these professions, Jobs was all three! 

And this is just one example. 

There have been numerous other people, veterans, and amateurs alike, who bent the supposedly rigid career rules and chose a path that best suited their interests. Be it Giorgio Armani, Stephen King, or Harrison Ford - almost everyone who made it big started out in a very small way. 

Do you know what it was that powered their dreams and fueled their ambitions? - An unshakeable belief in themselves and their career choices!

I wish someone told me these inspiring stories when I was battling with choosing a career. Back then, people merely limited their career guidance to 'acquiring educational qualifications and meeting professional requirements’. Nobody so much as talked about whether or not the work would fit my temperament, expectations, lifestyle, or frame of reference. 

However, with time, I acquired a certain set of abilities and skills, which enabled me to wade through the roughest of professional waters. In fact, here are 5 things I learned that I wish someone told me before I set out to choose the best career for me -

1. Seek Fulfillment - 

   The first step towards making an appropriate career choice is - seeking fulfillment. No matter which path you aim for, it won't be worth it if you are not happy. So, begin an inner monolog and find out if the career option you intend to avail yourself is going to be personally fulfilling for you.

   Would it give you the kick that you need to wake up and go to work every day? Would it help you realize all your long-held dreams? Would it enable you to lead a satisfying and productive life? If the answer to all these essential questions is a yes - go for it! 

2. Give It a Test Run 

   When you go out to buy a car, you give it a good test run before making a decision on its purchase. Then, why shouldn't you do the same when it comes to choosing a career?

   Begin by figuring out your field of interest and opt for an internship in that particular arena. If, for instance, you want to be a public accountant, look for companies that offer internship programs in accountancy. Doing so will help you get the hang of whether a specific career choice would benefit your preferences or not.  

3. Get Licenses 

   While I was wondering what career I should choose, one of the first few things that I tried to ascertain was if there existed some distinct licenses that could allow me to move around laterally in my industry. Getting these licenses equipped me to widen my knowledge base while making quick career shifts in accordance with my interests!

   For instance, in the accounting industry, not everyone has to become a licensed CPA, but obtaining a CPA exam license gives you a competitive advantage and the ability to take jobs in a much wider variety compared to a non-CPA.

   Similarly, when deciding how to choose a career path, you, too, need to ensure that you take exams, obtain licenses and thus, develop the freedom to work - just as you deem fit! 

4. Start Volunteering 

   One of the lesser-known but highly efficient ways of making a proper career choice is volunteering in the industry of your interest. As per a study conducted by CNCS, volunteers have a 27% likelihood of landing a job!

   Although volunteering might not bring you any immediate financial rewards, it most certainly will assist you in developing an extensive network of contacts. These contacts, in time, would not only help in choosing a career, but they would also allow you to understand the nitty-gritty of the profession you really want to pick.

   As an alternative, you can just opt for shadowing someone at work and open yourself to learning under their tutelage. Both volunteering and shadowing will give you a detailed idea of how the industry of your choice functions and what working in it practically entails. 

5. Learn to Leave

    When I was battling with the eternal question of 'how to select a career’, I wish someone told me that it's perfectly okay to quit, re-strategize, and pivot: it surely would have made my life a whole lot easier! So, this is the last bit of advice that I will give you - learn to leave. If you find that your career isn't working for you, don't be afraid to quit.

   There's no point in torturing yourself by sticking around in a job that doesn't reward you well. Instead, start working actively to find something different - something that refurbishes your soul. Life is too short to be stuck in a profession that you hate! 

To Sum Up 

Once you have determined which career opportunity suits your passion, the best, or have sought professional career guidance to assist you with the same, remember - you and your career are two different things! As an individual, it is you who defines what you do and not the other way round. 

So, don't let your profession outweigh your personal or social life. Give your work your 100 percent but don't measure your abilities at the altar of your occupation. It's a saying as old as the written word: the grass is always going to be greener on the other side. 

Make sure that your perspective is not blinded by what others expect you to be. Just be who you are and let it shine - that in itself would be quite enough to brighten up every career prospect that comes your way. 

Good luck! 

Author Bio:

Bryan Kesler

Bryan Kesler, CPA is a passionate CPA exam mentor with a mission of helping all CPA Candidates struggling to pass the CPA exam find success. As a business owner and licensed CPA, his first priority was to find a firm that could manage his own accounting and provide him with CFO services. He understood that if he was to stay focused on his singular goal of helping as many CPA candidates pass the CPA exam, he shouldn’t be the one to handle his own accounting or tax services.