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Many are at the crossroads of choosing a career in life. Choosing a career is a lifelong decision that must be made with great care. Choosing a career can make or break someone’s life. Here are 10 things to consider when choosing a career.

1. Spend Quality Time With Yourself

Before embarking on a professional career, it is recommended that you spend time with yourself. As Plato said, “man know yourself.” Study your strengths and weaknesses. Don’t choose a career based on peer pressure, popular opinion, and trends. Choose a career that aligns with your strengths.

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2. Be Brutally Honest With Yourself

Learn to be very honest with yourself when choosing a career path. Ask yourself if you have all it takes – mentally, physically, emotionally – to pursue a certain career path. You might love to pursue a career in the military, but loving a career is not enough. Are you physically and mentally fit for that career you love?

3. Choose A Career That Reflects Your Personality

When choosing a career path consider your personality.  When picking a career for yourself you must ensure that it is in keeping with the kind of personality you have. Find out if you are laidback or adventurous. If you are someone who dislikes every form of conflict, then choosing a career as a diplomat will be ideal for you.

4. Acknowledge your Strengths

The consequence of spending time alone with yourself or studying yourself is that you can easily spot your strengths. Knowing your strengths can actually help you streamline your choice. Even you have an interest in a career, interest alone cannot be enough. The major question to answer when choosing a career is if you have the strengths to keep up.

5. Acknowledge Your Weaknesses

Having recognized your strength, it is very important to recognize your weakness. Once you are sure of your weaknesses, your choices can be easier. For example, if you have a phobia of seeing blood, a career as a surgeon may not be ideal. However, weaknesses should not discourage you from pursuing a career that you are passionate about. You can work on your weaknesses and transform them into strengths.

6. Study Your Passions

Passion is way too different from interests. While interest is doing what you love doing because you’re good at it, passion stems from your inner being, it comes from a desire to see positive changes. If you have a strong hate for injustice, picking a career path in a law enforcement agency can be ideal for you. A career in activism can be ideal too. Sometimes an unattended need in your community can shape your career path.

7. Consider Your Family Situation

When considering a career, you and your needs come first. However, you must not ignore the needs of your family members. When making a decision, ask yourself if your decisions will affect the stability of your family. If you have children, it is ideal that you do not pick a career that will make you work round the clock or take you away from your family for a long period of time.

8. Do Many Internships As Possible

As a student or a fresh graduate who is at the point of choosing a career path, it’s advisable to do as many internships as possible. It might shock you to know that careers which seem good and promising on paper might actually be disappointing in reality. Therefore, it is no longer in vogue to choose based on a paper study; go out there and intern in several organizations, before settling for the one that best suits you.

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9. Speak To People In Different Fields

Speaking to people in different fields is a good way to start when choosing a career. Interview various professionals, and get to know what it is like to be either a doctor, a lawyer, a teacher, an engineer, an artist, and so on. Their firsthand experience can help you evaluate the pros and cons of various careers and then you can make a choice to do that which you believe will be suitable for you.

10. Study The Career Options In Your Field Of Study

Researching career options in your field of study can be a good place to start. For example, with a degree in Mass Communication, you can either choose to be a journalist, editor, newscaster, social analyst, or teacher, etc.

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This article was first published on 6th August 2021 and updated on August 9th, 2021 at 6:51 am

nnaemeka-emmanuel

Nnaemeka is an academic scholar with a degree in History and International Studies from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. He is also a creative writer, content creator, storyteller, and social analyst.

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