How to Choose a Career: 10 Practical Tips You Should Know

Everyone expects you to go to college, but you’re undecided on a major and clueless about how to choose a career. Talk about pressure!

Plus, nothing’s scarier than accumulating student loan debt for a potentially unfulfilling career path or a field that isn’t even hiring. To avoid that, check this practical guide that sheds light on your career confusion.💡

1. Figure Out Your Ideal Lifestyle

Start with the end in mind. Consider the set of required skills, traits, responsibilities, and perks attached to becoming a corporate high-flyer, a digital nomad, or anything in between. 💯

These fundamental questions can point you in the right direction: 

• What kind of work-life balance do you want?
• Where do you see yourself living and working?
• What level of income will you need to support your desired lifestyle?
• What type of work environment and company culture suit you best?
• How much job stability and security do you need?
• What are your priorities outside of work?
• What level of responsibility are you ready to handle?
• What kind of impact do you want your work to have?

Answering them helps you discover your ideal career type, which you can use to filter any jobs you apply for in the future. 

2. Evaluate Your Interests and Strengths

What would you continue to do even if you weren’t paid? Identifying activities that align with your interests and strengths is key to finding a fulfilling and successful career. 

Your hobbies, volunteer work, extracurriculars, and favorite subjects can reveal common themes and patterns, like how you’re more connected to roles that offer leadership or problem-solving opportunities. Asking your mentor or close loved ones may also point to traits you may have overlooked. 

It helps to separate your skills into hard (technical) and soft (interpersonal) categories in a list so you can note those you enjoy using and those you would like to develop further. ✅

3. Consider Your Values

Imagine being a committed non-drinker and being offered a lucrative sales job at a liquor company. Would you break your alcohol abstinence for the paycheck? In this case, which one do you value more: becoming a high-earner or sticking to your beliefs?

Similar situations can come up once you join the workforce after college. Standing firm on distinct values and non-negotiables helps narrow down career options and makes you a stronger candidate for specific work cultures. ✨

4. Use Career Assessment Tools

An extrovert might find their footing in sales, while someone who has shown a long-standing interest in science could excel as a research scientist. In other words, you could pursue any career option but have a better experience once you find the best match for your unique self. 

Use career assessment tools to identify careers that best match your character and preferences: 

Personality: Big Five and DISC Profile can provide insight into your thinking patterns, behaviors, and other tendencies.
Skills: Expertise in certain areas is built over time, but the 123 Competency Test can show your strengths and recommend suitable careers. 
Interests: It’s easier to choose a career based on what you don’t like. Choose from a list of activities to determine your level of interest in tests like the Holland Code Career Quiz and O*NET Interest Profiler. 
Values: Find out your preferred working culture through a Work Values test.

5. Discuss with a Career Counselor

A trip to your college career center can answer questions about how to make your resume stand out, how to find top jobs as a fresh graduate, or how to choose a career. 

Schedule a one-on-one with a career counselor to receive personalized guidance: they can advise you on potential career paths, suggest extracurriculars that can hone specific traits, direct you to job databases and alumni networks, and so much more. 👍

6. Observe or Talk to Professionals

“A Day In The Life of…” videos give you a glimpse into a potential career and whether or not it fits your interests and lifestyle; although speaking directly with professionals in your desired field can offer a clear picture. 

Arrange informational interviews or shadow professionals to see their daily tasks and responsibilities up close. Build a good relationship with these mentors and ask about their career journeys, challenges, and rewards. These interactions can also turn them into valuable connections for future opportunities. 🤝

7. Research Job Market Trends

Artificial intelligence and healthcare are some of the fastest-growing industries that future college graduates should keep an eye on. But this doesn’t mean you’re doomed if your interests, skills, and strengths lie outside of these; rather, use the job market trends to connect your passion with practicality. 👀

For example, Fine Arts majors can take additional courses in UI/UX design and machine learning to enhance their career prospects in the age of AI. Check for employment rates, salary ranges, and industry growth forecasts using resources like the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Aside from these, research how factors like technological advancements and economic shifts can affect your career. 🧑‍💻

8. Check Educational Requirements

CEO college dropouts like Steve Jobs are the exception rather than the rule. A college degree (or a postgraduate degree, in some cases) is a basic requirement for most people wanting a career, especially in technical fields. 

After you’ve figured out your ideal lifestyle and the career that can meet that, research the necessary qualifications to plan your academic path effectively — is it a degree, license, specialized training program, or all of them? 🏅

READ MORE: College vs Trade School: Which Choice Is Right for You?

9. Calculate Financial Costs

After figuring out the educational requirements, do the math of how much it would all cost in money and time. The college cost of attendance isn’t cheap, plus additional expenses like certification exams and training programs can add up.

It’s a must to be financially savvy since you might have to apply for financial aid or take student loans needing repayment and plan out a student budget. Compare educational costs with the expected starting salaries to gauge if your chosen career will return the investment. 🤑

If the potential numbers look great but you’re short on cash to afford the required education, consider applying for scholarships or taking side gigs. 

READ MORE: 23 Colleges You Can Attend Tuition Free (Yes, They Do Exist!)

10. Expand your Network

College teaches you the skills, while internships and volunteer opportunities are platforms for applying what you’ve learned while gaining firsthand experience. These activities are also great ways to boost your resume and figure out what you like or don’t like. 

Most importantly, you must use this time to expand your professional network where you can find a mentor or build a relationship with professionals who could refer you to a dream job. 🧑‍💼

READ MORE: Know the Right Things to Say: 6 Best Internship Interview Tips [2024]

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Figuring out how to choose a career after college includes knowing yourself and exploring opportunities. It’s possible to get it right the first time, but it’s also fine to take a few years before discovering your true interests. 

Never stop learning, and always be open to growth. Cheers! 😄

How to Choose a Career: Frequently Asked Questions