You will have to make some life-defining decisions at several junctures in your life. At these crossroads, it’s pertinent that you are deliberate to avoid making any decision capable of robbing you of your envisioned future.
As young adults, one of the prevalent decisions we have to make is that of one career choice against another. The tricky part is that we live in a progressive, ever-changing, technologically driven world. What used to be the go-to career ten years back is no longer the same today.
There was a time when every parent wanted their children to study medicine, law and engineering, so they could become parents to doctors, lawyers, and engineers.
Perhaps you are among those who studied one of these courses, despite your lack of passion for it.
Now, these professions still sell, only that they are not as competitive as they were then, and some other ones are presently more in demand.
Regardless, you can still study any of these courses, they are still essential, but there are many more options you can go for in this dynamic century.
We obviously cannot ignore the role money plays in our choice. One of the many goals of a young person today is to gain financial freedom and be in control of their time. Time is currency, they say.
Before you jump on the next trending career, be sure to have ticked these five boxes below:
1. Discover your talents and strengths
The truth is that you can’t ignore your talents and strengths while considering a career. You should know yourself! You can fit into some career specifications, but not all, so pay attention to what you are capable of doing.
Ask and answer this question.
Can I sustain this particular career with the talent and strength I possess?
I agree that you can learn whatever you put your mind to, but man to thyself be true. That definitely isn’t my line.
For instance, you are not a technical person, and you know how hard it was for you to scale through Mathematics in high school, yet there you are, considering a career path in applied Mathematics. Wow!
I don’t know what to say to you. I’m lost for words…
Please, find me!
2. You have some skill set to consider
When I speak of skill set, I mean all the necessary hard and soft skills you have accumulated through the years. They may not be all, perhaps the basics.
Those skills you possess should be more like a compass to guide your career choice. Some skills are transferable in the sense that they can easily be adapted for an entirely new career.
Start by listing all your skills and highlighting the areas where they are high in demand. For example, if the idea of being a community manager or Human Resource personnel looks enticing, you should ideally possess the following skills — communication skills, social skills, marketing, research, etc.
You may have been practising these skills in your previous career, so you can transfer them to a new one that also requires similar skills. So pay attention to the skills you possess.
3. How viable is this career?
When we speak of the viability of a career path, we simply mean this; how possible it is for you to acquire this career within a certain time.
You should not bother going for some careers because the time and resources needed are not in your favour. Start a SMART career goal.
Let it be Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant and Time-bound.
4. What is the future of this career in the coming years?
Oh yes, times have changed and believe me, time is not done.
Ask yourself, would this career still be relevant in the coming years?
If you are unsure about the answer to this question, or you can see that there is no future for this career you want to choose, then you must reconsider now.
Nobody knows tomorrow, they say, but some things are just too obvious for you to choose to live in oblivion.
5. Money, Time, Vision
You thought I wouldn’t include this… Are you kidding me?
You might have been told not to focus on the money but just enjoy the work. Not entirely bad.
However, I will tell you what I think.
I love the career I’m chasing, but the sweetest part is that I love the money. LOL! I can’t lie.
So, whatever you pursue should afford you financial freedom or at least the time to pursue it.
You may think otherwise, but you must do something to make money because our world uses that money for survival.
Also, you must find a way to achieve your vision and purpose through whatever career you eventually opt for.
What is a life without impact and fulfilment?
You should live for something, even if it’s just to enjoy the good things of life!
And that’s some food for thought.
Never forget, Upfolio is here to serve you. You remain the hero in your own story; we are just here to be a guide.
Now, go and dominate that field of yours.
Much love,
Chisom from Upfolio
