How to Find the Best Career

Explore These Methods to Find the Best Career for You

• What Are Your Values and Ideals?
  Think about what has value in your life and the things or ideas that matter to you. This self-exploration is a multi-dimensional practice because you need to discover the things that are important to your lifestyle and your career goals simultaneously.
  • For example, what kind of lifestyle would you like to live?
  • What kind of car do you want to drive?
  • How many bedrooms do you want in your house and where would you be most interested in living?
  • Do you want a “green” job?
  • Do you like to help others?
  All these factors are directly related to your values and ideals. Here is another dimension of this school of thought. What kind of job do you really want? You may decide that working for a non-profit organization is incredibly fulfilling and makes you happier than anything. Except that the salary is sub-par and you can barely afford your bills. In this scenario, you will have to make the tough decision of choosing between happiness and money.
• What Do You Like to Do in Your Spare Time?
  In what hobbies or activities do you regularly participate? Do you volunteer or intern anywhere and really enjoy it? Do you like keeping busy or physically active? Would you prefer to use your mind rather than your hands to complete your work? Do you like to be alone most of the time? These things in which you engross yourself during your free time can be great indicators as to what would make you happy as a profession.
  
  Notice the skills you apply during your free time as well because you can use them to your advantage when applying for jobs. For example, if you spend your free time teaching children at a local community center, you know that you do not mind working with kids. Doing this activity also demonstrates your leadership and public speaking skills. You may overlook free time activities, but upon closer inspection, they can help you to figure out the perfect career based on your interests.
• What Were/Are Your Favorite School Subjects?
  Think about all the school experiences that you had. What subjects made you excited to go to class? What textbook did you not mind reading? Thinking about this is more on the emotional side of things when observing career prospects, but it is helpful when choosing your path.
  
  At the same time, think about the school subjects that you disliked. That way, you know to steer clear of jobs that involve those types of activities. If you hated English class taking a position as a journalist is probably not the smartest move for you.
• You Can Better Understand Yourself
  If asking and answering questions like those listed above, does not help you determine what you would like to do with your profession, you have another option. Participating in informational interviews can be extremely helpful to give you a glimpse of various fields.
  
  An informational interview happens for the benefit of the applicant. The applicant is not trying to apply and actually land the job. They simply speak with the employer about the types of tasks and projects that the company completes.
  
  Going through this type of interview process is more time-consuming and requires much effort. However, by talking to professionals in different fields, you will have a clear understanding of the types of jobs out there.