How to Find the Career Path that Best Suits Your Personality

Graduation student choose his career in the future. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock.

Whether you have already been on the jobs market for a while now or you are just approaching your college graduation, you have certainly asked yourself at least once: how can I find the career path that works best for my personality and lifestyle? How can you be sure you are making the right decision and heading to the right direction?

Think about your gifts and acquired skills

You may have heard during your childhood about those gifted kids, and how appreciated they are. During your school years, your teachers have told you all about the importance of building skills. This is the first thought you should have in mind when choosing your career path. Ask yourself: what are you good at? Make a list of the things you know how to do, and enjoy doing.

Are you creative, imaginative, and like playing with words? Maybe you should consider writing! Are you good at listening to people? Do you often lend your shoulder for friends to cry on? Maybe you should consider a career in psychology. As a kid, you were always getting into trouble because of you were dismantling various items in order to satisfy your curiosity to understand how things work? Maybe a career in engineering is the most suitable for you.

Think long term

Few are those lucky ones for whom the entire career means one single job they love. For the most of us, a career path is much more than a job. It’s a series of opportunities to seize, challenges and obstacles to overcome. Therefore, when considering which career path to pick, think that everything is like a marathon, and not a sprint. You are in it for the long run, not just for the moment. So, ask yourself: what do you see yourself doing day after day, week after week, year after year?

Take the financial aspect into consideration

Many people would describe their dream job as doing what they like. That’s fine, but what about the money? Although the financial aspect should not be the main factor to consider when deciding upon your whole career path, you should know that money plays a significant role within someone’s satisfaction with their job. Therefore, the earning potential is something you should take into consideration.

Would you be earning enough to have the lifestyle you want? Would you, later on, start feeling frustrated and regret your decision? It’s true that there are no guarantees in life, but you should, at least, make sure that you gave the matter a serious thought. Having your heart in the right place is nice, but not earning a salary that you deserve & being able to save for retirement should be something to take into consideration when looking for a career path.

Any opportunities for growth?

You like what you are doing and you earn enough, but you still feel this is not it: you want more! What’s missing? Humans are complex beings, for whom intellectual satisfaction is important. So, if your job has become boring, and you feel you are not advancing in any way, it’s maybe time to make a move towards the next step on your career path, or reconsider it entirely.

However, this does not mean that at the first sign of boredom, you should resign and start it over. You just have to keep your eyes open and look actively for growth opportunities. Maybe it’s time you go back to school and attend a master program? Maybe you can enlarge your horizons with a professional training.

Choosing the right career path is not a matter of exact science. You have to follow your instincts and think things through carefully as it is, most of the times, a decision for a lifetime.

Toni is an experienced freelance writer and a graduate from the University of Boston. Being featured in nationwide magazines has given Toni the ability to travel and spend time with her family. She has her only freelance website – http://www.Toniokeson.com