When you don’t know wtf to do with your life.
Trying to decide what to do with your career and life can be daunting. Many of us have big aspirations as we graduate high school or college with a diploma and no idea what to do with it, or a plan that we find out we hate. Realizing this can be painful to your ego and difficult in the short-term, but taking the actions to discover your best career can lead to a lifetime of increased well-being and pride in your work. We tend to exceed at things that we enjoy and find value in, so you are much more likely to be both happy and successful if you make your choices carefully.
You may find reflecting on the following, as I did, to be helpful in your search.
Below are my top recommendations for finding your path.
Make a list of what is important to you. For example, making an impact on a particular philanthropy or generating wealth. Try to be specific.
If you could do anything, with no constrictions or limitations, what would it be?
Consider what kind of environment you want to work in. Do you like working alone? On a team? In isolation? In an office? Outside? From home?
How integrated do you want your career to be in your life? Some careers involve more spillover into home life and/or become a part of your identity.
Talk to others in your life that seem happy in their careers or have careers that you think may align with your values.
Ask them what they do at work every day. What they like about their job and what they hate. Think about how you would be able to tolerate the things they do not like about their positions. Are these things you could adapt to ?
Watch youtube videos or read blogs about people in the fields you are considering.
Once narrowed down, think about barriers to entry to the various fields and which ones you are willing to cross. Consider time, money, networking.
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If you’ve gotten this far, you might be wondering how I answered these questions myself. First, let me give you some backstory to where I was in my life at that point in time. I graduated college with a bachelor’s of psychology knowing that I would likely need to return for more education later. Upon graduation, I moved back home to a less than ideal situation and felt very on edge in my home. I started working at an outpatient behavioral health facility, which I loved, but realized rather quickly that I would not be able to support myself with the salary. I then left to work for a higher paying office job which made me miserable but allowed me to save money while I pondered the above questions.
So here was my thought process:
Whats important to me- helping others, working in a social setting, making a minimum of 60k.
If I could do anything, I would go to medical school and open my own practice.
I like to work in a setting with other people but I like my work to be individual. So I don’t necessarily love the idea of working on a project with a team. I would rather have my own projects but have my team to discuss projects with and socialize during downtime. I like to be around people but work solo. I like getting out of the house- I would not want to work from home.
I want my career to be part of my identity. I can’t imagine spending 40+ hours/week doing something and not having a deep connection to it. Plus, I like to work so if I identify with my work then I will feel more inclined to work more and develop my skills.
I watched A LOT of youtube videos from nurses, physician assistants, and psychiatrists speaking on their professional experiences, schooling, and routines both in and out of work.
My barriers to entry:
Money. I have a fear of debt. I don’t want to go into hundreds of thousands of dollars in debt at this point in my life to either go to school or start a business.
Time. I want to be financially independent rather quickly.
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Take your time. Think about your answers. Write them down. Talk to as many people as you can.
