By James Daniels
LatinaLista
What is the best career for me? This is a question you must answer at some point in your life. You could be straight out of college and looking for a job. Or, you may have been working for a while – usually in a dead end job – and want to change careers.
Either way, choosing a career is a journey in self-reflection. It all boils down to answering a few important questions. But, which ones, you ask? Well, here are five of them.
1. What is My Passion?
To succeed in any career, and to be satisfied while you are doing it, you must first enjoy what you do. This means aligning your career with your passion. So, to discover your passion, think about what you love to do. Do you do it effortlessly? Also, what do people say your interests are? However, interest alone is not enough, for passion boils to both interest and value.
We also tend to gravitate towards what we find important to us and to those around us. For instance, if you value social justice, try a career in the legal justice system or even activism. If money is what you value most, then consider working in finance or law.
2. What is My Personality?
Your personality determines whether you succeed in a career or not. The fact is, introverts and extroverts have different skills and approach problems differently. For instance, introverts are creative, competitive thinkers who prefer to work alone. They thrive in careers that have strict deadlines
In contrast, extroverts are cooperative, spontaneous, doers who prefer to be around other people. As such, they excel in careers that require teamwork, collaboration, socializing, and public speaking. Extroverts would be more likely to gravitate towards earning an online master in liberal studies degree for instance.
3. What Skills do I Have?
Write down on paper any skills you already have and try to match them to a career. Start with hard skills, such as computer engineering or nursing. Next, list your soft skills, such as people skills.
Doing an inventory of your skills is an eye opener and it gives you an idea of what you are actually capable of doing. With this information in hand, you can move toward your dream career with confidence.
4. What Training Do I Need?
After putting your skills down on paper, you might find yourself lacking in some areas. Maybe you have a degree in fine art yet your dream job requires you to have an online master in liberal studies. When this happens, consider whether you need more education and training.
5. How Much Do I Want to Earn?
Money matters to us all, but to some more than others. Artists and non-profit workers do not mind making do with a low income, as long the salary meets their needs and they can do what they love. To other people, however, salary is king.
Before you choose a career, ask yourself these questions. The answers you come up with will help you decide
