Deciding on a Career Path as a College Student

Decide on Career Ambitions by Pursuing Life Passions

Jun 23, 2009 Seka Ojdrovic

Deciding a career can be daunting - especially during the last year of college. Knowing personal strengths and passions is the first step to a fulfilling career.

Ah, higher education… four or so years of trying many different courses in the hopes of finding one that fits. What a great time to explore personal interests, by signing up for everything from high-level physics to basket weaving.

Although it’s tempting to put off the big questions until the diploma is safely in hand, college is the perfect time to decide which path to follow - at least where career is concerned.

Talk to a Career Counselor

A university’s most under-utilized resource, the career center is a perfect place to start. Whether it's to talk about lofty career ideas, or specific and achievable career objectives for the next two years, the staff here will be able to help.

For those that are completely in the dark where a career path is concerned, a counselor can offer career tests to help. Such tests measure suitability for certain jobs, personality characteristics, and personal and work-related strengths.

Such tests include:

• Myers Briggs
• Keirsy Temperament Sorter
• Strong Interest Inventory.

Visit a Bookstore

A fun way to figure out personal interests is to take a trip to the nearest retail bookstore. Have no preconceptions before walking in the doors; simply step inside and see what happens.

Those who head straight for the cooking section should perhaps consider a culinary career. Gone for the magazine rack? Maybe publishing is best.

A fulfilling career means a lifetime of learning and staying fresh in the field. A student should pursue something that they can’t get enough of – that they’ll never want to stop learning about.

Talk To Others Working in a Similar Field of Interest

After narrowing down a general field of interest, it’s time to start networking.

An internet search will help to find people in the area who are masters in their field, or at least have been at it for quite a while. Most people are happy to help an eager young student, especially if it's someone who’s passionate about what they do.

Learning the ins and outs of a job will make it much more clear if it’s something worth pursuing. All jobs have their pros and cons, and there's no better way than first-hand experience to see them clearly.

Writing a quick summary of first impressions after spending the day with a professional can be helpful:

• What are the positives?
• What are the negatives?
• Do the positives vastly outweigh the negatives?
• What are the career progression steps in this field?
• Is this something worth pursuing for the next 20 years?
• Would this be worth doing for free, just for the love of it?

Take Other People’s Suggestions With a Grain of Salt

Many well-meaning people (think parents) want what’s best for the people they care about. A parent may suggest pursuing a certain career path that doesn't interest their child in the least.

It's worth listening to the wisdom of others because they may see talents that others do not. But no-one should feel obligated to mold their whole life around those suggestions. Once a person finds something they love to do, and can see themselves doing for ages to come, they should pursue it with abandon – regardless of what others think best.

Do Not Let Salary Factor into the Decision

When considering options for a fulfilling career path, don’t worry about the question of money. No-one has any idea where they will wind up in terms of job title and salary, so it’s useless to worry about finding a job that earns the most. Besides, consider the trade-off: doing something fun, interesting and engaging for a comfortable, but modest, salary, or being paid a lot for doing something that's not.

Let go of the idea of the idea of a “conventional” career path - everyone’s story is different. After finding a career to be passionate about, the rest will fall into place.

Because as the famous saying goes, “Do something you love and you’ll never have to work a day in your life.”

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