Which Career Path Is the Best For Me?

By Linda Binklage

When you're at a point in your life where you need to choose a career path, it can be very hard to work out what you're supposed to choose. There are so many options that you're probably overwhelmed by all of the choices, or simply unable to pick a single one out. Don't worry - there are ways to figure out which career path to go down.

Consider what you love

The first thing you should think about is what you love doing. This doesn't just mean what you love to study, but what you love to do in your spare time as well. If you build a career around your passion, you are sure to enjoy yourself more at work as well as being able to stick with it for a long time. There's no good in starting a career path that you will want to change in ten years, because that would mean having to retrain and go back in at an entry-level position, essentially wasting the previous decade. Make a list of things you really like doing and are passionate about to start.

Think about your skills

Now, what are you good at it? This list could be quite different from the list of your passions. It could include subjects that you excelled at in school, skills and abilities you have naturally, or even things you have worked on in your spare time to get good at. Make a list of everything you can do well. This could range from basic life skills like using a computer, to home skills like cooking, to specialised skills like being able to run a fair and balanced experiment.

Combine your lists

Take a look at your two lists together. Is there anything that stands out on both? For example, if you love cooking and you're also good at it, you could consider becoming a chef. If nothing matches up, why not look for things that intersect? For example, if you have excellent IT skills and you love gaming, you could train as a game developer. By taking a look at what you're good at and what you love, some career paths may leap out at you. Your decision should be based on which of these paths you would most like to take for the rest of your life.

Start your own business

If you can't find a career path that suits you, but you're driven and self-motivated, then there is another way to go. You could become a business owner yourself, and forge your own path. There are a lot of ways to start your own business. No matter what you do, you can also additionally make money blogging. One of the key ways to do this is to use your blog as a sales funnel to bring in new customers to your actual business. It's a really great way to do content marketing which works, and it will bag you more customers than you can handle. This is a quick way to get started as a business owner. Other ideas for growing quickly include connecting with influencers who will share your brand, getting a business award for your start-up idea which provides funding and mentorship, or building a team of experienced and skilled professionals who will work hard on your business with you.

No matter which career path you are thinking of taking, it's a good idea to dip your toes into the water first. Why not take an internship, or give your job a try as a freelancer? This will give you an idea of whether you really love it or not.

About The Author

Linda Binklage is a Content Manager at Canadabiz.net and Businesscheck.co.nz. She enjoys blogging about entrepreneurship, online marketing, career development and freelancing. In her spare time, she loves catching up on the newest technological trends and finding new places to travel to.