What Field Is Right For Me?

Every child hears the same question over and over, ‘What do you want to be when you grow up?’ Until a certain level of maturity, the answer will have less to do with what the child really wants to do with his life and more to do with the latest movie he saw. Eventually though, somewhere around high school, a child is expected to become a young adult and get serious about his/her career choices. Some may have a clear idea by this time and be able to focus their research on pursuing higher education or securing internships which will help them along a certain career path.

Others though will still have no real idea of what they really want to do but will feel increasingly under pressure to say something. What people forget to tell kids at this age is that a career path is not one that is carved in stone with walls ten foot high. You do not finish your education at school and then get sucked into an industry indefinitely. An investment banker can leave Wall Street and join a real estate company, an accountant can keep the books straight in a medical practice as well as he could in a tourist resort.

Are you in it for the money?

Choosing a career based solely on the earning potential is not a good idea. For sure, doctors are well paid for the most part but the long hours and stress involved takes its toll. You would have to be in it for more than the money not to succumb to the stress.Lawyers too, although highly paid, suffer extremely high stress levels. So much so in fact that depression has been called the lawyers’ epidemic.

Choosing a successful career is not so much about choosing the field that will make the most money, but the one to which you are best suited for.

Working alone or as part of a team

Some people, like Greta Garbo, just want to be left alone. They may be 100% reliable, excellent at their jobs and completely motivated but simply not do well in a team. Others need the interaction and group dynamic to truly shine. A student may choose to follow a career path that will lead to the publishing industry but there are areas within that broad category that would suit different types of people.

The buzz of getting a printed magazine out each month will be exciting and motivating to a team player while preparing the content for a detailed technical manual may be very satisfying to a writer who prefers to work alone. So, the key to choosing a career path is first to identify those key strengths in yourself, then make your decision.