Do you find yourself asking the question “what career is right for me?” As odd as it may sound; you would be among the millions of people who are left pondering over such questions every single day; and it does not make you crazy or unusual in any way. In fact, finding the right career path for yourself can be quite daunting at times; especially when you have so many different options to choose from. However; by sticking to an organized process you can not only decide the right career path but also learn a thing or two about yourself. Below is a step by step process to help you make an informed decision when choosing the right career path.

Know Thyself

Whether you are fresh out of college or planning to switch careers; knowing where your strengths and limitations is indeed the first step towards choosing the right career for yourself. Luckily, now we have a plethora of self assessment tools and career tests available free on the internet. These allow you to not only gain a deeper insight about your traits and hidden talents, but also help in narrowing a list of occupations that would serve as a good fit for you based on your values, interests, personality and aptitude.

Remember! Discovering all of that about yourself and the world around you is only half the battle. If you truly want to land onto your ideal career, transform your life and make your dreams come true, you will need to learn how to hold on to the fruits of your own labor.

Make a list

We all make lists for when we go to the grocery store, for attending a party, or for keeping track of our assignments, so why is it that we don’t utilize that same skill to make some lists of our strengths and weaknesses? Sit down and start thinking about all the things you know you are terrible at. I say start here because this is what comes most easy to us. Get out some paper and a pen, and separate the paper into Pros and Cons. Begin jotting down the things that come to your mind, in whatever order they appear. If you find yourself writing down more cons than pros, try to refocus your mind on the things you know you are good at. Ultimately, you will have a concise and comprehensive list of tasks and skills that you are good at.

Identify your goals

Learning how to set your own goals and seeing them through is an essential part of being a productive, confident, and valuable member of modern society. Identifying your goals is important; by equipping yourself with clearly defined goals allows you to understand what and how chosen career can help you achieve what really matters to you while at the same time take stock of your progress as opposed to being engrossed in a long pointless grind. So before moving onto the next step take a closer look within and try to identify what exactly are your goals (both in the short run as well as the long run). List them down, so you can revisit them from time to time to evaluate where you stand. A good place to start is by asking yourself questions like:

o  Where do you see yourself in the next five years?

o  What you wish to accomplish by the end of next year?

Research, research, research

Working in a fast-paced and highly technological world calls for a candidate who understands the fundamentals of the game. So once you have gathered and narrowed down a list of possible occupations, it’s time to dive deep into exploring each one of these. Investigate and learn more about the job descriptions, the educational prerequisites and advancement opportunities. If possible, speak to the people within the same field to get a deeper insight. A word of caution: Don’t just concentrate on money – of course money matters, but it isn’t everything. You must choose a career that stimulates you mentally and excites you as well.

Taking it for a test drive

One of the best ways to answer “what career is right for me” is by observing it in real time through internships and trial jobs. These are usually short termed and allow you to experience your chosen career in real time. Participating in one not only offers you a low pressure entry into your chosen field but is in fact a great way to test the waters before you decide to take it up full time.

Apart from getting your foot into the door; internships also provide as an excellent means of networking with the like minded professionals within your chosen field. Be it managers, business gurus or even colleagues with the right connections; if you do decide to take the field as a career than finding a lucrative job within the industry (especially in such competitive times) might be a lot easier.

Lean on Me

Having someone to talk to might be just the thing you need. However, choosing the right person is imperative when making such an important decision. You will have to locate a person who is wise yet objective enough to offer you clean and clear advice on the matters at hand. This sage could be a friend, a former teacher or even a relative with an unbiased outlook. If finding this person seems impossible, then maybe it is best to seek a career counselor to help you answer “what career is right for me?”

When all is said and done; choosing a career isn’t a decision one makes on a daily basis. It is something that you’d probably consider once or maybe twice in your adult life and will stick with you for a very long time. So, take as much time as you need, invest in a lot of research, talk to those around you, connect with a life coach for career guidance to help you to come to a conclusion.