A Brief Look At Choosing The Right Career Path

Ok, before we even get started here, it’s probably important to point out that this is just an opinion piece, and doesn’t constitute a conclusive advice platform for you to follow to the letter. The information is based on life experience, rather than exhaustive research; that said it should certainly help you if you’re looking for direction. It might not be the best resource for you if you’re looking for advice on whether to choose between a career in constitutional law versus family law, but then there are plenty of resources out there for that too. This just isn’t one of them.

It doesn’t matter whether you’re on the cusp of deciding on a major at university, choosing between TAFE courses, or if you’re burnt out after five years flogging used cars for a living and have decided to choose a new path, a career change or choice takes some soul searching and some guts. Sure, you could meander through life taking jobs as they come to you, but do you think you’ll get to the end of your career and think about how fulfilling your work life was? Probably not. More likely is that you’ll wonder why the hell you didn’t push yourself a little bit harder and give it a proper go. After all, you only get one shot at this life, though it’s something that many people seem to forget time after time, as they toil in unforgiving and uninspiring jobs. That’s not to say that we don’t need people to do some of those unforgiving and uninspiring jobs, and there is a fair amount of worth and satisfaction that you will definitely glean from a job well done. By all means, in fact, go and pack boxes at your local supermarket, or man the checkout at a late night bottle shop. This kind of work will give you perspective and a greater appreciation for why exactly it is you need to make good career choices in the first place.

Because we aren’t talking about the dull and uninspiring jobs here. We are talking about the kind of jobs that spark your passion, and careers that drive you to devote a lifetime to the pursuit of achieving the very best you can. There’s no hard and fast rule about how to thrust yourself into the path of your ‘dream job’ (or even if the concept of a dream job is something that exists) but you should never stop seeking your truth as a means of ensuring you’re in the best possible spot to find the right job for you.

Finding the right career path requires a certain level of self-understanding and just a modicum of enlightenment about your place in the world, your likes, your dislikes, and your passions. When you have a better understanding of at least some of these things, it’s far more likely that you’re going to be able to seek out a career that TRULY speaks to you, and not one that just ticks a few of the societally-constructed boxes. But how do you know yourself?

Here are some handy tips – by no means an exhaustive list, but more of a jumping off point:

• Engage your mind in recreational reading in addition to seeking factual information about the world at large. Harnessing your capacity for imagination and lateral thought will ensure that your mind stays active, alert, and nimble.
• Mediate mindfully on your breathing as a way of mitigating anxiety and helping you to find stillness in an often-hectic world! Mindfulness is an excellent tool for you to use in job seeking situations where you might experience some perfectly normal anxiety. Managing your fears puts you in good stead for having a clear mind unclouded by anxious thoughts.
• Travel and learn as much as you can about your place in the world as a means for discovering perspective.

Most of all, don’t be afraid to try an un-conventional career path, and listen to your heart as well as your mind. Good luck!