How to Choose the Right Career Path for You

Riche DeMatteo
May 21, 2015
Newsletter Article

Choosing the right career can be one of life’s biggest and most important decisions. If you are feeling confused about the direction your career should take, considering a complete change of career, or seeking more professional satisfaction from your career, the following tips will help you to select the optimal career path for you.

Consider Whether Further Education and Training Will Help

In many cases, enhancing or adding to your existing skill base reveals more options and hastens career advancement. If you are trying to work out your ideal career path, it’s well worth considering the range of courses offered by leading education and training providers, such as Careers Australia. Whether studying online or on campus, an extra qualification could open up a new work avenue for you.

Know What Interests and Energizes You

To have a fulfilling and enjoyable career, you need to like what you do. Carefully examine the things that interest you most and the areas that you feel passionate about. Are there jobs or types of work you think you would enjoy doing even if you were not paid to do them? If so, this could be an indication of the career that would satisfy you most.

Know What You Are Good At

You may not recognize any passion for a specific career or you may love the idea of working in many different areas. Think carefully about your personality and the repertoire of skills that you have. Forging a career from these skills and interests can be a very good idea.

Take a Quiz

If you are completely confused about the right career path for you, it can be helpful to take a specific careers test that matches the skills and interests that you report with potentially suitable jobs. Many of these tests are easily accessible online and some even provide an indication of expected salary and projected rates of job growth.

Test a Career or Work in a Particular Industry

One of the best ways to know whether a career is right for you is to try it out. If possible, working as an intern or volunteer can provide you with this insight and, if the type of work is right for you, introduce you to great contacts and perhaps even lead to paid work.

Get Advice from a Mentor

A quality mentor can be an invaluable support in the process of finding the right career. In many cases, mentors give you insider knowledge, introduce you to helpful contacts, and suggest ways that you can advance your career in new directions and to new levels.

Ask Others

Ask others about their own careers and you may well discover a new career for yourself! Ask people from all areas of your life about their careers; it’s helpful to have the insights of people that work in a variety of fields, not just the one you work in or hope to work in.

Choosing the right career path can seem like an impossible and very daunting task, but there are many good ways to work out the career that suits you best. Think broadly about your career options and be interested in the experiences and insights of others.