July 20

5 Answers to “How Do I Find the Right Career For Me?”

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“How do I find the right career for me” is a question that causes most of us to sweat through our shirts and bang our heads against the wall. If that’s happening to you, you’re NOT alone. You’ve come to the right place! There’s not a one-size-fits-all solution, but below you’ll find 5 ways to get closer to the answer. In fact, every career video at Careers Out There is designed to help you reach that answer and find the right career.
In the video above (the first video I ever made for this site), I share how I first confronted this question when choosing a major in college and then tell how it all worked out. I’ve re-posted the video with the hopes that it helps you to watch someone other than yourself confront this big question.

HOW DO I FIND THE RIGHT CAREER FOR ME?

Some people actually get lucky enough to know what they’ll be doing with their lives before high school even starts. There was a guy I went to high school with who was never seen without a camera. You would have thought he had that thing surgically attached to his body. Today he’s a professional photographer who recently shot the cover for Sports Illustrated!

If you’re not like that guy and you’re instead sweating through the “how do I find the right career for me” question, grab a towel and dive into the 5 answers below. They’re all thinking exercises that require you to take a good look in the mirror and really get to know yourself. If you prefer another approach, you could take career tests – we’ve got 2 of the best here on the site. They’re not free, but that’s because they have real value. You could also check out our video guide to informational interviewing, which guides you through how to meet with people who do work that interests you, which ultimately helps you find the right career.

Otherwise, if you’re ready for some thinking exercises, grab a pen so you can write down your thoughts! Once you get to know yourself, you’ll have some guidelines to help you decide what careers to explore. Next time we’ll take it a step further with 5 more answers to the big question. Those answers will require you to not just think but to take action: 5 Actions To Help Find the Right Career.

1) HOBBIES / FREE TIME

Think about the kind of stuff you like to do in your free time and are good at. Do you like working with your hands? With your mind? Being around lots of people? Doing your own thing? Do you coach a team or tutor kids? Interact with nature? Do you like numbers? Puzzles? Writing? A certain type of video game? Being in front of an audience? There are careers that make use of your skills and interests…and sometimes they’re a few steps removed from the obvious. For example, just because you like coaching your local little league doesn’t necessarily mean you should be a professional coach. But you clearly embrace leadership skills, which apply to many types of careers and can serve as a guide in your career search. I recently interviewed someone for an upcoming episode who always loved sports statistics. Thanks to that, he realized he was great with numbers and today has a thriving career as a mortgage banker. Having a numbers-focused job is fun for him and comes naturally since it matches his skills.

2) WHAT DO YOU VALUE?

What’s important to you? What does “success” mean to you? Is it having lots of money? Owning fancy cars and houses? Having lots of free time? Having lots of fun at work? Having a big family? Following a dream? Living in the city? The country? The suburbs? Living overseas? All of these things can impact which career opportunities will fit you and be available to you. For example, if you’re obsessed with the auto industry but are set on living near your farm in Wyoming, you probably have to choose one or the other. A guy I went to college with placed a very high value on money. Wherever he went throughout college, he was always holding the Wall Street Journal, Fortune and Money magazine. Today he’s a commercial real estate mogul in New York City overseeing billions of dollars of commercial real estate.

3) WHAT TYPE OF LIFE DO YOU WANT

Do you picture yourself living a conventional life where perhaps you settle down young and start a family in the suburbs? Or do you want to live an adventurous life where your career could take you to just about anywhere in the world at any time? For example, if you’re set on wanting to be a war photographer, you’ll probably spend most of your life traveling the world and risking your life. For the adventurous types, job and life can often blur together…but the adventurous type might not be able to see doing it any other way.

4) WHAT ARE YOU WILLING TO SACRIFICE

The expression “nothing comes for free” is true. If you’re a young, corporate lawyer or investment banker getting paid the big bucks, you’re probably going to have close to zero free time. If you’re an airline pilot or a truck driver, you’re probably going to be spending a lot of time away from home. If you want to become a college professor, you’re going to be in school a long time to get that PhD. If you want to be a famous actress, you’re going to have to humiliate yourself on a daily basis at casting calls and tryouts where your talents and looks will be picked apart by a panel of others. What is your threshold for all of this? It helps to know. The second band I managed was one of my favorite bands. Ultimately, they realized they were not collectively willing to sacrifice by logging the necessary hours on the road to tour and do what it takes to find success as a band. That led everyone to go their separate ways and pursue different paths. As an attorney recruiter, I talked to young lawyers every day who were discovering that they didn't want to sacrifice their free time anymore in exchange for their giant salaries. These are tough discoveries once you've settled into a path.

5) WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE & BEST CLASSES IN SCHOOL

What classes feel like fun to you? Which ones come so naturally that they just seem easy? Are you great at science? Math? Or do you hate science and math but love your English classes? That was me! I knew then that I couldn’t be a doctor or a scientist or economist. But maybe I’d end up as a writer, teacher, lawyer, or some other communications-based career. Analyzing what classes fit you is a great step towards finding a career that fits you.

For Additional Help Check Out:

Informational Interviewing
Taking Career Tests

What do you suggest people think about to help answer “how do I find the right career for me?”

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5 Actions To Help Find the Right Career
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career articles, general career advice


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  1. Great stuff! It’s one thing to find a job, another to find a career…gotta follow your passions!

  2. These are great jumping-off points for finding the right career.  I’d suggest that people think about a couple “big picture” things, too: where the world is headed in the next decade or so, and where you want the world to be headed.  People who are just graduating from college or looking to move into a new field have a tremendous opportunity right now to get involved in (or create for themselves) exciting new ventures.

  3. Great answers!  Wish they were around when I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do.  I agree with someone else who said follow your passion. Not sure quite how to say it but I also think it is really important to be in touch and/or stay in touch with those who influence you.  Teachers, of course, make terrific mentors but anyone and everyone you meet could potentially give you some insight or idea or spark something in you that might lead you down a career path.  As far as jobs go (not careers but same idea could be applied to careers), this happened to both me and my husband!

  4. I like that point about teachers.  It’s easy to forget that teachers know you and can see what you’re good at and what you enjoy doing.  Thanks for the comment!

  5. Thanks Marc.  Great advice.  I’ve been steering former co-workers to this site.

  6. Very helpful.  Can’t wait to see the videos of career paths that I’ve never thought of pursuing before.  You are very inspirational in the way you present the various careers, by the way.  Ever thought about doing some public speaking?

  7. Thank you! This was a huge help. I’m only 15 but i can’t wait to get into a career and i’m very interested in engineering and video gaming. These questions really helped me understand more about myself.

  8. What do I like?  

    I like to read non-fiction, particularly the news, business and science sections.  I like working in groups and I like interacting with people.  I like to be productive and make progress every month.  My joy is feeling that I have accomplished something more this year than what I had accomplished last year.  I like to be organized and focused on achieving my bigger goals in life.  My dream is to be a competent professional with options, by that I mean somebody with enough experience and credentials to maintain consistent employment.  

    I just turned 30 and is about to finish my undergrad soon.  The only thing that prevents me from being embarrassed is the story of Billy Graham.  

    Thanks for the video and article!  

  9. Wow, I’m just like you, whenever I talk to someone in English(I’m an Indian), within maybe 7 minutes, he/she would compliment me regarding my communication skill, even while talking on phone to some dad’s close friend , I got this. I’m also appreciated when it comes to writing and more commonly, my presentations or any speech at school. And I’m currently eying IP law or Corporate law but I’m confused as I really don’t have an idea what what exact they do and I’m not really a fan of maths or science (excluding biology). Does becoming a lawyer also mean that your life is in danger, I mean someone from the opposing party could always threaten you or you may run out of clients, another problem is that my parents are quite against the idea of becoming a lawyer. Anyway what are the other jobs related to communications

  10.  @a38a31a7de4092d40bb6579083f6f201:disqus Thanks for the feedback and sharing your story.  When you mentioned Billy Graham, I think you meant Bill Graham.  Very different people.  🙂

  11. Thanks for the feedback and sharing your story, @c5f9440bf79c26f93f816aa6c5a1d9ec:disqus.  I can’t really speak to whether the lives of lawyers are in danger in India, but I’d be surprised if IP or corporate lawyers are at risk.  I also can’t speak to the dynamics of your family. I can tell you that we have information coming soon about law careers.  We also have other communications careers on the site. Some of our navigation buttons appear to be missing at the moment but usually there is a button for communications.  Jobs in media, marketing, sales, advertising, and journalism all involve communications. 

  12. Hi im very good at first person shooter games and the action style games, but idk if thats what i want. i like science but im not that great at understanding it all, love computers too. i think i just need to be in a school with hands on training. im 19 yrs old

  13. hi…..hey that was really helpful …i feel very energetic now…….but there is still confusion….since small i love cars.that was the only thing that i like..but when i went to high school,i realised that i was not good in physics….i always get C or D for my physics…so i m really confused…..what should i do???????

  14. well…..the video was awesome, got some ideas about what i shud do but .. hmm….i like English i mean anything related to it, let it be writing or reading i just love the subject, but my parents want me to become a DOCTOR and i don’t find any relation between what i like and what my mom dad want me to like ,,,so stuffs are confusing with me..what should i do?

  15. Thanks for the great feedback @322e3ec8fef8d32791c2bd69cabf89d8:disqus. It’s your life, so you should pursue what combines your interests and your strengths. At the same time, you should research what careers you can do with the those 2 things, whether it’s reading and writing or something else. It’s easy to spend a lot of money on a degree in English, graduate and then say, “now what?” Your parents are probably just trying to steer you to a career where there are lots of jobs, like healthcare. Even healthcare companies have marketing departments where someone good at copywriting is writing their marketing materials. To get help figuring this out, you can try meeting with a local career counselor, or maybe your school has one…or you can take the iStartStrong career test on our career tests page. Good luck!

  16. I am looking to be a game programmer and soon ( hopefully ) i can take up a game programming course in a local polytechnic. In my free time i spend my time in front of the computer playing games or surfing the web. In school my favourite subject was math, though i’m not really really great at math, i can say my math is not weak. getting into the right course really important because the course i get into kind of decides what kind of job i’d be having in the future and i’m concerned with the job prospects of game programming in singapore. Should I get into game programming or should I look at other courses to get into.

  17. Hey @disqus_B7LBSTV0dC:disqus – hoping the answer to your question on the video game careers page answers your question. Best of luck.

  18. Hi Marc,
    Your video as well as the info you posted below it have been very enlightening to me. I’m going to think long and hard using all the info as I find myself at a critical juncture in my life.

  19. This video so far is my favorite. Literally when you were saying,” what makes you tick?” I thought mystery, I just love mystery shows. However, beeing a detective has always been a dream that is too far to reach, because I faint with blood I know it might sound weird,but I do. So then i thought of being a psychologist, which brings me to the question, “what you want to acomplish in life?” I’ve always wanted to help people, to make this world a better place, and to know that I inspired someone else to do the same, but being a psychologist means that I’m suppose to help a person after thedamage has been done id rather go for the root of the problem. I know I have a long time to decide what to be iim just a freshman in high school but I want to have a goal because I’m doing everything I can to have better chances of going to the college I want but I think I should first have a goal but right now I am so lost and confused about my decisions & honestly my counselors just confuse me more, I just hope someone might help me out with this.

  20. Thanks for the feedback, @fridagarza:disqus. Very smart of you to set that goal. Have your counselors given you any career tests? Tests might be less confusing for you since the tests are like mirrors reflecting back at you with some explanations included. Your school may have the Strong test available for free. It’s a great one. If not, we have it here for just under $20. You can click on “Career Tests” at the top of the site to get there. You expressed that you like helping people and your interest in being a detective and/or psychologist suggests you like analyzing situations and potentially studying, researching, etc. Not all detectives do criminal work with blood. Some may be investigating insurance fraud, divorce-related fraud, etc….but those won’t feel as much like helping people as psych. And with psych you can go to the root of the problem and perhaps help people avoid long-term damage. If you’re looking to help people with problems before they actually have the problems, perhaps being a teacher is the right fit for you. Don’t forget to think about your strengths when analyzing all of this stuff: what are you good at? Think about classes, hobbies, skills, etc.

  21. Very good video, keep like that. I am kind of lost right now, I am an undegratuate electrical engineer, and I still don`t know what to do with my life. I did an exchange program in 2011, to China, and I really liked to work with different cultures and people. I also like to negociate with Chinese (in Chin you cna negociate almost everything you want to bu). An I also like to travel a lot (being away from family and friends isnt’something that worries me). But I can’t see how this can take place in electrical engineering (wich in fact I don’t like that much), I am considering to chance to something more pleasent for me. I am coinsidering changing to be an international trader. Keep rocking, your videos and website are amazing. Cheers from Brazil (sorry for the poor English)

  22. I’m 19 years old and did carpentry right out of high school. Liked the work but ddnt love it. I wrecked my shoulder shortly into my carpentry career now I can’t do that line of work. I want a career I can be home every night because I know how hard it is on family’s not having a father around. Also I want to make a salary that’s over 100,000 a year. I’m a hard worker I just need some help deciding what to do.

  23. Helpful, got me thinking about h.s & first year of college. We’ll look forward to seeing more videos. Thank You

  24. Thanks for the great note @facebook-100000651703317:disqus. It’s fun to know people are findin the site in Brazil! Brazil is on my short list of places I want to visit. (There’s also a long list). If you don’t like electrical engineering, then why are you still majoring in it? I can tell you this – and I can only speak for the US here – someone with a degree in EE who also has a law degree is in VERY HIGH demand. Law firms can’t find enough people who have law degrees and an EE background. These people tend to do intellectual property work, mostly focused on patents. Firms want lawyers like this so badly that you would easily find work and could probably demand the salary of your choice. I don’t know how much international travel patent lawyers do so I can’t speak to that. I would imagine that straight-up electrical engineers could travel for client projects. Alternatively, you don’t have to travel for business. You could have a job that pays you well enough to travel internationally in your free time! But if international trade interests you and you’re good at negotiating with the Chinese, that sounds real good too. Research whether there’s a way to combine it all. If you’re capable of becoming an electrical engineer, an amazing skill set to have, you may end up building or helping to build a business that relies on your EE skills AND your ability to grow the business via international travel and negotiations. If you hate EE stuff and don’t enjoy your time thinking about it or doing it, then you might want to move on – but be sure it’s not just hating the classroom experience….real life and getting to apply what you’re learning can be much more exciting. Good luck.

  25. Hey @disqus_1tqEeNEcV7:disqus – thanks for the note. Sorry to hear about your shoulder. I had shoulder surgery a few years ago – it wasn’t fun. Rather than starting with a salary goal, I’d start with looking at what you’re good at and what you like doing. Then you can look at what the money is like in different paths….and remember that you typically need to work your way towards the 6-figure salary. Not many paths start off there on day 1. Surgeons can….corporate lawyers can who graduate from the best schools and happen to get great grades and get an offer for a summer associate position from a big corporate firm. Otherwise many paths can get there with hard work – but it doesn’t happen overnight. If you have no idea what to do next, I suggest taking the Strong career test on our site. Click on the Career Tests tab at the top of the page to get there. It’s not free but it’s helpful…and not expensive. Good luck!

  26. a truly enlightening video..Ia m a computer science engineer and searching for my best career..I love social service and good at vocabulary and drawings equally love researching stuff..a bit confused as to how to fit these pieces together..I got my spark from your video..thank you

  27. I am still confused i am good at maths but not in science and to be particular i am good at commercial Mathematics ..What are the best career options for me ?

  28. As a college sophomore I am approaching the point in my academic schooling where it is almost necessary for me to have a major to stick with. At the moment I am pursuing a PrePharmacy degree, but unfortunately I am not sure thats what I want to do. Because I do not know what to do, I decided to start with a desired salary, which isn’t a good place to start, but I didn’t know any better. I enjoyed human anatomy and physiology in high school, and I work well with my hands. Its almost as if that I believe that if I can try my hardest at anything, I could be pretty good at it, so I never really thought about anything but making money. Even though I am pursuing pharmacy, I don’t know if its as social as I’d like it to be since I am a very sociable person. I know as soon as I find my desired job I want, I will strive for it with every breath, however I cannot determine that job. Any thoughts? Btw, I wanted to genuinely thank you for your video that you posted above. It was really inspirational to see you find the career that you love and pursue it without looking back.

  29. Thanks for commenting @f88eebee619d8aa9c5eca92b2a0bbda2:disqus. Good luck in your search. You might want to try the Strong career test, which you can reach from the “career tests” tab at the top of our site.

  30. Hi @aishani:disqus – it’s hard to say with just knowing that you’re good at math. It would come down to what other skills you have and what you enjoy doing. Math is used in a wide variety of careers. You may want to take the Strong career test available at the Career Test tab at the top of the page.

  31. Thanks for the note @9b626cbdd9bbd58c80d41a52adabad81:disqus! If you are a very social person and enjoy science-related topics, which it sounds like you do, perhaps you want to look into something like medical device sales. That would combine science and social skills. Not sure it would involve much working with your hands, although possibly with demonstrating the devices. An example of a job like this would be selling new equipment to hospitals and heart surgeons that helps with heart surgeries…..or prosthetic limbs to facilities helping amputees….you name the medical device and there is a path between its manufacture and how it ends up in the hands of doctors and hospitals. Someone needs to present it, show how to use it, get it known and get it sold. Continuing with science classes and getting some sales experience on the side so you can build your sales skills should get you set up well for this path, which can pay VERY well. The equipment is expensive and you would likely get a commission of whatever you sell. I’m not saying this is the 1 path for you, but it’s worth exploring. Google companies that do this in your city/town….see if anyone you know knows anyone who works there…try to get meetings. If no one knows anyone, try LinkedIn or just picking up the phone, saying you’re young and eager to learn and will they talk to you. We have a video on how to do “informational interviewing” which is exactly that…there’s an ad for it in the sidebar and the rotating images on top…and the Products tab can get you there. Might be helpful for you too….Good luck! Keep me posted.

  32. Good video. I’m on my second year of college and I keep changing mind regarding the career path I wanted to make. I spent numerous hours searching on google
    which career will be huge for next year, somehow I forgot to ask myself what career do I really want. I’ve been listening to people what career fits me. This is such a good advice. Once again thank you.

  33. Thanks @annaenriquez:disqus! You definitely want to find what fits you, not just what will be huge for next year. But you also want to be sure that what you’re thinking you really want is also something that has the chance to make you the kind of money you need for your obligations and want for your desired lifestyle. If you’re chasing a path that’s dying and has no future (where you won’t be able to find a job or earn a living), then you have to ask if that path is better as a hobby or think about if you would really enjoy being homeless. So you’re right – the way you were searching before shouldn’t be the driving force behind your search – but you do want it to be a factor. Good luck!

  34. plz help me i m so confuse what i do in future i am doing diploma in instrumentation engg. but people are says this branch is jobless so plz suggest me what i do???

  35. First of all, I want to thank you for making this highly inspiring video. It moves me to see someone talk so passionately about their job and I definitely want that for myself. However, i’m just lost at the moment. I’m from the Caribbean and I’ve been out of community college for two years now working odd jobs and never have really settled on anything to do with my life.

    I wanted to be a veterinarian as a child but my research says graduates have a hard time finding a job because of the struggling economy, less people are willing to spend on pets. Then a doctor or lawyer were my secondary options. I’m not too crazy about either because of the length of the degree programs. Add growing up I had a stressful life so I’d like my job to be something I love; my career, not somewhere I drag myself to because I have to pay the bills..

    It’s important to me that my work helps the lives of others. Especially if it can help injustices but I suppose if I want to avoid stress I can’t do that so it becomes a question of my sanity or the life of another. Lol I don’t want to sound selfish.

    During my school life, I was described as very good with reasoning though my few paragraphs may point to the contrary. And I was also very interested in theatrics. I enjoy singing and dancing and modelling and acting but I don’t see how that can help a life. -_- At least, in a significant way. I’m good with words and I love debating but would not want to do that all the time. Again, to avoid tension and stress in life. I was okay with science but it does not draw me and my grades won’t get me into a good medical school. I make my own products and research natural remedies for things all the time, though. Not sure if it fascinates me that I can make things that heal or it’s just the cheapskate in me… I speak a second language (Spanish) and was studying five others but the passion waned recently.

    I love to travel but i’m thinking of the long term: I wouldn’t want to be away from my family (when I have one) most of the time because of work. But I would drown in contempt if I was stuck to an office chair all day. I would suffocate. x.x (Though I guess the drowning bit covered that) I also do like to meet people but I don’t want to have to get out there and have to meet a quota. I mean, some days I just prefer closing off to myself and I’d like the option to do that. Like missing one day of work won’t put an entire company out for a loop.

    I feel even more pressure now because my parents want me to choose something right now or get out of the house. I don’t want to make a random career choice and be stuck doing something miserably.

    I’m just looking online for something to jump out at me; for an epiphany. I’m happy at the very least that I found this video and to know i’m not alone.

    So, in essence, I want a career that pays fairly well (so that I can save for a rainy day), I want to help the lives of others (whether animal or human or amphibian–they need love too), I’d like to make people smile and I’d like it to not involve travelling too much, I want to be able to do that in my spare time. And I want time I can devote to my family.

    I’d appreciate any constructive input. I feel so lost, its just overwhelming. Like time is running out..

  36. I keep coming back everyday hoping for a response. I suppose I’m just very anxious that I don’t have something lined up. I’m just frustrated and looking for answering. I guess I won’t find them from someone else. I’d have to make the decision myself. I just want some direction.

  37. Hi @83ddf2961e30a9f09c3e5344aad72cd8:disqus – I would think there would be opportunities in instrumentation engineering but I don’t know enough about the current job market for that degree. It may differ from place to place. See if there are some good groups on Linked In for this specialty and try to network with people there to see what you can learn. They’ll know a lot more about this specific field than I will. Good luck!

  38. Hi @google-78cfd4954784dea8239899b136851d8e:disqus – thanks for sharing and for the honesty. It sounds to me like you want it all: the money and the great career but no stress! Life involves stress no matter what you do. It’s pretty hard to avoid all stress. Given your interest in meeting with people and helping people but not being stuck at an office desk all day, as well as your interest in physical activities, I’m thinking you might want to look into something like being a physical therapist or a massage therapist or a naturopathic doctor or accupuncturist. You’ll need some strength in science for these but it’s different than going to traditional medical school. Some people work for travel companies as adventure travel guides – it’s an outdoorsy job that helps tourists looking for fun outdoor adventures. Probably less opportunities than the healthcare paths but all of those can be things for you start researching like crazy on the internet and in real life – meet with people who do these jobs and get them to tell you what they’re all really like. Best of luck!

  39. This had always been a BIG Question. People have been trying
    different ways to solve this puzzle over a period of time but still no one can
    guarantee of a single best way to answer this question. Though, recently, a
    scientific approach has been adopted in what are known as WAIGA Tests where
    WAIGA means What Am I Good At? Considering almost all the aspects that need to
    be addressed while choosing the right career or selecting the career that fits
    you the best means the job where one will get job satisfaction and a faster as
    well as smoother success in career resulting in happiness and ultimately a
    contended life. I found there are many types of WAIGA test and for almost
    everyone having varied requirements at different stages of life, there’s a
    right WAIGA test for everyone.

    Alex

    Career Consultant and Master Career Counselor

  40. Some people, like me don’t know anything about themselves LOL

    I like to read, write, or draw. I like watching movies and criticizing them. I love pixel art, but suck at it. 5 things, yet I don’t know anything about my career.

    Oh yes, and Geography and History are my favourite subjects.

  41. Thanks for this extremely helpful video. I had a few pertinent questions, I hope you can help me in finding the answers.

    I’m a fresh Chemical Engineering graduate about to start work in a ChemE company in August. However, I am not sure whether I want to work in the ChemE field and wish to diversify. However I do not have any clarity in which field I should diversify exactly.

    I can either continue to work for some years and go for an MBA, or, I could go for an MS (in some branch that really interests me, not chemical engineering) and then work and then go for the MBA. Which of the two options is more fruitful?

    I also wanted to take a career test to help me in deciding the fields. Which of the two that you have suggested are more suited to my situation?

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