3 things to consider when choosing a career path
“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life, and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do” – Steve Jobs
Life throws at you many different options and decisions but ultimately you should decide what path to take. Here are 3 things to consider when making your career moves.
1. Identify your Values
Values tend to influence your priorities and fuel your decisions. Identify what matters to you the most when it comes to family, socioeconomic status, lifestyle choice etc and evaluate periodically. Ideally, your career choice should positively influence and align with your beliefs and values. This contributes life-long fulfillment and satisfaction.
2. Recognize your Skills
Each person has both innate and learned qualities. Take note of the things you enjoy doing or ask those around you to share with you what they’ve noticed about you. Areas like problem solving, communication, leadership, analysis etc. These skills will help you narrow down your career choices.
3. Diversify your professional network
Be intentional about developing connections with other professionals that have similar or different backgrounds and interests. Example: set up the lunch meeting with your colleague, register for that event/conference, join the group in your community, reach out to your potential mentor on social media
During your communication, there are ideas you can get from others and vice versa. Shared interest from both parties brings about a lasting relationship and life-long benefits.