Find Schools Online - Article: Choosing A Career - by Peter Durant

© 2007 By Peter Durant
All Rights Reserved. Printed with Permission

Choosing a career path is one of the most difficult and important decisions of your life. Scared yet? Now we’re not just talking about the part-time job you’re going to have over the summer between school and college or university. This is a real choice that you’re going to have to commit to in both time and money. With tuition costs the highest they’ve ever been, you can’t afford to go into this sort of decision lightly (unless your family is going to support you while you decide which major is right for you). But many people aren’t that lucky. The choice they make is one that they have to stick to in order to come out ahead and with the career choice they want under their belt.

Now…what sort of person are you? Do you like animals? Then maybe a career as a veterinarian will be a satisfying one for you. There are many fine animal training centers and colleges spread across the country just waiting for an eager student like you. If you’re more of an artistic type of person, then a career in graphic design, photography, or designing and drafting up building plans as an architect, might be the best career choice for you. The main thing to remember is to be true to yourself. Don’t try to fool yourself into thinking that because you have a passing interest in something, you can make it a career. Too many people make this mistake. They misread interest in a subject, as a passion that will see them through years of college courses and into a satisfying career. But without careful soul-searching and planning, these conclusions will most likely just end up costing you more money than you can afford to waste.

Sometimes, not knowing exactly what you want to be can be a very debilitating thing that can stop you from actually proceeding with any sort of planning, for fear of failure. Don’t worry. This is far more common than you think it is. Many people who once thought that they had it all worked out, soon find that their plans have changed because their lives have changed. By the time some people are ready to begin planning how to proceed with career plans, they find that their lives have become far more complicated than they once were. Many people find the thought of having to plan out the next few years of their life, very frightening and more than a little overwhelming. It’s not unusual to be unable to deal with this sort of pressure, and many people simply choose to take the path of least resistance and wait it out.

Whenever possible, you should try to talk to people who have the career that you think you may be leaning toward pursuing. You can volunteer your services or work part-time in an industry or business that interests you, to see if that might be the career choice for you. This will save you the many years of study and tuition costs, finding out that the career you were once interested in, no longer suits your plans for the future. This ‘testing of the waters’ may be easier for you to handle as you focus on the work itself rather than the thought of what it’s costing you in tuition costs or whether you’re passing your course. If you know of any people who are working in careers that they love and that you have some interest or aptitude for, you can ask them about their career path and what was involved in their learning. Asking questions that may help alleviate some concerns or assumptions you have may help you to better understand what’s involved in their career choice.

It’s important that you try to focus on what the work itself is about, rather than what career titles may be ahead for you. Titles are generally over-rated and are sometimes given out like candy - whether they’re deserved or not. Try to focus on what you want to do within your career choice rather than what you feel the career will get for you. Many people aim for elusive titles and miss out on what the work itself can do for their job satisfaction. Having any sort of tunnel vision when it comes to career choices may cause you to miss out on the kind of work you’ll be happiest doing. It’s very important not to get too caught up in planning for your career if you’re only half thinking of a career choice. This sort of wasted effort is self-propagating and will only end up making your decision unsure and muddled. Don’t be afraid to take little steps. Make small goals and try to stick to finding out little bits of information that won’t overwhelm you. Your career choice will most likely find you. You just have to be open to the possibility that you may not have all the answers where your future’s concerned.

Deal with it.

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Peter Durant is an artist and writer living in New Glasgow, Nova Scotia. For the past four years he has been a professional proofreader and is working on several short stories and screenplays in his spare time. His wife, Renee, recently earned her Bachelor of Business degree, and so he has some experience with career choices and decisions.

A self-taught man for most of his life, Mr. Durant enjoys many aspects of the arts including music, painting, sculpting and carving, and of course, the literary arts. He has only recently tried his hand at writing articles professionally and finds the work both interesting and rewarding.