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Why it’s so hard to choose a career path


As a college instructor, I meet a wide variety of students – some are freshmen just starting out and some are graduating and ready to move into their career. In both cases, there is often a lot of apprehension about their future career:

·         Did I make the right choice?
·         Will I make the right choice?
·         What if I got a degree and never find a job?
·         What if I can’t ever pay off my school loans?

There is so much uncertainty at this point in life, especially if you’re young and looking for your first career, but let’s examine why it’s so difficult to choose a career path in the first place.

The possibilities are limitless. While we can all agree that having someone else choose your career for you wouldn’t be fun and probably wouldn’t end up with you finding your true calling, it sure would make things easier! But in a day and time when absolutely anyone can go to college and get vocational training, the sky’s the limit! Choosing from an infinite list versus being an apprentice to your dad (as in ye olden days).

You aren’t confident in your strengths. Something I often see in young students is the inability to zero in on one’s own strengths. In a way, our culture has primed us for this by promoting a society in which everyone is good at everything (which definitely has its place and can be true) without singling out individual students for recognition. It often helps to ask your parents, teachers, and close friends what they see as your strengths and if there are any career fields in which they see you thriving.

You are embarrassed by your strengths or don’t think they can make you a living. How often does a young adult say to a parent, “I’d like to paint houses for a living – I’ve done it every summer, I’m good at it, and I enjoy it”? While I can’t imagine the look on the parent’s face, I can tell you that I just (happily) hired a painter for what amounted to $125/hour to paint my dining room (painting is something I’m not good at and loathe). Can you make a good living painting? Yes! Will it be popular as a new idea among your family members? Maybe not.

You think you’re going to be stuck. Choosing a career that you’ll have to do from now to when you die or retire? The stakes are so high that of course you’re going to be anxious about it! But consider this: you’re never stuck. You choose a degree that you think suits you, you go to work in that field and hate it after a few years, and you…move on to a different career path! The good thing about careers is that once you have proven that you’re a hard, capable, smart worker, switching careers is just like a lane change. You might have to get more education or training, but you’ve already proven you’re capable. You’re never stuck (unless you choose to be).

At the end of the day, keep in mind that you are the only person who has to live your life. Your parents and family want what’s best for you, but following their same life path may not be your same path to happiness and success (and you still need to be happy and successful long after your parents are gone). Spend some time gathering ideas from other people, but then spend more time thinking on all the information you’ve gathered by yourself to find the best career starting point for you!

Kelley

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