Choosing a career is a big decision, and although it’s certainly something you can change and put right if you make a mistake and choose something that doesn’t suit you, it also takes a lot of time and effort – not to mention money – to do that. Plus, you’ll be starting from scratch in whatever career you decide to change to, and that can be hard both in terms of your finances and your self-esteem.
That (and a variety of other reasons) is why it’s much better to get your career choice right from the start.
There are a few different things to look at when you’re choosing a career, including looking for options that work with your skills and preferences. However, something that you should consider and that you might not have thought of before is how well you can grow in any career that you pick.
In other words, can you move forward to a level you’ll be happy with, or will your career choice mean you get stuck and can’t get any further before you’re ready for that to happen? Read on to find out more about why this is so important so you can take it into account when you’re picking the ideal career.
Realizing Your Potential
Not everyone is interested in realizing their potential, and that’s fine – everyone is different, after all, and if you’re not the kind of person who wants to be the best they can possibly be with all their skills and interests being used, then you can choose a job that doesn’t have much growth in it. You’ll probably be very happy and satisfied, and this point won’t worry you at all.
However, if that sounds like the opposite of what you’re interested in, and you actually want to realize all your potential and not be left wondering what might have been, that’s not going to be the kind of career that will suit you at all.
When you’re working in a job that allows you to grow and become the best version of yourself, you’ll be challenged and stimulated, and even if it’s sure to be hard at times, you’ll very rarely be bored. You’ll have the opportunity to constantly improve yourself, perhaps with a postgraduate degree or other training, and you can be proud of what you become.
Job Satisfaction
Job satisfaction isn’t just something that would be nice to have; it’s essential if you want to be happy not just at work but at home as well. When you’re in a career that you’re happy in, and that gives you all the chances to progress that you could ask for (whether you take those opportunities or not; sometimes you won’t want them or won’t feel ready for them), you’ll be less stressed about your job.
That means you’ll be less stressed at home as well, and your relationships with your family and friends will be better. Plus, if you’re not constantly thinking about work (because you’re not happy and it’s always playing on your mind), you’ll be more likely to take up hobbies and do things that make you happy.
All in all, having good job satisfaction is a positive thing that makes a big difference in your overall life because, like it or not, what you do for a living does have an impact on everything else you do as well.
Therefore, doing research into a variety of different careers that could suit you, and determining which one is going to give you the most job satisfaction is crucial. Once you know, you can then start to investigate further and discover what it is you need to know to start that career.
For example, you might feel that being a data scientist is something that would work for you, and if that’s the case, the next step is to find out how to move forward with your plans and actually become a data scientist. There’s no point in waiting if you know what you want to do because the longer you wait, the less time there is to grow.
Financial Stability
Money should never be the only reason (or even the main reason) for choosing a specific career, but it would be wrong of us to say it doesn’t matter. No one wants to be in a tricky situation financially, and it’s wise to look into what the average salaries are in any career before you start working towards whatever qualifications you might need for it.
However, it’s just as important to remember that in some careers, the starting salary might be quite low, but if there’s potential for growth, that salary is going to grow as well. It’s true that a low salary right now might not be something that’s exciting or that you think will help you reach your goals of a nice house or a great vacation each year, but just wait; everything could change.
The more experience you gain (and possibly the more qualifications you’re awarded), and the better you become at your job, the more opportunities you’ll have for promotion which generally leads to a higher income and better job security.
All of that adds up to a better quality of life. Yes, you might have to be a little patient, but if your research shows it will be worth it, and you like the work that’s involved, it could be a good reason to choose that specific career and enjoy the growth potential it gives you.
Job Security
It’s true that no career is completely secure and safe – anything can happen, especially when it comes to the economy – but interestingly, the more career growth opportunities you have, the more secure your job tends to be as well.
This is particularly true if you’ve grown due to training and development opportunities, like a degree. If the company paid for your extra education, they’re not going to want to let their ‘investment’ go too easily, so you can be much more sure of hanging onto your job until you decide it’s time to move on, and no one else makes that decision for you.
