How to Choose a Career in 5 Simple Steps | Career Path Guide (2024)

To start, consider what you naturally enjoy doing, and what brings you happiness. Ask yourself the following questions:

• What topics or activities do you naturally gravitate towards?
• What do you enjoy learning about?
• What activities bring you the most satisfaction and happiness?
• What do you find yourself thinking about or talking about most often?

If you love technology, a career in software development or cyber security might be your jam. If you're good with numbers, finance or accounting could be your calling.

Have you heard of the Strong Interest Inventory test? It’s a self-assessment test used by many young professionals who are asking themselves how to find the right career for me.

Take the test to get a strong indication of where your interests and passions really lie, and you’ll have a better idea of how to choose the right career for yourself.

Follow your passions, and you'll find success in whatever you do.

Next, reflect on your skills and strengths. Determine what tasks and activities come easily and what you excel at. To help you understand your strong suits, consider the following questions:

• What tasks or activities do you find easy and enjoyable?
• What are you particularly knowledgeable about?
• What past accomplishments are you most proud?
• In what situations have you received positive feedback from others?

Struggling to answer these questions? Consider taking a personality test, like the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI) test.

In this test, you’ll answer a series of questions about yourself, to see which one of the 16 possible personality types you match.

Your MBTI result, which is often used by hiring managers assessing candidates for a role, will give you a strong indication of the type of personality you have, and which occupations match it best.

For instance, if you're an expert at problem-solving, data science or engineering could be an excellent choice for you. If you have a way with words, marketing or content creation might be where you’ll shine.

Values and beliefs are another key factor to consider during your career exploration. It's essential to think about what's important to you, and find a job that aligns with your beliefs.

Ask yourself questions like:

• What causes or issues do you care about most?
• What do you believe is most important in life? Job titles and a high salary, or a job that makes you feel fulfilled?
• What motivates you?
• What makes you happy and satisfied?

For example, if you believe in equal opportunities to all, you might want to look into careers in non-profit or human rights organisations, or government agencies.

If you care about the environment, you might want to consider jobs in sustainability, renewable energy, or environmental law.

And if you’re passionate about helping others and supporting your community, a career in healthcare management - or even workplace psychology - might be your calling.

Of course, we can't forget to mention the actual state of the job market – now and in the years to come.

It is essential for you to research the trends and demand for your chosen career field. To avoid investing in a career that may not be in demand in the future, consider things like:

• Which industries are growing? Which are declining?
• What are the future job growth prospects for the careers you are considering?
• What skills and qualifications are in high demand and what are the upcoming trends?

One way to ensure the career you’re planning on has a viable future, is to focus on digital skills and IT/tech professions – especially those who are expected to grow in demand over the next decade.

These include artificial intelligence (and applied artificial intelligence) and robotics, among others.

To help you understand more about 3 of the most in-demand digital professions - according to a 2020 Future of Jobs report by the World Economic Forum - we’ve prepared detailed career roadmap guides for each:

• How to become an AI specialist
• How to become a computer scientist
• How to become a data scientist
  

Finally, we can't ignore financial stability and earning potential when considering how to choose a career. We all want to make a living doing what we love, but we also need to pay the bills.

Ask yourself these questions:

• What is the average salary for the careers you are considering (Glassdoor is a great tool for this purpose)?
• How does the salary compare to the cost of living in your area?
• Are there opportunities for professional growth and career advancement in the careers you are considering?
• Are there benefits and other forms of compensation that can improve your financial situation?

If you're interested in computer science, software development is a highly paid and in-demand field. If you're into business, a management career can provide you with a high salary and opportunities for advancement.

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