How to Choose a Career

There is a reason that people are lining up out the door to get involved in career coaching services. Choosing a career is an exceptionally momentous and stressful decision. With the possible exception of choosing a life partner, it’s one of the biggest decisions any of us will ever make. It’s anxiety-provoking — even paralyzing — to choose a career out of many options, and commit your life to it. I know that for me personally, I had this experience before I decided to go back to school for counseling.

This anxiety is completely valid and normal, but it’s also worth listening to: This decision is actually a big deal. It is overwhelming to sort through all of your different options and settle on THE ONE career that you’re going to devote potentially the next forty years of your life to. This is especially true if you have lots of talents, abilities and opportunities, and could plausibly have a very successful professional development trajectory in many different areas. Which to choose! 

Some people cope with this existential anxiety by not making a conscious choice at all. They just do the easy-ish thing. While it may not be the best career path, they’ve settled the immediate angst and feel better in the short term. Others choose to lean in to the anxiety, stay in the ring of indecision and unknowing long enough to spluenk the depths of their personalities, values, and life goals. Like a miner walking out of a cave clutching a huge, raw gem, they now have something valuable to work with — self awareness, clarity, and direction — that they can continue to hone over many years of their successful professional arc.

Even if you have sorted through the “what should I do with my life” existential questions, with or without the help of a good Denver career coach or helpful online career counselor, there comes a new round of paralysis when it’s time to commit, and understandably. When you choose a career path, you’re making a huge investment in time and energy, particularly if — as many professional occupations do — your career goals involve acquiring education and specialized training to be successful in a certain field. 

You’re also taking a big risk. Like, what if you put all this time and energy (and often money) into attaining this professional role only to find out that you don’t love your chosen career path after all? A troubling possibility to consider!

I hope that my giving a voice to what you’ve probably been grappling with lately if you’re choosing a career didn’t stress you out further. While no one can tell you what career is right for you, I can give you some guidance on how to make a big decision based on the life you want to create for yourself.

Choosing a Career? First, Know Yourself.

Here’s some good news: If you’ve been entertaining how to make your passion your career in your mind, feeling pulled between them, unable to weigh out the pros and cons and settle on the “best” possible choice, you can stop doing that right now. 

The first step in how to find your purpose in life, before letting any possibilities through the door, is getting in touch with who you are, what you value, and what makes you happy. This step should not be rushed — taking a few months for some in-depth personal reflection is completely reasonable before making a decision of this size. 

If spending that much time building self-awareness sounds like overkill, keep in mind that you probably have a lot to untangle (most of us do!). Well-intended people may have pushed their own hopes and dreams onto you, and over time, you may have gotten them mixed up with your own. It’s important to sort through these ideas about what you “should” be or do before making any decisions, so you can be sure that whatever you choose is your own heart’s desire, not someone else’s. 

Career Counselors Help You Choose a Career

What is a career counselor? A career counselor is someone who can guide you through this process of choosing a career, giving you personality assessments and asking questions to shed light on what you care about the most in life, what you’re good at, and what you enjoy. 

Do you like collaborating with a team, or do you prefer owning every step of a project? Do you place a higher value on creative expression, financial success, or service to others? What are some activities that leave you feeling competent, satisfied, and like you’re performing at your best? 

Even if your answers point to something that probably wouldn’t be a realistic career choice, you can drill down further into what it is about these activities that’s so rewarding for you. Maybe you love improv comedy because it forces you to take risks and think on your feet. You might love cooking because it creates opportunities to experiment. Or because you find joy in sharing something you’ve made with others. Or because you’re simply passionate about food. 

When you understand why you find certain things engaging and others not so much, you can begin to look for those qualities elsewhere. 

Next, start to think about which settings you thrive, how you “win” at work, and also which jobs turned into toxic workplace experiences. The thought of sitting at a desk for eight hours a day might make you feel stir crazy, or it might not. Being on the road for a week every month sounds exciting to some people, and like a nightmare to others. Maybe you’re thrilled by the idea of constantly meeting new people, or maybe that sounds exhausting. Clarity about these basic personal truths will come in handy when you’re choosing a path. 

Working with a good career counselor can help you know yourself better, in order to wisely and with self-awareness, choose a career most likely to bring you authentic happiness, personal growth, healthy relationships, and “whole life” success in the long run.