In the Philippines, it is common for grownups to ask children what they want to be when they grow up. As children, grownups would always ask us what our dream job or work is. We would always respond with jobs that inspire us as kids. It could be an astronaut, firefighter, lawyer, teacher, soldier, and many more. However, our minds slowly change as we grow older. We start to get immersed in the real world and begin to realize our passion. As time goes by, we discover our talents and what fields we’re good at. We start to realize and understand what we want to do for work and which occupations will take us further in life.

Nonetheless, not all of us can figure out what we want to be when we become adults. If you’re like me who loves to try new things, it will be difficult to focus on one field only. Some of us have a hard time figuring out what we can specialize in. Some of the employed ones aren’t even sure if they’re on the right career path. Career indecision is common and it’s normal to feel lost when choosing a career. This is why this guide is here. To help you become one step closer to choosing the right career path for you. Here are 5 tips to help you figure out what career path to take.

Assess yourself

The first step in finding out what you want to do in your life is to assess yourself. Firstly, only you yourself can know who you really are and what you really like. You must evaluate and learn about your own interests, values, skills, personality, and motivation. Secondly, you need to conduct self-reflection and ask yourself questions that will help you identify yourself. Is your strength leaning towards verbal or oral communication? Do you enjoy numbers more than words? Are you more of a leader type or a follower type? Lastly, a helpful technique to learn about yourself is to conduct personality self-assessment tests or career tests. Career tests such as Sokanu Career Test will help you identify positions that are best suited for you. This will most likely give you an idea of what career path is ideal for you.

Evaluate your goals

In choosing a career path, it is important to consider what you want to achieve in the future. If you don’t already have, you must identify your short-term and long-term goals. These are crucial factors in determining the right career. It will serve as a guide for you to eventually figure out which job suits you best. What would you want to be doing a year from now? In 3 years? In 10 years? Do you want to be a CEO of a big company or work as an adviser for organizations? It is also important to set clear, specific, and realistic goals in order to paint a clearer picture of what your career path will look like.

Ask for others’ opinion

Sometimes, we tend to overlook things. Because of our own biases, we sometimes don’t see the other aspects of our lives. This is why it is important to look at things from another person’s perspective from time to time. When we focus too much on one skill, we tend to disregard our other talents. As a result, our other talents will go undeveloped. We sometimes don’t know our potential is in other fields which is why we should ask for our family’s or friends’ opinions. Maybe the people that know us best noticed that we’re good at something that we think we’re not. They can give us meaningful insights into the skills and talents we possess.

Explore

The most effective way to figure out what you want is to explore your options yourself. Get yourself out there and try new things. Step out of your comfort zone. Look for job openings across the Philippines or approach companies like Springboard, where they can match you with companies who have partnered with them for executive hiring. Eventually, you will have an idea of what you like and what you dislike. Don’t worry about failing, it’s a part of life. Surely, you’ll learn about yourself along the way.

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