You’ve probably heard the question a million times. What do you want to be when you grow up? But for such a common question, it can be surprisingly hard to answer! Don’t worry—here are some tips to help you figure out what career is the right fit for you:
- Make a list of your strengths. What are you good at? Writing? Helping people? Making intricate sandcastles? Identifying your strengths can help you figure out what types of jobs you’re well suited for (and therefore would most likely enjoy doing). For example, if you’re great with computers, a job as a computer programmer might be a good fit for you.
- Imagine the type of lifestyle you want. As an adult, your lifestyle can really depend on what job you have. A zoologist traveling the world to study endangered animals will have a much different lifestyle than a magazine writer working in an office! Do you want a consistent schedule or for your hours to be more flexible? Is it important to you to make a high salary, or do you care more about the type of work you’re doing? Thinking about these things now will make it easier to choose a career that aligns with the lifestyle you want.
- Research different jobs you’re interested in. A job might sound good on the surface, but you won’t really know until you do more research to find out what it’s really like! What are the job requirements? Will you need a college degree? What are the day-to-day job duties? Looking into different careers can help you weed out the ones that don’t actually sound as good as you initially thought.
- Try new things. Get out of your comfort zone and join a club, pick up a new hobby, or hang out with different people. You never know what new interests you might develop! The more areas of interest you explore, the more likely you are to find something you really connect with. And that thing could potentially lead you down a career path you never expected.
The tips above can help you start figuring out what you want to be when you grow up, but don’t put too much pressure on yourself to find the “perfect” fit. It’s okay to not know what you want to do when you’re older—a lot of young people don’t! Many people figure it out as they go, and people often change their mind (sometimes several times). As long as you continue to learn, grow, and explore new things, you’ll find something that’s right for you eventually.
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