How many of you have heard something like this before:
“You’re so good with children, you should be a teacher!”
“I can really see you going into sales, you are just so outgoing!”
The truth? Just because you love children, doesn’t mean you want to pursue a career as a teacher, and there’s more to sales than having an outgoing personality. As we graduate and face so much uncertainty and opportunity we are told to take advice from as many people as possible. We are like two year olds again.. sponges absorbing information from people eager to impart their wisdom and life experiences on us (guilty) However, when is it okay to throw the bottle.. get up and walk on our own??
Advice is great to an extent- it is always helpful to hear from friends, family members and others who have been where we have and know what it’s like to struggle with finances, jobs and housing. However, when it comes to your career- only YOU know what is best for you. If friends and family see you in a career that is making you outwardly stressed, sick and a mess then it is okay for them to step in and suggest a career change. In the end, you are the one that will be on the computer all day, in front of the classroom, speaking to clients, traveling to meetings, or writing your column. So when it comes down to deciding what you want to do, sit down by yourself and instead of thinking what others want you to do or what looks good on paper, think what you would absolutely LOVE to do at work everyday.
As Dr Seuss put it… “YOU have brains in your head. YOU have feet in your shoes. YOU can steer yourself in any direction YOU choose!”
Tags: advice, career, Job, job search, recent grad
I agree completely – a career must consist of doing something you love that you can also handle doing nearly every day. Some people may think they should pursue a certain career because they are so passionate about it, but then realize that they get burned out and it’s no longer fun to them once it’s their career. In that case, a hobby should remain a hobby. But sometimes people do just fine when making a beloved hobby into a career. It oftentimes may take trial and error, but in the end it has to be a mix of both enjoying what you do and being able to enjoy it when it becomes such a large part of your life. Some hobbies are too much to handle or just not the same when made into a job.
And yes, nobody knows what you want as much as you do, so listening to what others have to say will only get you so far, and possibly in the wrong direction. It’s your life, so nobody else should be “steering” the way but YOU!!