5 Tips for Choosing a Career

If you are fast approaching the end of your formal education or have a dead-end job that you hate, a career will be on your mind and this is one of the most important decisions you will ever make, as you will spend four decades in this field, if all goes well.

Here are a few tips to help you make an informed decision about a career path.

1. Follow your passion – If you have a passion for something, this should be the basis for a career; of course, there’s always the risk that your interest is not something your parents would approve of when looking at employment, but generally speaking, if you have an interest in something, consider how a career in that discipline might look.
2. Do some research – Any field that attracts your attention should be researched thoroughly, or at least until you get the answers you are looking for. Find out all you can about the work involved; the Internet hosts a wealth of information on just about everything and a few hours of Googling will definitely produce results.
3. Study hard – If you are enrolled in an international middle school in Bangkok, you will have access to career counsellors, who can point you in the right direction. You should strive to achieve a high GPA across the board, which will help you regardless of the career you choose. Getting into your chosen college or university is easier when you have a high GPA and if you need help, there’s always private one-on-one tuition.
4. Assess your strengths & weaknesses – This is something that will help you to evaluate your suitability for specific careers. Are you technically minded? Do you love helping others? Do you have leadership qualities? The answers to questions like these will help you in your search for the perfect career.
5. Be productive – Once you have found a field that seems to suit you, learn as much about it as you can and, if possible, get some hands-on experience. Compile information on your laptop and over time, you can build up a dossier that will enable you to prepare for entry level employment. If it is possible, take online courses when you have time, as this will create an impressive resume, while also increasing your experience.

Choosing a career is one of the most important crossroads in your life and getting it wrong can result in a few wasted years. Be passionate about your future and always aim high.