JOBS RESOURCES
8 HORRIBLE WAYS
To Pick a Career
By Wanda Marie Thibodeaux
Everyone has to decide what work to do at some
point, but unfortunately, most people pick careers
using not-so-great methods. These are some common but unsatisfactory ways to decide what you
should look into. If you can avoid them, you’ll be
more likely to end up with a career that not only pays
the bills, but also makes you feel great.
1. GO WITH WHAT YOUR
PARENTS HAVE HAD LINED UP
FOR YOU
When parents pick out a career for you, it’s usually because they feel that the career will set you up
well financially, bring you prestige or bring them
prestige. The trouble is, even when their premonitions are accurate, it doesn’t mean that you’ll enjoy
what they think you should do. Don’t get sucked into
something you hate just because you don’t want to
disappoint mom and dad, because in the end, mom
and dad aren’t going to have to deal with the lack of
fulfillment you feel. You are. Not only that, but a lot
of parents lean to more traditional jobs like lawyer or
doctor, failing to look at how the market has created
new, exciting positions that would be perfect for you.
2. FOLLOW YOUR FRIENDS
Even though the friends you hang out with might
have similar interests as you now, those interests can
change over time as you and your group get exposed
to more things. Skill sets also can change as they
learn, making them qualified for different, better
routes than they’d originally planned. Statistically, the
people you follow into a field likely won’t be there
5, 10 or 20 years down the road. You might find that
your social bonds weaken as a result. If this happens,
you might be left in a career you honestly don’t like
or aren’t particularly stellar at with few people who
can empathize or sympathize with you.
3. LISTEN TO WHAT EVERYONE
ELSE IS TELLING YOU YOU’D BE
AWESOME AT
Just because others have recognized a potential
skill-career match doesn’t mean that the career they
suggest is something that will inspire you or give
you enjoyment decades from now. Aptitude also
isn’t an indicator of how well you’ll do in areas like
networking or innovation, which are critical to success in business. Look at the big picture, interning or
shadowing when possible, instead of concentrating
on the one single point everyone else seems to notice
about you.
4. CHOOSE A JOB YOU THINK
IS STABLE
Many careers are seen as more stable than others,
such as accountant or lawyer. The reality, however, is
that all corporations and firms respond to technology and the overall market and economy, which are
always in flux. Businesses frequently let workers go to
remain financially afloat, loading increased responsibilities on those who are left. No matter where
you end up in this equation, you’ll be in a rough
situation. “Stable” jobs also don’t necessarily connect
to the passions and skills you truly have, frequently
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