Business | Choosing a career path

By Anna Malczyk

Many school leavers and graduates lament that they don’t know what they want to do with their lives or what careers they should follow – what they don’t realise is that many working professionals with years of experience often feel the same way!

Choosing a career is a daunting and weighty decision because many people feel that they will be stuck on that path for the foreseeable future. However, in the modern world of work, quite the opposite is true: people change jobs, fields and even industries regularly as they explore their own aptitudes and passions. It’s not unusual to graduate with a science degree only to become an online marketer, and then to switch careers to work as a chef, photographer or business consultant.
Careers are no longer linear. So how should you go about planning one?

Choosing a career path
A career is a path, not a destination, so treat it as a constantly evolving and forward-looking process. Careers can branch off in unforeseen ways or take unsuspected turns or leaps – you need to be able to go with the flow and be open to unusual or non-traditional opportunities.

To choose your initial career path, start off very broadly, taking your skills, qualifications and experience into account. Then start narrowing down the category until you can list several job titles that appeal to you. For example, say you want to work in finance. You can narrow it down by focusing on corporate financial matters, and then even further to auditing. Be sure to research your field extensively – you may be surprised at what sorts of jobs are available.

Then think of where you’d like to be at the pinnacle of your career – in this example, let’s say it’s Chief Financial Officer of a large corporation. See if you can build a path of job titles from one to the other, taking into account what sort of experience is required at each step, and that there may often be several tracks that lead to the same goal.

This will be your proposed career path. It’s very useful to plan like this, since you will get a good sense of how much time and experience is required to move ahead. But don’t treat your plan as set in stone – always be flexible and ready to reshuffle.

Moving along the path
If you are happy, motivated and stimulated in your chosen career path, your goal is to move along it in the most efficient and enjoyable way possible. Always plan and think ahead to your next move, and keep a close eye out for opportunities of all kinds – a position higher up in the company, a friend starting a business in the industry, or a lucrative job opening in another organisation.

Also be sure to proactively create your own opportunities. In your current company, approach your manager and discuss your getting a more senior position, or step forward to take on more responsibilities when the offer is presented. Don’t shy away from new possibilities. If you want to move elsewhere, contact a company you’d love to work for and convince them to meet and chat with you. Start an industry-related blog or website and showcase your expertise online. Attend conferences and submit proposals to speak at them. Do whatever it takes to get your name out there.

Jumping onto a new path
If you are unhappy with your chosen career, that’s okay! Most people don’t know what they want to do and start off on one path, only to discover they’d rather be following another. You need to explore, test your boundaries, surprise yourself and constantly develop your skills. When thinking of potential careers, don’t rely only on what your studies or formal qualifications prepare you for – a large percentage of graduates never even work in the fields they studied. And don’t neglect hobbies – you never know when your weekend gardening could turn into a landscaping career, and your weekly dinner parties may just be preparing you for a career in catering and events.

If you are unhappy with your current career, you must first define honestly for yourself what went wrong or what you don’t like about it. Are you simply in the wrong job? Did your blossoming career take an undesired detour? Or are you simply not cut out for the industry or type of work?

In some cases, a change of job or a different focus can set you straight; in other cases, you may need to restart a new career entirely. Don’t be afraid to do a 180 – if you built up one career, you can certainly build another. Salvage whatever experience you can, and start from scratch. Remember that passions are rewarded – if you are happier in a new career, you will work harder, earn promotions more quickly, and enjoy work more.

This article is published under the Creative Commons Attribution license. 

Back to SmartyPants Newsletter - January 2012 Edition

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