Career and Job part 2
A first year student write to me: “I have read your blogs about career planning but I still do not know what I want to do or what field to study that I should select? Please help.”
Answer: As a young people, knowing what you really want to do with your life takes time. It is a discovering process as you are still maturing. However as you are going to college, you must set a direction for your study. You should not waste time by switch from one field to another until you find what you like. Just like a person goes on a long journey, you need roadmap and guidances before starting your trip.
The first thing you need is to understand the difference between a career and a job. A job is just something that you do to get paid, while a career is something that you enjoy doing for a long time which allows you to support yourself and your family. A job often does not require an extensive education but a career always requires more education, and today it means a college education. For a career, you must use your knowledge and skills to work in area of your interests. Given this simple definition, you should know which is important to you.
The second thing that you need is to set a goal for your career. It would be difficult to find a career direction if you do not know your goals. If you travel, you must know where do you want to go or the destination. The same thing applies when building a career, you need to have goals. The goals have to be something practical and achievable; else they are just a dream or an illusion. For example, if your goals are to be a professional software developer, have good job, be able to support a family, and contribute to your society then you already start the first step.
Although you wrote that you do not know what to do but you probably know what you like. You may start by think of three things that you really like when you were young, before you reach the age of 16? They might be reading novels, playing videogames, or traveling to a new place etc. Then think of three things that happened between the age of 16 and now. They could be things like passing college entrance examination, meeting people, or involving in a charity activity. From these six things, ask yourself: “What do these things have in common? What are the similarities? What are things that you like the most? What made them so special among all of the other events from your life? Based on your own interests, you can determine what field you like to work in. As student, you need to explore the wide range of fields to choose which one would fit best. Of course, in life, you make the necessary adjustments as things change and your preference changes.
Remember that a career does not end once you get a job but it is a life-long effort. Getting a job is only the beginning, you must take control of your career by continued to improve your knowledge and skills. You may need to seek advice from managers, friends, and colleagues etc. But only you can decide what careers and choices are best for you.
Sources
- Blogs of Prof. John Vu, Carnegie Mellon University
