Some people are lucky enough to know exactly what job they want to do in life. From age 10, they’re passionate about something and want to pursue that career. Maybe it happens a bit later in life for others, but they still have a clear career path and know the jobs that interest them.
Perhaps they’re eager to get into the world of software development? Maybe they wish to pursue a career in journalism? For some, the healthcare field sounds like the ideal approach.
But, what happens when you don’t know what interests you? You’ve no idea what type of career you’d like, and nothing appeals to you at all. If this sounds like something you’re currently trying to deal with, then here’s some advice to help you find a promising career:
Look at what you enjoy doing
You may be unable to see a potential career path that interests you, but surely you have other interests. Ask yourself, what do you enjoy doing in your spare time?
It could literally be anything. Any interest or hobby that makes you smile can be turned into a career – if you know how. When you know what makes you happy, you can start conducting a bit of online research. Type your interests into Google and see what career suggestions come up – you will be pleasantly surprised at how many options present themselves!
Take a career assessment quiz
Speaking of online research, there are loads of great assessments or quizzes out there geared toward helping you find the right job. Something like the Strong Interest Inventory online free test is ideal here, helping you match your interests and skills with possible career options.
These tests have been developed by career experts and will give you a strong idea of the many jobs you might be good at. It certainly beats winging it and trying to find careers all by yourself. The best idea is to take as many of these quizzes as possible, so you can see how the results match up. If every quiz indicates that a specific career path is your best option, then you know this is a pretty good path to go down.
Try a bunch of different things
Sometimes, the best way to find a job when you don’t know what interests you is to try loads of different things. This doesn’t mean you enter full-time employment and then quit your job after a few months to move on to something new.
No. The idea is that you volunteer, do freelance work, or look for temporary positions. This lets you try loads of different jobs or careers, giving you first-hand experience of what they’re like. If you spend a few months or a year doing this, you’ll soon figure out what excites you the most. Perhaps more importantly, you also see what doesn’t excite you, so you can avoid making a terrible career choice.
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