What makes the difference
between a career and a job?
A job is work you do to pay the bills but has low personal meaning or value to you. A career follows you through multiple jobs.
Sounds great but how do you find a career?
Sometimes finding your career path is learning what you don't want to do, as much as, figuring out what you do want to do. When you have both sides of this information it can help guide you choices.
Here are some ideas to get you started on thinking about what kind of ideal career you want:
- If you could attend any class or seminar to learn a new skill, what would it be?
- If you went back to school, what type of education would you get and how would you use it?
- Is there anyone you have met or known that has a job that interests you?
- If you could do any job for a day, what would it be and why would you choose those responsibilities?
- What do you think your talents or strengths are? How would your family, friends, and co-workers answer this question about you?
- With this career, what do you want to be known for to your local community or in the world for what you accomplished?
Journal and write down your career test answers. Keep thinking about those questions and see if your answers change over time or keep the same. If you are unsure about your responses to the questions, take time to look around and see if anything or anyone comes to attention. If you meet someone or know someone who has a job or career that interests you, ask if you can have an informational interview with them to learn more.
This website will discuss tips and ideas like this on how to go about finding a career that is meaningful to you.