Are you still asking yourself what you want to be when you grow up?
You’re not alone. Sometimes it takes years to figure out. Yet college students are expected to automatically know what career path they plan to take as they enter college. However, 75 percent of freshman haven’t decided on a major, and more than half of college students will change their major at least once, according to The Balance Careers.
Maybe it’s a good thing to change majors if it leads you closer to finding your dream job. Why pay thousands of dollars on an education you don’t know you’ll even use in the job world?
Once you do pick a career path, you may find down the road that it isn’t right for you. You may discover it’s uninspiring or boring. You may feel like you missed your calling and are in debt from college loans.
Don’t despair. It may take trial and error to get there, but with forethought, hard work and a suitable major, you’ll find your true calling.
Play to Your Strengths
Having passion is a good place to start. So is applying your greatest strengths to your endeavor. If you have a dream of becoming a famous author, you probably have a knack for writing and will be taking tons of writing classes in college. You might even get a journalism, English or creative writing degree. After college, you’ll take a job that’s best suited to your skill set, even if it’s not your ultimate goal.
You need to make money, so maybe you could be a newspaper reporter, a freelance writer or technical writer for a few years while you write your novel. Maybe you take a job that has nothing to do with writing, but you find it’s great fodder for your book!
You’ll have to figure out if it’s realistic to write a book in a competitive world. But keep your dream alive; don’t get discouraged and keep reading and writing!
Get a Business Degree
If your dream is to own your own business and be your own boss, you may find that having an MBA in business is the way to go, even if it’s time consuming. But even if you don’t want to be a business owner, a business degree is extremely versatile in that you can do almost anything with it.
“You could be looking to further develop your career and need a broader background in management,” according to Arizona State University. “You might be interested in starting your own business and want a deeper understanding of business as a whole. Maybe you have a passion for strategic thinking and analytics and want to apply them more extensively within an organization. Even considering a career change can be reason enough to add an MBA to your resume.”
Sometimes you have to go the extra mile by getting a master’s degree to pursue what you want in the future. You can only get so far with desire and drive alone.
Mimic Your Role Models
You know what you want to do and you’ve identified your strengths. Who are the people you admire in life and how can you emulate their greatest qualities? Your heroes don’t have to necessarily be people in your field.
Look at what they’ve gone through to get where they are today. If they’ve taken risks and experienced setbacks, you can probably relate, and it gives you peace of mind that not all achievements happen overnight or in a straight line.
“Hearing about the trials and tribulations other people have faced on their road to success can be a great source of inspiration for new entrepreneurs,” according to Startup Savant.
Maybe you won’t be so hard on yourself if you discover you aren’t where you want to be … yet.
Volunteer Your Time
Many students don’t have a clear path defined while they are in college but may find that volunteering can help them narrow their focus. What’s your favorite subject in school and how can you apply it to a volunteer opportunity?
Maybe you take baby steps at first. If you figure out what excites you, imagine the ways you can get to your goal. If you want to become someone who helps other people and make a difference in the world, there are a variety of settings where you can support others simply by volunteering.
Some of those include volunteering for Big Brothers & Sisters, American Red Cross or the Peace Corps. The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of the largest federal volunteer programs in the country and is a good gateway into getting into a career in military social work. Many military personnel may need your help today.
It’s perfectly fine not knowing where you’re headed in life. What is important is creating a life that is satisfying along the way. Dream jobs don’t usually fall in someone’s lap. The meandering path might not be easy, but let the journey take you to where you truly belong. And who says you really ever have to grow up?
Need A Massage? Learn How To Give One To Yourself And Your Loved Ones
Receiving a massage, whether it’s given by someone else or self-administered, can help loosen your muscles and establish a better connection not only with your body but also with the people you love.
