How you, as a teenager, can choose a career

If you are in your mid-teens, you would currently be facing the daunting task of choosing a career. The task is indeed difficult considering that is going to impact the next 30-40 years of your life. In this blog, I will give some suggestions on how you can arrive at a sound decision.

Dream Big

While choosing a career and hence your future, the best thing you can do is to dream and dream big. Recently I wrote a blog on ‘Why Must We Dream’, you can read it here.

In one line, dreaming big would mean making a choice that will have the most profound and positive impact on your society. Base your decision on ‘impact caused’ rather than on ‘money earned’ or ‘fame gained’.

Think about leaving behind a legacy rather than assets.  

Do not follow your passion.

The most common advice given to teenagers is to follow their passion. This is the most stupid advice that can be given to someone who is just discovering life and everything within. Knowing what you are passionate about and whether it will last for a lifetime is unrealistic. No one can do it, even in their 40s or 50s.  Many researchers like Carl Newport have busted this advice here.

Choose a career and then get passionate and serious about the work that you do.

Choose a field that would be in the future.

Selecting a career that’s not only in demand today but will also remain sought after in the future is crucial for your long-term success. Do online searches and ask for insights from professionals. Take some time on this step and don’t be in a hurry.

At this point, your goal is not to identify a job title or job description but rather to identify an area e.g. I would like to do something in Artificial Intelligence and its applications OR I would like to do something Mining Engineering.

Consider the Opportunities in your immediate surroundings.

One effective way to discover promising career paths is by closely examining your surroundings. Consider finding out the specific challenges or opportunities that exist nearby. For instance, if there’s a shortage of medical professionals within a 100-kilometer radius of your location, pursuing a career in medicine could be a valuable option.

If your region is rich in mineral resources, exploring the field of mining engineering may be a good strategic choice. Or, if your family operates a restaurant, envision yourself as a chef, crafting innovative recipes to enhance the culinary experience.

Furthermore, if your family runs a business, explore how you can contribute to its growth and take it to new heights. Perhaps you have access to fertile land, making Agricultural Sciences a fitting pursuit.

In essence, by harnessing the opportunities within your immediate surroundings, you can accelerate your progress with minimal barriers to overcome.

Understand your limitations.

An essential part of deciding your career is to understand your limitations. You must have a clear understanding of your constraints in terms of time, energy, and finances. Some education and career paths will place a high demand on your time and energy. Some will require less time but more expertise.

Some education paths will be very expensive, in which case you would need to look towards scholarship and financial assistance programs. Some would require you to study 14 hours a day, just to pass, while some would not place such a high demand on time spent, but would require a higher degree of understanding of complex topics. Are you up for it? Can you handle them? Now would be a good time to understand, rather than finding out halfway through your degree program or career.

Prepare yourself for multiple responsibilities.

In the future, you will be required to balance multiple responsibilities, so you might not have as much time as you have today. You would become a father, mother, husband, wife, son, employee, manager, etc. To lead a complete and fulfilling life you would need to cater to your spiritual, familial, career, and personal needs. Sacrificing any one of these facets can lead to feelings of unhappiness, discontent, and unfulfillment.  Understand the future roles coming towards you and whether you would be able to balance them with the career you chose.

Understand the corporate culture.

Corporations are not charities, who will hire and pay you without any expectations. Corporations have cut-throat competition with other corporations. And they ensure that the employees they hire will help them beat the competition. So within an organization things are both competitive and political. The only way that you can be successful in such environments is when you have the ability to continuously provide value. That you are so good that they cannot operate without you. In order to be that good at that time, you have to start from now.

Take advice from your parents.

In your bid to carve out a successful future for yourself, you cannot ignore the advice of your parents. They are the only people in the world who know the most about you and have your best interest in their hearts. They also know, while you don’t, some of the challenges you will be facing in the future.

In conclusion, dream big, research, seek advice, decide, and prepare to work hard.