Deciding to pursue a profession is an important choice. As much as it is often not a definitive choice, knowing how to choose the right profession from an early age helps save time and effort along the way.
Whether you are a professional at the beginning of your career, who is still in doubt if you made the right decision, or someone who has just graduated from high school, know that this indecision is natural and should not be a cause for concern.
But with a few tips, the process gets easier. Shall we check?
5 tips for choosing the right profession
1 – Find out what the market prospects are
There are areas of activity that are much more promising than others, either because they receive more investments from the market, or because the demand for competent professionals in the sector is high.
You can take this issue into account when choosing which career to pursue, as areas such as technology and finance yield more promising positions than others.
If your professional objective is to achieve financial stability in the short or medium term, this should be your first item of attention when choosing your profession.
Areas with promising growth prospects tend to offer excellent remuneration, while more stagnant segments of the market hardly allow for a rapid career evolution.
2 – Talk to professionals in your area of interest
The best way to find out what it's like to work in a market sector is to talk to professionals who already work in your sector of interest.
Experience can bring relevant information about the field of action.
If you don't have personal contact with a professional in your area of interest, look for them on LinkedIn .
Look for employees of companies you are interested in working for, ask to join the contact network and send a private message saying that you are interested in working in the same sector as him and would like to know a little more about what it is like to work in that sector.
Experienced professionals always enjoy serving as “mentors” to younger colleagues, or those who show an interest in following a path similar to his.
3 – Know the menu of the course you want to attend
Even if they present contents of the same subject or segment, courses offer different menus and professional objectives depending on the line of reasoning on which the institution is based.
There are courses that focus more on theory, others are specialized in offering practical knowledge to their students, and choosing the ideal course will depend on what you want for yourself.
That is: there are courses that are more recommended for those who work better studying the area in theory, following the main advances in the segment through reading studies, news and books.
Others prefer to learn in practice, working "hands on", developing activities, jobs and projects and improving their skills by performing functions that they would occupy in the job market.
It's up to you to find out which education is right for you and which institution is worth investing your time and money on.
This way, you will be aware more quickly and effectively if that course is exactly what you want for your career.
4 – Understand how much you will need to balance your personal and professional life
Some professions directly interfere with your professional life. Shifts at alternative times, weekend shifts and the need to always be aware of your professional e-mail are just a few characteristics of certain functions that affect the way you govern your personal life as well.
For this reason, you need to consider whether the chosen profession will oblige you to have these commitments and, if so, whether you are willing to give up these “comforts” of your private life for the sake of your career.
Maintaining a balance between your personal and professional lives is key to maintaining stable mental health and having a healthy relationship with your career, as well as with your family and friends.
5 – Practice self-knowledge
A professional who knows himself and knows what his goals are and the achievements he is willing to seek will be much more successful in the search for the ideal profession.
So practice self-knowledge and understand what your goals are. As long as you know where you want to go, you will be aware of which path you need to take to reach the desired level.
