Career advice you haven’t heard before

Career advice you haven’t heard before.

The top 4 steps to choosing the perfect career.

By Tahir Sema.

Today more then ever before, it has become increasingly difficult to make a career decision. It has become problematic to make a sound career choice, due to various factors that are rarely taken into account. The factors that have complicated matters are as follows; there exists an infinite amount of career choices to choose from, including fields of specialization which one ought to consider, careers are changing rapidly, (to such an extent that in a few years time those same careers may not be as valuable as you once pictured it to be) and finally the levels of expectations on the youth of today are much greater.

The more unusual jobs or career parts are often not considered in favor of the main stream careers. Today in the United States, 1 million job losses later, a perplexing trend has emerged, those individuals who chose off-beat careers and jobs have been saved from the grip of the US economic meltdown. Their counter parts, working in the main stream were mercilessly retrenched by the tens of thousands. A similar trend is being witnessed in South Africa at present.

False stereotypes within the Muslim community should be eradicated almost entirely, or else the difficulties with making a career decision could be exponentially aggravated, this aggravated state has been witnessed repeatedly, with disastrous effects. The statistics speak for themselves.

Muslim families in South Africa and the world over, believe that careers in the medical, sciences and or engineering fields are the only rewarding career paths to pursue. This kind of thinking has had a grave impact on Muslim youth, often forcing them to choose careers they are unhappy with, eventually leading to an unfulfilled life.

Research developed in the United Kingdom, has revealed that 60% of all individuals are not satisfied with their career decisions, and if they could go back in time, they would have undoubtedly selected a different career path.

The top 4 steps to choosing the perfect career;

Step 1: Have or develop a passion.

Discover yourself, explore and learn more about yourself in order to find out what’s your passion. Being passionate about something is the most important step in choosing the perfect career for you. It is passion that has driven ordinary people to become the most successful of people. “Very few of the great leaders ever get through their careers without failing, sometimes dramatically.” It was passion that kept them motivated through the good and the bad.

Step 2: Don’t forget step number 1, under any circumstances.

Even if it may mean taking a gap year in your studies to scrutinize and learn all there is to learn about yourself, it should be done. You should be aware of what’s your interests, what you enjoy doing, your strengths and weaknesses. Figure out what innate skills and interests you posses and what abilities you have that make you different from your friends.

Step 3: Research and network with people

Don’t be afraid of step 3, with the internet at our finger tips, there awaits a wealth of information, websites claiming to offer free career tests that are 99% accurate! Every possible career has already been thoroughly researched for you, which can easily be accessed on the internet. Read about one career everyday with an open mind, and see which career path most appeals to you, your passions and abilities. Network with people already in the various career paths, they will be more then willing to assist you, and maybe even take you to work with them, so you may test drive the career. Experience first hand what’s it like to be in that specific field.

Step 4: Do not let money be the deciding factor

In the final step to choosing the perfect career for you, one should not let money be the deciding factor when choosing a career path. Your success in choosing a career path that would best reflect your abilities, passions and interests is dependant on the above three steps. Monetary gain would follow unquestionably, should you choose to study that which you are passionate about. Money has the ability to take a person away from the things he loves and is fascinated by. Root out all concerns for money, especially when exploring and learning about the various career options available.

“The darkest day in a man's career is that wherein he fancies there is some easier way of getting a dollar than by squarely earning it” Horace Greeley a renowned American newspaper Editor.

By following the above steps to choosing a career path, and keeping in mind the factors that are rarely taken into account, it would enable you in due course to find a career and job which you would love doing. Warren Buffet, who is the world’s richest investor, says he is grateful that he gets to earn a living from doing that which he loves doing. The harder you work at the above 4 steps to choosing the perfect career for you, the more successful you would become in your present and future endeavors. In the words of the famous South African golfer, Gary Player “The harder you work, the luckier you get.”