Choose a Career that Resonates with your Lifestyle

If you think a career is only a well-paid job, think again! If you are a student who is currently studying in the 8th grade, the only thing on your mind could be to look for a job that pays well when you graduate. Sometimes you may even have a choice between two companies and generally, students go for the higher-paying jobs. But, eventually, as you go through the rut after two or three years of working, you will realize that it’s the same old story. Meetings, missed calls from boss, endless working hours, working extra hours to complete that presentation, working on weekends, deadline etc…. Yes, you will eventually end up there!

Unless… you plan your career well in advance! The advantage of planning your career is that you have a master plan for the future. Now, nobody can perfectly plan their future in advance but at least you can work in a direction to achieve the kind of lifestyle you want. Let’s break it down further and see how career planning in advance can help you achieve the kind of life you have always wished for. This planning will stop you from getting sucked into the pseudo glamorous routine of a 9 to 5 job that initially lured you with an attractive salary.

Follow these tips to help you find your ideal career

1. Start Early

Students should start planning their career when they are 12 years old. At least basic decisions like which stream you want to take after school should be made at this stage. Whether you are inclined towards arts, science or commerce or if you want to take up a different subject all together… it’s important to have a vision here. This gives you a direction that can clarify a lot of questions at such an early stage. It’s not necessary that a decision made at this age could be your final decision. But, you will at least have a backup plan if the first one doesn’t work out by the time you leave school. Sometimes students end up taking science stream and decide to pursue engineering (because of pressure) only to find that it’s not your passion anymore. This will leave you hanging in-between careers with no planning. You might eventually end up in a good college but not the career you had aimed for. If you had started planning early, you would have already weighed the pros and cons and would have had an option in hand.

2. Know Your Strengths And Weaknesses

Make a journal and write down your strengths and weaknesses by following a self-analysis method and also with the help of your parents and mentor/teacher. This practice will help you narrow down your career options and the kind of lifestyle you want to have. For example: if you have a knack for photography and travelling, you could pursue a career in travel photography. But if you are someone who likes to work with machines and like building things from scratch, you could do mechanical engineering. This planning will also help you find that ideal lifestyle that you’ve always wanted.

3. Find Out What You Want From Life

If you want to be a doctor, you have to understand the commitment and dedication one has to have. If you don’t mind studying 18 hours a day to achieve your dreams, then you should stick to your decision. But, if you are someone who wants to have a perfect work-life balance and want time to pursue your hobbies, then, look for a career that gives you that flexibility. And if you are someone that is attracted to science and technology, then you should have innovative skills and be ready to dedicate hours developing it. Another demanding subject is yoga and health that is slowly gaining popularity in India. If you think you are a good yogi with a liking for health and nutrition, you could even do a course in this stream.

4. Speak To A Career Counsellor

A career counsellor is an expert who analyzes your personality and helps you give a direction in terms of your career. Without judging your goals and aspirations, the role of a counsellor is to guide you throughout your career process. They are aware of the pros and cons of choosing a specific career and whether it matches with the lifestyle that you aim for. After their series of psychometric tests, if they figure out that you are good with writing, they will guide you in making the right career choices and so on. The end decision will be yours but they will make sure that you don’t end up doing something entirely different. It's high time you take responsibility for your career and not just go with the flow. If you want a luxurious lifestyle, you have to work hard for it! Also, make sure that you are not under any pressure while making career plans. It's ok to make mistakes and not know anything while making such decisions but it's also ok to get help from a counsellor!