The way to yourself: how to choose a profession

At some point, we all face the need to choose a profession. And we make this choice, consciously or unconsciously. Today I would like to focus on internal factors – how does who we are determine our choices?

Some clients come to a consultation with the problem “I don’t know what I like.” And I usually don’t believe them. After an hour of communication, it turns out that the person knows exactly what they like to do. It’s just that they either don’t realize it, or don’t take this activity seriously, or are influenced by other factors. That’s why I first suggest that the client focus on themselves. This includes:

1. 1. Interests.

This is what drives us. This is what keeps us engaged in our work. It is what interests us. Interests are our fuel, which often helps us to learn and spend our energy on something new. Interest is our energy. Sometimes clients ask me interesting questions like: “I am interested in business. But my parents sent me there, and I followed their example. Could it be that this is a false interest?” I don’t believe it’s a false interest. It is real. It’s just that our interests are determined by many factors. We are born into a family. We grow up. We have a temperament, senses, our innate characteristics. This influences us and shapes our vector of interests.

Try to listen to yourself and feel: where do you get more pleasure? What activities are you most drawn to?

2. Personal qualities.

These are typical patterns of behavior that are formed in us from early childhood. Some of them are more effective and therefore remain in our character.

Every job requires certain personal qualities, and personal qualities can only be realized in certain areas. For example, if you are an introvert but want to be a sales manager, you may have difficulty in most work situations. Especially where you need to actively communicate with a large number of people.

To choose a profession, try to understand what kind of person you are. What makes you different from others?

3. Abilities.

This is something that comes easily to us. We are used to thinking (and we are taught this at school too) that if you are good at math, it means that you should like it too.

Our interests and abilities may not coincide in part or in full. In such a situation, you can either follow your interests (and develop your abilities in parallel) or your abilities (and try to get interested in a professional field).

4. 4. Values.

The highest level of our needs, full of existential meanings. For some people, it is important to earn as much money as possible and become successful, for others it is important to leave behind something meaningful (paintings, scientific work, or a piece of music), and for others it is important to help other people.

To explore values, I often ask: “What would you like to leave behind? What meaning do you put into this work?”

5. Lifestyle.

This is how you want to live. It’s not often talked about, but lifestyle has a significant impact on happiness.

Think about it: do you want to have a free schedule or a fixed one? Do you want to pay more attention to your family or work now?

I hope this article will help you make some progress in your career choice.