Factors for a Successful Career Choice
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When exploring career options, it's important to take several factors into consideration, including your skills, interests, work values, personality, and lifestyle.



Skills - You're no doubt good at a lot of things, but what are you both good at AND enjoy doing? These are referred to as your motivated skills.



Interests - Are you interested in animals, helping people, the outdoors, or leading? Or maybe you're creative and enjoy making everything look beautiful or you love to paint or draw?



Work values - What's important to you in a work setting? Is it independence, money, a short commute, flexibility in schedule, or variety?



Personality - Do you need to be around people most of the time to feel energized? Or maybe you need a lot of down time in order to feel energized? Do you like to start and finish things? Or maybe you just like the starting part? Do you make decisions based on the feelings of others or are you more analytical?



Lifestyle - What kind of lifestyle do you want? Do you want a big home in an expensive part of the city? Or would you prefer a small home or townhome? Do you want to buy a new, expensive car every year or are you satisfied with an economical car that you drive for 5 to 10 years? Do you want to travel?



Once you've identified some careers that you want to explore further, conduct some informational interviews with folks working in those careers. Oftentimes we think we have a good idea of what a particular career is like, but talking with folks that are actually doing it, will help to paint a clear picture.