The concept of starting a new career can be intimidating.  It is only natural to encounter feelings of uncertainty as you consider your options, given the importance of the decision and the potential consequences that may result.  However, deferring a decision or following the path of least resistance may result in an even more undesirable result – a deep dissatisfaction with life.

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​As noted by The University of Waterloo’s Centre for Career Action, delays or errors in the career decision making process can lead to numerous negative outcomes:

• A career that doesn't fit with your values, interests, personal attributes and skills;

• Completing a degree that you have no interest in;

• Feeling your work lacks meaning or challenge;

• Suffering from boredom or burnout;

• Feeling caught between life and work values.

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The best way to mitigate these concerns is to develop and execute a well thought out career plan.  There is a tendency to begin searching for a career by exploring areas of interest or familiarity.  Unfortunately, such an approach is often short-sighted.  Interest or familiarity do not necessarily equate to capability.  Furthermore, interest typically examines those tasks we like to do, which are often not the things we need to do in order to be successful.

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A good career plan begins with self-examination. Evaluate your own objectives, behaviours and skills first and then using research, explore options of interest that correlate. 

 

The person that understands themselves will have a far better chance of succeeding in the long-run because they will be positioned to look for roles that play to their strengths and enable them to mitigate their weaknesses as well as bring out the value they can offer to an organization.  Furthermore, selecting a career that matches your personal profile will enable you to be yourself while at work thereby increasing the likelihood of achieving full job satisfaction.

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