What career path to follow

by Mike

My name is Mike and I will be 25 on the 14th of March and I am still looking for my dream job. Right now all I have to work with are what I like to call my strengths and find work in a field working around them which are....

-Drawing, the arts

-Memorization skills

-Durable and Strong

-Great working with people

-Very organized and clean


These are what I am best at in life but can't seem to find a job where all are involved. Please help me or request some websites to aid me in my venture. I look forward to hearing from you.

Response from Carl: Thanks Mike. Figuring out what to do with your career is a big issue...the good news is unlike the "old days" where people often stayed in one career - and maybe even with the company - for many years, these days people change jobs and careers more frequently. I know I have!

You've already thought about what you like and what you're good at. Why not also make a list of the things you don't like and try to narrow down the list to start with?

Talk with people who know you well. Ask for their advice and ask them what sorts of roles they think you'd be good at. Pick their brain. You don't have to actually take their advice, just listen to it. Sometimes getting a second set of eyes - and someone who looks at you from a different perspective to yours - might be what yo need.

If you think of some jobs and/or industries that interest you, find some people who do these jobs and call them up, ask for a few minutes of their time and get them to tell you about an "average" day for them, ask them what they do everyday, and ask them about their likes and dislikes.

You're still a young guy too so don't feel pressured to "figure it out" because there might not be anything to figure out. Your dream job might be one that you find down the line once you've had a chance to figure things out.

If you're still for more resources to find yourself, perhaps a personality test to help you learn more about yourself and your strengths might be another thing to consider. I remember doing the Myers-Briggs Test early in my career and finding it helpful. That's just one example.

Offhand I can't think of any specific resources that could help you but if you check out this page, there are a few suggestions that might offer a bit of help, too.

Carl