5 ways to make smart career choices

The BIG Question that everyone faces after school! 'What next?'
There are many who already have a roadmap laid for themselves. On the other hand, there are many who are among the 'Aage dekhege' ones, who just chose a stream in 11th because many chose it and has let life unfurl in its own way.

If you too are standing in dilemma on this crossroad to choose a life path, relax. You're not the only one. Stress becomes a companion while taking this decision, but as said,

The greatest weapon against stress is our ability to choose one thought over another.

While there are a lot of things you need to discuss with people and analyze on your own to take this decision, these tips can help you ease your decision-making a little.

1. Explore: If you test drive different cars before buying one, it is understood that you explore different career roles before selecting one for yourself. This generally doesn't happen. Thanks to the system that forces children to select from mere 2-3 options after class 10th. Parents as well as children are hesitant to try a not-so-common domain.

If you wish to stand apart from the crowd by doing something you would love to, you'll have to first explore what the world has to offer you. Start trying your hands to find out what interests you and research about sectors that are likely to experience a boom in the future. Onclass and the ongoing discovery programs can surely help you in exploring different possibilities and getting real-life experiences.

2. Self-assessment: Sometimes, knowing yourself works wonders for taking decisions. In case of choosing a career, examining yourself can be the most helpful indicator. Seek answers from yourselves: What do you enjoy doing, how much autonomy do you want in your career, what are your priorities, etc. While asking such questions might appear vague, writing their answers down and following the Ikigai style can actually help you take better decisions.

3. Reflect on your strengths: We're so busy working on what we're not naturally good at that we tend to forget focusing on our strengths. While your career may not necessarily revolve around your strengths, reminding yourself that you're good at, let's say communication, will make you more confident of your decision to do an MBA and aspire to become an HR Manager in the future, for example.

4. Dream the Future you: What would a perfect life look like? The answer to this is surely different for everyone, some would like a corporate life, others as a business-person, while others might find satisfaction in serving their nation, standing on the border. This might appear too far-sighted, but asking yourself whether you'll be happy and satisfied after being in a particular career for 15-20 years can help you narrow down options.

5. Connect with people: The internal realities of a career are only known to those who are in that profession. Discussing with them the pros and cons of being in a particular role, seeking advice on how to go about it and asking about the whole experience of doing what they are doing can help you cement your choice. For example, conducting an interview 'Life as an IFS officer' with a real IFS officer can push you towards your decision to become a diplomat or help you take a well-informed decision which is in harmony with your interests and goals, if it is yet to be taken.

The world is growing at such a fast pace that whatever you're studying is very likely to go irrelevant in the coming decades. While it's really important to carefully think before making a choice regarding your career, don't feel as if it's a one-time decision. The world is going crazy with advancements, you will end up doing something or the other even if you don't excel at what you are planning. Just focus on constantly learning, upskilling and trying to be the best in whatever you do. Be around people who challenges and uplifts you.

Birds fall down and get up. Nobody learns without getting it wrong. Try everything. Take chances. You have nothing to lose. Be dynamic.

Authored by
Deepti Jain