My personal experience was a 30 minute discussion, with a teacher, not really taking into consideration the things I liked doing that would make me have an enjoyable career. I was 14 years of age. What was your experience like? However, at the same time as we get older and worldly wise, we face and experience different challenges that make us the person we are now. So the career we are in may not fit the person we are, too much conflict.
It is not uncommon that parents often try to influence their children by addressing or rectifying career failings of their own by planning the careers of their children. This may work if the children share their parents dreams, but that isn’t always the case. A client of mine Derek told me that he didn't really want to be a lawyer, he was maintaining a family tradition, it was not a career choice he made wholeheartedly. Another common occurrence is that when parents, want the best for their children, they often advise them to undertake a career choice that will provide financial stability, with constant demands for services. It can be hard for some to go against their parents wishes, but you need to make the choice that is right for you. Did you feel pushed into a career by your family?
When you step back and think for a moment, how can a 14 year old, or even an 18 year old, know what career choice to make for the next 40 or so years? In fact, how can anyone know they want to follow a particular career, if they’ve never tried it? You can't be sure, so if you are contemplating a career change it is important that you try to understand all you can about your proposed career choice.
This will vary according to the career path, you are considering, however there are some fundamentals essentially for all new career paths.
There are several things you can do: first of all, read everything you can find about the line of work, including careers leaflets, books and relevant websites. If after this you are still interested, two of the most important steps you can take are: getting as close to the job as possible and talking to people already doing it.
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If time permits, in some cases volunteering, could be a good way to understand what the new job would consists of. It would not need to be a full time commitment either.
It will never be guaranteed that a career choice will be the one for you forever, as mentioned to you earlier, you mustn't forget that your interests will change over time. So be prepared to change careers at some stage of your professional life. However, if you do your research thoroughly, you will have a much greater chance of finding a job that will satisfy you and enjoy.
