Can you relate? You’re right out of high school or college, you’ve got the whole world ahead of you, you’re daydreaming about your new career and feel like you have a myriad of career choices in front of you. It feels all lined up, everything is in place, there’s a plan. And then life happens and time passes, and you wake up one day and you find yourself saying “How did I get here?” and “I don’t know what career I want anymore.” Maybe life got so busy, you forgot to pay attention to what you needed, what your interests were, or what you were passionate about. Or maybe yet, you’ve only been out of college for a few years now and the promises of career clarity from your degree program – or the lack of it – have you wondering what you want to do with the rest of your life. Maybe you feel like you don’t know how to get the job you want or what that job even is. Ask yourself these questions to uncover what career you might want Before jumping into a complex job market without clarity around what it is you’re actually looking for, spend some time seeking the answers to these questions. Don’t let the external job market dictate your career path or decisions about what the right career is for you. Instead, conduct internal investigations first: revealing your vision, clarifying your interests, articulating your strengths, filling in any gaps, and deciding what the best fit is for you. For more specifics on a step-by-step guide to asking these important questions, check out Coach Brooke’s breakdown of Ama La Vida’s career transition process. What does my “dream job” look like? Spoiler: there’s no such thing as a “dream job.” Well, at least in the sense you might be thinking about it. Your dream career is the career you decide is the right fit for you that contributes to the overall life you are building and growing. Ask yourself: what are the practical things I need this career to provide? So, instead of starting with “what is the name of the career/job that I need to target,” know what you want out of the practical pieces of your career and get clear about how you need work to function in your life. What industry or industries interest me? Now that you have an understanding of how you want your career to fuel your life, it’s time to focus on what industries or companies have paths that fit. These days, there seem to be as many career options as there are people, so having a focus is key to making progress. Start a list! Whether you’re jotting it down on paper, keeping it in a spreadsheet, or using a job search platform to track, keep a list and look for patterns around what keeps coming up for you. What type of work suits my interests, skills and personality? The sweet spot of a fulfilling career for many people is at the intersection of passions, values, and strengths. Picture it as a Venn diagram of overlapping circles and we’re all aiming for that one little section that overlaps them all. A key point is that clarity around these 3 areas is effective in narrowing down the seemingly limitless possibilities of career choices. Pro tip: Some of us, in different seasons of our lives, don’t necessarily want to fulfill our passions inside our careers. Don’t feel like your work has to be the one and only answer to serving your passions, values, and strengths. Instead, understand these things about yourself. Naming them clearly will help you know how you need work to contribute to them! Research different career paths Now that you’ve focused your inquiry internally, it’s time to turn outward to see what’s out there. You’ll want to explore general information about career paths as well as specific jobs being advertised. You’ll begin to figure out what is a strong match for your needs, your interests, and your path as you continue to investigate. You can engage with O*NET Online, a robust database about all occupations from the Department of Labor. This allows you to understand in-demand careers, requirements for different paths, info on salaries, and growth opportunities for thousands of potential careers. Read different job descriptions Once you have an understanding of what paths could be a good fit, start job researching by looking at ads to see what’s out there. What company keeps catching your eye? What position(s) meet your needs and interests? Keep a list of phrases, keywords, requirements, etc. that you see that matches what you learned about yourself. Soon, you’ll start to piece together an understanding of what’s out there, what employers are looking for, and where your next step might lie. Note: This process of researching is different from searching for jobs. You are not reading every job description you see and scrutinizing it as a potential fit. You are researching what’s out there. Suspend that urge to rule things in or out based on how you feel about your qualifications and ability. Take in information, keep track of what you learn, and then look for patterns. Volunteer Now that you’ve investigated online, it’s time to turn to real-world, people-focused investigation. The best and most informative kind! Volunteering helps you build new skills, gain experience, and understand new worlds of work and impact, and can clue you in on new potential paths and opportunities. Beyond hands-on experience that you can leverage in a new way, you will meet new people in spaces new to you. You can learn from like-minded AND differently-minded people to better understand what a great fit can be for your career path. Consider either using a strength you have to help in an industry new to you OR building a new strength in a familiar industry or initiative. Opportunities abound to volunteer locally and remotely (for example, platforms like Catch a Fire provides skill-based matching … Continue reading Don’t Know What Career You Want? Start Here.