Finding Your Career Path: 5 Mistakes to Avoid

Choosing a career path can be daunting, especially when societal expectations and outdated beliefs influence our decision-making process. We are taught to be competitive, precise and clear about where we want to be heading in terms of our career. However, this creates a mindset that can make it difficult for us to choose wisely. Our idea of the perfect career is sometimes shaped by family expectations, societal norms and outdated beliefs.

Since your job will take up most of your waking life, it is essential that you take a path that ultimately brings you happiness and fulfilment. Here are five common mistakes we make when choosing our career path, and how to avoid them:

1. “If I Can’t Have the Best, I Don’t Want Anything at All.”

It’s good to aim high, but sometimes, this can be detrimental to our ultimate decision because we are creating a limited mindset to our potential. When we obsess about a particular job title, we blind ourselves to equally fulfilling careers and jobs with similar skills. Instead, we should focus on the underlying skillset and possible fields instead of obsessing over a specific job title.

Another downside of wanting the “best” is that we can dismiss the negative sides to a career only after getting deeper into pursuing a particular job. It’s always essential to keep an open mind and be profoundly aware of what your career path entails.

2. “I’m Supposed to Have a Career Path by a Certain Age.”

This mindset is common among young people and can contribute to pressure to pick a career at an early age. We forget that we are constantly changing and evolving as a person. How we feel at 20 years old won’t be the same as how we feel when we’re 30 or even 25. It has been a societal belief that changing careers is hard, and the older we get, the harder it becomes. However, many people have successfully made significant career changes later in life and become happier and more satisfied with their career.

3. “I Should Choose a Career Path Based on the Certificate I Get.”

We tend to think of our college and university degrees as something we need to pursue into our careers. However, this mindset constricts us into sticking with a certain career that we may not be completely happy with. Nothing is a waste, and we shouldn’t think of our education as a waste if we don’t pursue a specific path. It’s important to remember that we gain many different skills that can be useful in various fields, which allows us to rule out something we won’t be happy doing.

4. “I Should Take My Interest or Hobby into Consideration When Choosing My Career.”

While it’s good to follow our passions or hobbies, there shouldn’t be any pressure to do it. Sometimes career paths can come at a stage in our lives when we have different priorities like earning enough money to cover our living expenses or paying off debts. We shouldn’t be discouraged; we can always develop our interests on the side to keep our lives more balanced.

5. “If I Don’t Make More Money Than My Peers, I’ll Consider Myself a Failure in Life.”

Comparison is a game that’s hard to win. Our careers shouldn’t be seen as a competition, and we shouldn’t measure our success based on other people’s achievements. We should always remember that we are all on different paths, developing in different directions both personally and professionally. Our ever-changing, modern world means that it can be hard to predict which careers will bring prosperity in the future. What is desirable now may not be in the future. Therefore, we should be content with our own decisions and path in life.

In conclusion, choosing our career path is not always black and white. We should avoid putting pressure on ourselves and restricting our thinking with limitations. Be open to the idea that our calling will change throughout our life, and different possibilities are always there for us to pursue. Our ultimate aim is to be happy and find a career that brings fulfilment and satisfaction.