Choosing Your Correct Career Path

Making a career choice and sticking to it is not always as easy as it may sound; especially in today’s economic climate. It can be disconcerting to go through the process of choosing a path, especially when you are not sure if it will take you to a longed-for and long-lived career.

So, how do you know which path to take? How can you be sure that going in a certain direction is the absolute best thing to do?

A few thought processes to help you make the career choice that is right for YOU:

1. Believe in the worth of your efforts. Only you know how much work and effort you have put into making yourself ready for the ideal career. And, as the saying goes, “You get out what you put in.” If you are genuinely satisfied that you have made the most thorough preparations, then pat yourself on the back and go forward!

• Consider how your achievements measure up to others in positions similar to the one you want to be in.


• Determine if the successes that you have already achieved have equipped you to take the path you most want to take now.


• Trust that you are good enough for it!

2. Know your career goals. One of the most significant aspects of choosing the right career path is determining what you want to achieve from it. What is your goal? Take a look at the options in front of you. How well do they measure up to your goals?

• Do you see yourself becoming the youngest CFO in the company if you choose Option 1?


• Will the recognition you desire be forthcoming after 1 or 2 years working in Option 2?


• Can you safely say either option will allow you to reap the financial rewards you’re aiming for?


• Is this a stepping stone to the next part of your long-term plan?

3. Do it all for all right reasons. When chasing success, it is very easy to get sidetracked by all the frills that seem to come with it. In fact, you may even lose sight of why you are pursuing a particular goal!

• Why would you choose a particular path? Is it to fit in with peers? Is it to prove to naysayers that you actually have what it takes?


• Always choose the path that makes you happy and gives you pride in your achievement.


• Make choices that work out best for you and your family. Forget those people on the outside looking in.

4. Never compromise your beliefs. Above all, what is ultimately important when at a professional crossroads is sticking to what you believe in. It can be really tempting to leap at an offer that seems to have everything you ever wanted, with the “tiny” exception that you have to step on toes or climb over others to get to the top!

• If you believe that there is a right way to achieve the professional success you desire, stick to it!


• Usually, the choices that are the hardest to make are the best ones you make. It may not seem lucrative now, but you never know what opportunity is lurking around the next corner!

Remember that all that glitters isn’t gold! Sometimes the best road is the roughest road because at the end of it will be all the goals and successes you always dreamed of. Always remember to stay true to yourself and your goals; success is inevitable if you do!

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Choosing Your Correct Career Path