Liveresources

Choosing careers that suit your personality and offer satisfaction

Whether you’re just starting out of high school or already established in the working world and considering a change in career, choosing careers that will be personally satisfying and economically viable is worthy of considerable scrutiny.

If you’re just approaching the transition from high school to college, you have a distinct advantage. You haven’t yet invested years of your life in jobs that leave you wondering how you might derive more satisfaction and financial security. On the other hand, if you’ve been in the work world for years, your advantage lies in personal motivation. For you, choosing careers you’ll enjoy has substantial meaning. In either case, your career choice provides a chance for you to make the most of your natural gifts, skills and thus, satisfaction in all aspects of your life.

If you simply haven’t found a direction in which to wholeheartedly invest your energy, there are a number of avenues you should explore. Look into aptitude tests, available at your community college, Human Resources or online job assessment websites. These aptitude tests are designed to zero in on your natural gifts and skill sets which match up with particular professions. Counselors can provide you with a list of career choices best suited to your personality. Choosing careers based on this criterion prove to be most personally satisfying in the long run.

Now comes the question of financial rewards. When choosing careers, it’s wise to balance your natural talents with the economic gains. For example, if your aptitude lies in math, you have a number of options. You might pursue a career in teaching, accounting or as an actuary. Each profession carries a dollar value in the marketplace. If you are highly attracted to teaching others, you may not realize an annual salary equal to an actuary, but the personal reward of teaching may far outweigh the satisfaction you might derive from number crunching. On the other hand, if you enjoy the complex ivory tower world of the actuary combined with the financial rewards this choice offers, go for it. Choosing careers involves what makes you happy in your work.

Let’s say that you’ve been working as a clerk in an office environment for years. This career pays the bills, but you are bored silly. An aptitude test, designed to fit you in a career that brings personal satisfaction, may reveal that you have terrific leadership skills. Leverage on your leadership skills. Take some management classes and get a promotion that will get you more money in a field in which you’ve already invested years of work.

The bottom line on choosing careers that add to your joy of life and furthers your financial goals is finding that particular niche that satisfies you.