10 Questions to Ask Yourself When Considering a New Career

 

You may find yourself in a bit of a rut doing the same thing over and over again. That temporary job just to get the bills paid while you look for something else goes from six months to a year to two years and more. Maybe instead of a job, you have been in school for the past 20 years only to graduate and have no idea what career to dive into. Truly figuring out what you want to do takes a lot of time and introspection. To be completely honest I do not think it is something that is ever fully figured out, only refined as life goes on. But to get started on that journey, here are ten powerful questions to ask yourself that I believe really lay solid groundwork for deciding a career direction.

1. What is your worst fear?

Often times your fears reveal opportunities for growth. Either in the form of something to be conquered, or as something revealing your deepest desires. Each fear could have many different meanings for each person. Your fear can either be something that holds you back, or something that motivates you to push forward. Taking the time to understand what a fear means to you will go a long way in determining your path.

For example, a common fear found within many people is loneliness. Human beings are by their very nature social animals. Being alone goes against that nature and is a great source of anxiety for many people, especially extraverts. This fear of being alone could reveal an insecurity with oneself, or indicate a strong ability and passion for interacting with others.

2. What are your top three talents?

An often-given piece of advice is to play to your strengths. When thinking about a career path, it is imperative you know what some of your strengths are so as to leverage them at work. Everyone has their own innate talents that they seem to excel at with much less effort than other skills. It is these talents that provide the most efficient use of time to develop in your career. A life-time of persistence and hard work put into a skill you are not naturally gifted in, though admirable, will pale in comparison to the level of mastery that can be achieved putting all your effort into your natural-born ability.

3. What are your top three weaknesses?

On the reverse side, it is still critically important to fully understand your weaknesses. “A chain is only as strong as its weakest link” is an old proverb I am sure most everyone has heard at one time or another, and it is an excellent representation of a person’s skillset. By identifying your own weak links, you will know exactly where to place additional reinforcement. This can either be in the form of extra training, or even partnering with someone else to help cover your weaknesses. Sometimes a weakness can even simply be a small mental block that, when removed, reveals yet another strength.

4. When do you feel fulfilled?

A critical distinction to make when searching for a new career path is the difference between happiness and fulfilment. Happiness is a temporary state of mind that is in a constant ebb and flow throughout life. While fulfillment is forever, that is the sense of accomplishment that you will always be able to take with you no matter where you go in life. In terms of a career, do not think about the tasks that make you happy, instead think about the times you did something and felt truly fulfilled. It is those fulfilling undertakings that will lead to a career you will not regret.

5. What is your purpose?

Here we have a big question, the one that really sets your career’s direction. Your purpose is your core mission in life, the gift you will be giving back to the world until the very end. Clarifying your purpose is the culmination of understanding your fears, strengths, weaknesses, and fulfillments. Seek to understand how you can apply your strengths to the activities you find most fulfilling. However, keep in mind this is something that is refined slowly over time. All you truly need is an understanding of the direction you will go.

6. What Industries are you drawn to?

A word of warning, understanding the industries you are drawn to is incredibly important. Each industry (and on a deeper level each company) has their own mission. Wherever you decide to work, must have a mission aligned with your personal mission. If not, you will be putting your heart and soul into something that does not have a fulfilling impact

7. What are three objectives for the next three months?

Planning your career and going down a new path can be quite daunting, and it is all too easy to keep pushing it off until suddenly a decade has passed with no change. To avoid this, start planning and think in small achievable goals. No matter what you are trying to accomplish in the long run, there are prerequisite steps that need to be completed. Three-month blocks of time are excellent for completing milestones toward a major goal. There is a great book, Twelve Week Year, that dives deep into this methodology.

8. Are you comfortable with change?

Similarly to as discussed in my “10 + 1 Life Lessons” article, being successful in a new path requires being comfortable with change. Without change there can be no improvement of circumstance. When deciding to begin a new career path be comfortable with change and commit to it.

9. What can you stand to lose?

Another challenge with change is loss. There will be sacrifices that must be made. Anything from time, guilty pleasure hobbies, bad habits, even friends and family are subject to loss. Be prepared to cut negativity from your life so as to not distract from your purpose. Though difficult, this is precisely the reason it is imperative to understand the distinction between chasing temporary happiness and permanent fulfillment.

A special note on friends and family: It is a sad reality that there may be some people in your life that only try to bring you down because they are uncomfortable with change. Misery loves company. If you know what you are accomplishing is for the best, pursue it relentlessly and without remorse.

10. Have you answered the above questions true to yourself?

Perhaps the most important question to ask yourself. If you have not been true to yourself, answer all the above questions will have been a complete waste of time. Go back to each question and really think about your answers to them. Only when you are positive you have held nothing back, take action. Go out and begin working on that new career!