Are you stressed about choosing a right career path? Well, you don’t have to worry about it. In today’s ever changing job market and global economy, there are always new things to switch and merge into. If you are not sure on what to follow for the rest of your life, you can invest your time in finding short term goals. After a certain point of time (or experimenting), you can switch to other things you like. You can find your long-term goals while doing other things. One thing that we are pressured into by our families, mentors, schools, universities, teachers and the society is to find a job that pays! Earning money is certainly a very big part of your life, but you shouldn’t let your decisions and thought processes be crowded with it. You career path should be related to things you internally like and it should be rewarding emotionally, mentally and physically. The modern-day youth doesn’t like to stick to one thing! They love to explore and that is what is constantly pushing innovations in the market. However, if you are stressed about taking a decision for you career, here are a few challenges that you might face. 1) Lack of Right Guidance Well, we are not saying that you won’t find guidance or people to talk to about your interests. In the information and social era, it is very easy to connect with people who share the same interests. But sometimes, too much information or the wrong sources may derail you from your path to the right door. Hence, instead of basing decisions on generic advice, you should let your intuition and inner voice guide you. Interacting with people from the same field may be the best option to go with, but do not let certain demerits or difficulties waiver you to choose a different option. Connecting with the right advisors or stakeholders will help you garner important insights to form a base for your decision. 2) Parental and Peer Pressure (Yes, it still exists!) Our parents come from a time when they were either hushed to work for tasks they weren’t interested in, or they simply had to work somewhere because there weren’t any other lucrative options at the time. Only a few pursued their real dreams and landed their dream jobs. Often you will hear your peers or parents discuss about how problematic it is to get into certain type of career paths, but don’t let those discussions cloud your judgement. Every person has a different ability, IQ and EQ. One other problem with parental and peer pressure is that it tends to make you a part of the herd mentality. Maybe your parents and peers are very supportive about the decisions you want to make for yourself, but if you have over indulging parents who are trying to push you into certain career paths just because other people have made it big there, you shouldn’t get influenced by it. You should most importantly, try to understand that it is not necessary to match your academic achievements with your career path. If you want to pursue music, sports or art, you should definitely go for it. Everything is possible with good research and determination! Try researching as much as you can from various sources before making a decision. After you are sure, you can try convincing your parents with facts, figures and most importantly, “Why” you want to make the choice for yourself. 3) Foreign Opportunities and Salary-Based Decisions Many students are captivated by videos, pictures and the lifestyle that people live outside India. That all sounds great, but you should not base your career decisions just because you want to go abroad or someone else in your group is doing it. You have to think from a rational mind about the field you are opting for and the country you want to choose. It is a struggle for many students to settle down abroad, however, opting for the right courses, the right country and the right university will help you get a decent job. You should always research or talk to people you know who are working in foreign countries before coming to a conclusion. The other dilemma that all students go through is choosing between things they actually like and choosing between a career path that will give them economical leverage. However, things you have to consider before taking salary-based decisions are: If you actually like the job Will you fit in well with the environment? Will it give you mental peace and satisfaction? If you are good at it Will you able to stay healthy and fit at the job? All of the above-mentioned factors may seem unimportant now, but as you start progressing and working, a healthy and positive work environment is must for your overall wellbeing. Conclusion Do not let fear, money, pressure or greed guide your decision-making. Choosing a career path is crucial for your life and so is deciding to switch to something else later. Do not let the fear of low bank balance dominate your true calling. You should try to explore new things as much as you like. With the right research, a healthy mind and the zeal to stay relevant, you can figure out the best career paths for yourselves.
