In the days of yore, the choice of our career path for the average Nigerian, to a large extent depended on our parents. For them, one was only successful if he or she were to be a medical doctor, a lawyer or an Engineer. Surprisingly, not many of them (parents) were professionals of the aforementioned. In their defense, society had promoted these three fields so much that they just wanted their child to be a professional in one. It was that bad that you could expect a default answer of any of the three fields to the question, what do you want to be when you grow up?
Well, lucky enough for us, society has evolved and so has the bias for the three professions. The Nigerian child or youth now has much of a say as to what he or she wants to become in life. Now, the question is how do we make an informed decision on the right career path? We shall journey through this by discussing the factors to consider when choosing your career.
Three Factors to Consider When Choosing Your Career:
1. Passion:
Having the passion for what you do is arguably the most common advice on choosing a career. As cliché as that advice is, it is one that cannot be neglected for years to come. Let’s face it. You need to love what you do in order for your job to mean something to you. The good thing about life is the myriad of choices it offers, good or bad. These choices are also extended to programs of study out there for the varying careers desired. You have many options to choose from- bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, Certifications etc. Having an idea of what you might want to study is a great start as you can begin to explore possible careers and programs of study that might fit what you want to do.
For those who are still unsure of this, do not worry, as you can think about what you like and dislike doing as a means to help you out. Better still, you can consider taking an online career test, there are a bunch of “free” online career tests. I know we Nigerians love freebies, but it also won’t hurt to get a paid version of the test. Do not limit your thinking to your classroom work, also think about other extra-curricular activities that you engage in throughout your day. I have come to realize that there is more than one way to become an educated being. The likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Serena Williams, Gabriel Douglas and Lewis Hamilton are all educated in their own right and most of all they enjoy what they are doing.
2. Financial Resources:
Ever heard of the saying, the more you learn the more you earn? Well if you haven’t you just did and it’s a proven fact. The higher your level of education, the higher your average annual income. Your choice of career can have an impact on your potential earnings in the coming years. Education should be seen as a long-term investment. You may not see its ripple effect immediately, as it may take a while before you start earning a high salary but one thing is for sure, you definitely will. For this reason, carefully consider your available financial resources. Will you need to borrow money to pay for your University expenses? Also worthy of note should be other expenses that will have an impact on your disposable income. This is relative as what might be considered a necessary expense for Mr. A might not be for Mr. B. The bottom line here is to know finance counts!!!
3. Economy: Know The Job Market
One pertinent question that should be on your mind would be: Can I find a Job after I graduate?
The job market can have its ups and downs. It helps to keep abreast with the careers that are in high demand right now, and are anticipated to be in high demand in the future. Without a job after graduation, you’ll have a harder time paying back whatever loans you took while in school and also, you will have a difficult time catering for yourself, Trust me you do not want to stay at home feeding off your parents months after graduation. When you are looking at possible careers, take a look at the projected growth and demand, along with the current unemployment trends. Taking both into account can give you a better picture of what the demand for your career will be in the future.
Note: Other things do apply to choosing the right career path, but for the sake of avoiding wordiness, I had selected the top three as I deemed fit.