(Guest post by sweet friend Hanha! Read all about her down below! Don’t forget to show her some love and visit her blog as well! You’ll love it!)
At one point, I had no idea what I wanted to do with my life because not only did I feel like I was gifted in a lot of different things, but I also had a lot of different interests. For example, one day I wanted to be a doctor and the next day, I wanted to be a counselor. The following week, I wanted to be a motivational speaker. Anybody ever been there besides me? Where my dreamers at?
As young millennials, it can be completely frustrating when you don’t know what career path you want to choose. Trust me, I understand. You keep waiting for God to give some type of answer, but hear nothing. (I touch on this here.) Or you take a bunch of personality or skills assessment tests only to feel more confused.
I will preface this post first by saying that it’s okay to not know! Sometimes we think that we have to have it all figured out, but I have yet to meet someone who did that in their 20’s. Take the pressure off of yourself because you’re not going to have it all figured it out. Like a dear friend once said to me (hint hint: she owns this blog), “I’m not going to tell you that you’ve got this because the truth is you don’t. God does and He’s going to take care of it.” Although these steps may not be the end-all, be-all answers, I have found them to be super helpful in discovering my own profession.
- Remain Curious. Ask good questions and seek good answers.
You have to keep asking questions, because questions ultimately lead to more questions. Remain curious by making an effort to fill your cup or stimulate your thinking. You can do this by listening to podcasts, watching sermons, reading great books, or creating a thinking schedule. By giving yourself time to think and be poured into, you give yourself room to create. What you put in will come out, and you’d be surprised by how many ideas start popping in your head after all the knowledge you’ve gained from others. Perhaps start by answering these great questions I’ve found through one of Robert Madu’s sermons:
- What do you like to do?
- What would you do for free?
- What do other people see in you?
- What frustrates you?
- What comes easy to you, but difficult to others?
You can find these questions in my reflection questions here. However, with great questions, come great answers. One of my favorite books is the One Thing by Gary Keller. In it, he describes that answers come in 3 categories: doable, stretch, and possibility. Doable answers are those where you don’t have to do much or change much to get it done. Stretch answers are those that cause you to extend yourself and they push you towards your maximum limit, but possibility answers are those in which you choose to live outside of the outer limits of achievement.
I think it’s amazing that God thinks outside of the box when He plans our lives. I’m sure you’ve had moments where God answered one of your prayers in a way that you did not expect. In the same, try thinking outside the box when it comes to your life’s path. Remain curious and stretch yourself past the status quo of what everyone around you is doing. Although remaining curious is important for finding your purpose, it’s also an important life lesson that should be applied to every other area of your life. Furthermore, the way you engage with potential mentors and influencers predicates on understanding this value.
- Look at people you respect and look back at their journey.
I’m sure there are some influencers in your life that you look up to. You’re drawn to them, and you have no idea why. Maybe it’s one woman at your church, a blogger on your Instagram feed, or the entrepreneur who started his own business. Whoever it is, find someone who inspires you. Then ask them for an informational interview or if you can shadow them. There are many people who have started their careers in one profession only to change it to a completely different profession by the time they are 40. By asking questions and remaining curious, you can backtrack and see where they started to get where they are.
If you find that you’d like to learn more and get more involved in their industry, ask them if there are internships available. This is a great step towards a potential job because companies and organizations are more likely to hire internal people they know who also understand the job description than they are to hire external personnel.
Do note that there is something you can learn from everyone. As I’ve said before, remain curious and don’t be intimidated by anyone’s status. Each person is exactly that – a person. They still have to bathe and they still have to eat. Don’t allow your insecurities or fear cause you to believe that other people are more important than you. Jesus died on the cross for their sins just as much as He died on the cross for yours. Nevertheless, as you start making your way around your interests and potential careers, keep in mind this next little but important point.
- Focus on the culture.
There are many other aspects outside of a career that will affect which career you choose. Outside of the typical questions like, “Are there benefits? Are you required to work non-traditionally such as on weekends and holidays? Is there flexibility? Are you provided a good work-life balance?” there is another factor that you should consider.
Good advice that I have heard was this: focus on the cultural fit rather than the job description. There are many people who work at great jobs, and hate it because of the people or culture that is there. You have to ask yourself if you can stand behind the company’s mission and you have to find out if their values align with your own. Do they value honesty and empowerment? Do they prioritize teamwork and collaboration? These are very important questions that will help you find the career that not only works best for you, but also fits your personal values.
Loved reading this post? Read others that are similar such as how to appreciate the pauses or how to live more present. Or let me know what you think by stopping by my page on Instagram, and tell me how you plan to remain curious. I would love to get to know you and hear your thoughts!
P.S. Don’t forget to grab the reflection questions that go along with this post that will help you discover the career path best for you. You can do that here.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Hanha is the writer behind Transparency Blog, and she is super passionate about encouraging others and sharing the love of Christ. She graduated from the University of National Champions—Go Heels!—and she is currently pursuing plans to become a physician in the near future. A few fun facts? She’s addicted to Grey’s Anatomy, has a special place in her heart for tacos, and podcasts are her present obsession. In her spare time, she daydreams about places she can travel and loves connecting with friends on Instagram. Come say hi!
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