How to Choose a Fulfilling Career: 5 Tips to Get You Started

If you can’t wait to get out of bed in the morning and work on something that matters, you know you’ve found your calling. For most people, it takes some time to find a fulfilling career, and in fact, some never do find it. If this sounds like you, don’t lose hope; there are ways to figure out what fulfills you and what doesn’t. Here are five tips to help you choose a fulfilling career that fits who you are and where you want to go.

1) Identify your strengths

Too often, we take our strengths for granted. When choosing a career, it’s easy to look at occupations that pay well and think you should get one of those—but don’t underestimate how much more fulfilling it can be when you take advantage of your unique talents. Instead of focusing on money, focus on what you find interesting. Are you good at negotiating? Enjoying leading others? Good with people? Do those things come naturally for you? If so, then consider using them as strengths in your chosen career field.

 If you’re having trouble figuring out your strengths, take a look at how you spend your time outside of work. How much do you enjoy certain tasks and activities? Would you be happier doing more of them? Are there things that are so uncomfortable for you that you avoid them even if they need to get done? This can clue you in on what strengths and skills drive how naturally motivated and happy (or not) you are at certain tasks. Then think about whether those same qualities could apply to your career.

You might also want to think about whether you like a sense of control over your workday or would prefer flexibility and variety instead. Think about which way better suits you—then go with it! Some people feel fulfilled by staying in one position for many years while others prefer moving around more often. Consider where each approach fits best with who you are as an individual and how that aligns with what kind of job or career path might suit you best. Then it will become easier to narrow down which occupations will provide an environment where you can thrive most effectively—and which jobs might leave you feeling unhappy, frustrated, or bored after just a few weeks or months on the job.

2) Consider your interests

Everyone is different, and it can take time for people to figure out what they’re passionate about. If you haven’t considered your long-term career goals in some time, it might be helpful to write down a list of jobs that you find appealing or interesting. While there may not be an exact correlation between these jobs and your interests, it could help point you in a new direction. While you don’t want to limit yourself too much—just because something is popular doesn’t mean that it’s right for you—you should aim to look into careers where your skills are valued by others.

 It’s important to not just consider your interests when choosing a career, but also take into account whether or not you have certain skills. For example, you might love art and find that it comes naturally to you, but if you're struggling with drawing figures and faces then you might want to reconsider. However, even if it’s something that you don’t like doing on its own, knowing how to draw might make it easier for you work in an environment where others are creating those kinds of images. It's also important that you consider your skills outside of what is immediately relevant for what profession interests you. A lot of people may be interested in becoming doctors because they enjoy science, but may not realize that chemistry classes will help them get there. Similarly, someone who loves math may never think about working as an accountant because they don't see any relation between accounting and math, despite being able to add up numbers quickly. This can help you identify skills which will be useful for your future career choices.

As part of considering your interests and skills, it’s helpful to think about what kind of job fits best with those things. People often choose careers based on their personality traits—they become lawyers because they like arguing or become teachers because they enjoy helping others—but these aren’t always ideal choices since many jobs require different skill sets than personality traits alone can provide.

3) Think of your values

What do you value most in life? What makes you happy? This can help you narrow down your options and figure out what type of career would be best for you. For example, if you value your health and wellness, working in an office environment might not be ideal. If family is most important to you, a job with flexible hours could suit your needs perfectly. Knowing what’s most important to you will make it easier for you to come up with options that match your interests as well as offer opportunities for growth. Once you have a better idea of what’s important to you, it becomes much easier to determine which jobs fit your values. As we mentioned earlier, not all jobs are right for everyone—and knowing yourself and where you want to go can save you time (and headaches) in the long run.

What are my interests?: While figuring out your values is essential when choosing a fulfilling career, it isn't enough on its own. To really know whether or not something fits into your future plans, take some time to consider what kinds of activities interest you most. It's okay if there are several different things that catch your eye—but once again, thinking about them from a values perspective can help narrow things down further.

4) Brainstorm careers based on what you know

Brainstorm careers based on what you know. Just sit down with pen and paper, or open up your computer's notepad program, and begin writing down every job title that comes to mind. Don't be concerned about your current skill set; instead just list every idea. Now, go back through that list and see if any of those jobs fit into one of these three categories: Something you’ve always wanted to do (artistic career like painting), something you know how to do (being an accountant), or something you would be good at (working for an international non-profit). Obviously there are more than three categories out there but these should give you a good jumping off point. Once you have a few options in each category, narrow it down by thinking about which ones will allow you to make money doing something that matters to you. For example, if being an artist is important to you then look for jobs where your artistic skills can help people in some way. This is especially true when it comes to things like social work and teaching as both of these professions require degrees so they won’t pay much at first but both are often extremely fulfilling because they allow people to help others while using their talents in ways they enjoy. If helping others isn’t important then consider other careers such as graphic design or sales where making money is often easier and there is less competition from other artists who want similar jobs.

5) Research potential careers with informational interviews

Taking an informational interview can be incredibly helpful when you’re trying to narrow down your career options. The best way to learn about your interests and skills is by talking with people who do jobs that they love, says Lynn Taylor, author of Tame Your Terrible Office Tyrant; How to Manage Childish Boss Behavior and Thrive in Your Job. They offer valuable advice on everything from employment trends, industry buzzwords, office politics, organizational structure and more. The best thing is they are not paid or compensated in any way—it’s simply their passion for what they do that drives them. So don’t be afraid to ask questions! And don’t forget to thank them at some point!