How to make the right career choice?

We live in a world where at every step we have to make decisions. Some decisions last only for moments and some life long.

A decision to choose a right career is something that will have a long lasting impact in one’s life. This decision will either make one’s life or break one’s life.

We live in a world where pressure from the society and high expectations from our near and dear ones are driving our key career decisions rather than allowing us to analyse our own capabilities to choose the perfect career for us.

Students as young as 10 years old are now being sent for IIT coaching. Do we even think that the 10 years old is in a position to make a career choice? Even before the child can understand what career means and what career options are available, the door to choose his/her own career is shut. The high expectations from the child is already set without even realising if the child has the capacity and ability to face the tough competition in the IIT entrance exam and succeed. This is just one such example and there are many more.


Why is that when it comes to making a career choice there is always only very limited career categories that springs to our mind? E.g. Engineer (computer engineer), doctor (dentist, surgeon), MBA etc.

What can I do to choose a right career?

  • Analyse your strengths and weaknesses.
  • Work out the possible range of opportunities you have and make your choice.
  • Work on your choice.

 Analyse your strengths and weaknesses

Do we agree that our mind is influenced to choose a career which our parents friend’s son or daughter has chosen and is successful or that of one our cousins or that of our friends?

In order to be successful in life, one must not choose a career looking at others but instead choose a career based on one’s strengths and weaknesses.

Let your strengths pick your career.

List your interests, talents, personal qualities, knowledge and experience.

Speak to your friends and family members to identify your strengths.

Check to see what inspires you, motivates you, engages you, excites you and interests you?

Be true to yourself.

Work out the possible range of opportunities you have and make your choice.

 Based on the list you have produced, start researching the opportunities that are available.

Learn about each potential opportunity you have shortlisted. Learn about the employment prospects, educational and training requirements, annual income and promotion opportunities.

You must be able to find the details about the opportunities on the internet but where possible speak to people from the same profession that you’d like to chose so as to get a first hand information.

After a thorough assessment, when making a choice of your career from the list of opportunities make sure you make a smart choice.

Make a choice that you wont regret for and can put 100% of your effort on.

 Work on your choice.

Work out an action plan to be successful in your smartly chosen career option.

Set attainable goals to reach the destination. Break those goals into short term and long term goals.

You have to be prepared to work hard towards this goal. There is no substitute for hard work. This is a career that you have chosen, a career you have passion for.

Let the goals you have listed realistic. Be prepared to face obstacles and be ready to make adjustments to achieve your dream career.


Let you alone be the sole decision maker of your career and let not anyone else influence you to make a wrong choice.

Success belongs to you and you alone. Therefore, be wise and be smart.

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