7 Questions to Ask Yourself if You Want to Become a Career

The term career can mean many different things to many different people, which can make the process of becoming one seem hard and confusing. But if you ask yourself the right questions, you can figure out what kind of career you want and how to get there faster than you ever thought possible. Take the time to ask yourself these ten questions below if you want to become a career in no time.

What is your ultimate goal?

Knowing what you want your career to look like can help you figure out which direction will take you there. If it’s something like I want to be an investment banker, or I want to own my own company, that gives you a clear goal for what type of job or role you should aim for in your career. What kind of person do you need to become?

Be honest with yourself about how your strengths and weaknesses define who you are as a professional. For example, maybe you’re really good at communication and being friendly with people but not so good at analysis and research; now you know where your skills are stronger, so find positions that play up these strengths.

What do you want people to say about you?

A great way to begin thinking about your career, and what you want it to look like, is simply by asking yourself what you want people who knew you really well would say about you when they looked back on your life. And from there, ask yourself how can I begin creating that legacy. Then every step along your career path after that, ask yourself whether each new endeavor will get me closer to my vision of my ideal career.

Does it feel comfortable? Is it consistent with my values? Does it align with my interests? It’s not so much about finding the one thing as finding something that’s truly rewarding for you personally over time, which is why making changes to our careers as needed can be healthy and should be expected at times.

Do you know what you have to do now?

The steps you take in college won’t define your career, but they may help point you in a direction. As one successful person put it: College doesn’t teach you what to do it teaches you how to learn. The more options and opportunities you try, particularly while in school, the more likely it is that eventually, your interests will converge with an opportunity that provides enough income and autonomy for you to call your career.

Is it in your control?

Whether you like it or not, if you want to become a career, then you need to be in control of your life. Accept responsibility for what has happened up until now and realize that there is no one else to blame for your situation other than yourself. It might sound harsh at first, but once you accept all of your flaws and strengths with open arms, you can better move forward as an entrepreneur.

When will you know when it’s done?

All great journeys have beginnings, middles, and ends. What moment will you recognize when your journey to become a career is done? For example, perhaps you won’t truly feel like you’re in the career zone until you’ve worked for five years at your first job after college. If that’s true, then say it here: I’ll know I’m on my way to becoming a career when I’ve worked in my field for five years.

Can someone else do it better than you?

The career path you choose has such an impact on your life that you want to choose it wisely. You don’t want to wake up one day and realize there are better ways of doing things. If you can answer yes, someone else is probably already doing what you’re thinking about and they’re probably pretty good at it, too. Move on.

Will they pay you for it?

Will they pay you for it? A career is different than anything else in life because it has monetary value. So ask yourself whether or not someone will pay you for your work. This can give you an idea of how important your career path is: If people will pay you, then it probably matters. If no one’s paying, it probably doesn’t matter forever.

It’s also worth noting that most jobs don’t offer salaries that are large enough to live on without working another job at some point. It’s almost impossible to make enough money working part-time as a cashier at Target. Even if you have a really nice boss who’s willing to promote and reward you based on merit, it still isn’t going to make up for having multiple sources of income flowing into your household over time.