How important is it to spend time on choosing the right career when we are young?

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I’m thinking at the end of high school, so 18 to say aged 20, older even.
Sometimes I think we don’t know the “right” career until we have chosen the “wrong” ones. So life becomes lots of trial and error. The danger being that you may not find any ideal career. That you may in fact be useless in the eyes of society.
I’ve come to the conclusion now, that I am suited to some Christian related career. Perhaps teaching but then again it might be humble service like a Franciscan doing community service to the poor.
But it has taken me 40 years to find out. I feel it is kind of late.
Just a shame we waste time discovering jobs we don’t like. And that could be an issue too. If we are easily turned off a job, it might indicate we are too sensitive or soft.
I’m hoping that young people get better career guidance than I got when I was young. Almost none from schools, colleges or parents.
Someone needs to ask you the tough questions in an interview. Like if you expressed interest in “nursing” for example. so you can handle blood? giving injections? rude patients? How are you going to deal with rudeness?
 
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Like you, I didn’t really figure out what I was good at until I was 54.

I think it is important for young people to identify what they really love doing. Something that isn’t work if one defines work as something one is doing when they really want to be somewhere else. Picking an exact career takes time, but identifying what fulfills oneself is critical at a young age.

And it is important not to let society dictate what is better than something else. Make up one’s own mind.
 
I’m 27 and struggling with what to do with my life I feel I’ve already wasted it! But you give me hope that I can find what I love. God bless you.
 
So like I said name a career and then do the “hard” interview with up to 20 questions that highlight the challenging parts of the job.
example: teaching
Do you like kids?
Do you like kids in groups? (because they behave differently in front of each other?
Do you like public speaking?
How do you think you will handle classroom management?
Do you have a strong voice? Can you get a group of kids’ attention easily?
How is your PR (Public Relations) skills with parents?
How would you handle a disruptive student?
How would you handle an angry parent?
How would you handle a colleague that is taking up you valuable time?
Do you mind marking work an hour or two a day?
 
Lots of people didn’t make a splash until their 40s or 50s.

I’m 34 and just now getting set up in my career. But as it stands now I never plan in retiring. Maybe when I’m 70 I’ll feel different about it… But I can’t stand the feeling of not having some purpose outside myself. I don’t imagine that’ll go away. At 40 you still have plenty of time to out your 20 years into a career.
 
I was recently thinking about how youth are introduced to careers and how wrong it is to ask a question like, “Can you handle the sight of blood?” in the case of potential nurses and doctors. It’s too small a problem for certain types of nurses and doctors who rarely see blood. Some nurses are more concerned with education. Also, you can get better at handling the sight of blood.

I think adults should steer children to the places where new jobs are likely to be, or to jobs which might suit them. I’ve given children I’ve known suggestions so they will never be at a complete loss.

Somebody asked me this week about work, and I said I’m very glad I’m not one of those people who don’t know what they want to be. It’s tragic to be middle-aged and looking for a low-paying job at Home Depot because you haven’t been able to pick out a career.

Yes, there are all sorts of late bloomers. But young people should have, in my opinion, one strong skill by the time they’re eighteen, be it a black belt in a martial art, an ability to paint houses, cook for many people, teach dance, help people move effectively, etc… Then at university, they should hopefully come out with a useful degree, however they define useful. They can change course, but their boat has to point somewhere with definition. You need to start a career with decision, and get help from relatives. ie. recommendations, money so you can advance faster while your maid sorts your laundry.

My parents wanted us to do everything on our own. But I’ve learned since then how important your parents are to your success. Also doctors get their kids into medical school with far more ease than you’d imagine possible upon meeting their kids.

Since I’m middle class, I see now how important being a member of the upper class is to succeeding at many careers.
 
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i’d always thought that serving in the military is a great way to set your mind “straight” while you are undecided on a career path

discipline, rigor, camaraderie & physical fitness can do quite a bit to set the mind in a straight way
 
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I was heavily pushed towards what I got my degree in by my parents. I was trying to go to law school, but I no longer have any viable options left for schools to attend due to costs, and I don’t want to fall back on my major. I thought for ten years I was going to be a lawyer, and now I have no idea how I want to spent my life. I don’t like any of my options, and I feel too indecisive to move in any one direction.
 
And I wish I’d have gone to law school! It seems too late now, but we need Catholic lawyers so badly right now!
 
are you in the US? imo law school is an expensive waste of time. in my state, there are more lawyers than pizza parlors

they are feeding on each other; i wouldn’t recommend it

but may the Holy Spirit inspire you to the correct path

ps JOIN THE NAVY
 
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But a military career can really give you a bad case of PTSD, plus there are the risks of dying while in service.
 
practicing law may give you a bad case of student loan debt & starvation
 
Better to have your mental health and your legs. But it is a good choice for some people. It is honourable to serve your country. But just remember, there is a price.
 
And of course, some of us would just cause whoever was doing the physical to burst out laughing.

In all seriousness - do what you love is nice, but definitely has the risk that what you love and what you can make money at might not be the same. (It’s a running joke among my age that we were told to get a college degree, any degree, so we didn’t end up working at McDonalds. And then the same people are now wondering why we’re too good to work at McDonalds.)

If I were going to college now, I’d probably spend a little more effort on a safe backup option. I’d also do a lot of research not only into the current reputation of the field (as someone who originally had law as a backup plan), but the number of students in that field - especially for fields like law where you can expect a long course of study to get there. But at the same time, there’s lots and lots of people who don’t end up doing what they majored in.
 
Sometimes somewhere in about 30 years old, a person understands that it was necessary in his teens to study good and purchase a particular profession.
Unfortunately sometimes the mind and understanding comes late.
 
Sometimes you just have to “go for it.” And not think about the opportunity cost “what if I had chosen …” “if only I had chosen …”. No regrets.
 
Yeah, that. 2 surgeries before 18, poor eyesight even after surgery, needing antibiotics at least yearly…no way.
 
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