Finding the Right Career that Matches Your Priorities

You have your priorities straight for your life, but how do you go about finding the right career to match those priorities?

One of the reasons there are so many people unhappy in their jobs today is because many of them did not give any thought to how their chosen career field or accepted position would fit into their current lives or their dreams for the future. You are going to make your decisions a bit differently because you are going to consider your priorities and make sure your future career fits into the life you want to live.

Sustaining or Improving Your Lifestyle

Money is almost always a factor in finding the right career path or deciding whether or not to accept a particular job. The problem is many people consider money without consideration for other factors of their lifestyle. You can avoid this by thinking of money in a little differently. Rather than just focusing on getting the highest possible wage or salary, consider how much you need to make to sustain your lifestyle today.

Sometimes it is not the best decision to accept the job with the highest salary or hourly wage. What if you can take a job that pays a bit less, but which suits your personality more? What if that lower paying job was enough to sustain your lifestyle today and offered greater potential for even higher paying positions in the future? There are many scenarios in which taking a job that pays a bit less right now could be the best move for the future of your career.

You also would not want to take a job that paid great but which kept you away from your family too much of the time. If your family is prioritized over finances at this point, then you have to pass up the higher paying job in order to find a position that allows you to spend that needed time at home.

Feeling Accomplished

Another thing to consider in finding the right careeris is what it would take for you to feel accomplished and rewarded in your career. If you do not get some type of personal satisfaction from your work, then chances are high you will not enjoy your job in the long run. Unhappiness at work can translate into unhappiness in other areas of your life, so this is a very important factor to consider.

If you have the choice between a job that excites you and would leave you feeling accomplished and a job that pays great but doesn’t give you that satisfaction, you would have to choose what is most important on your list of priorities. Many people do not have the courage to make the right decision here, but the power is within you to do exactly that.

The Right Amount of Control

How much control do you need to have over your career? If you want to have complete control, then you may consider going into business for yourself. If you have prioritized feeling stress free and at ease, then you may decide to work for someone else in a less prestigious position. It may suit you to feel secure in your job without the pressure of trying to get promotions, become better known, or outshine all of your colleagues.

The Issue of Distance

How far away from your home do you want to travel? If your priority right now is your family, then a position that would require routine travel away from home would be out of the question. Alternatively, if fun and living your life to the fullest is your main priority right now, then you may be looking for a position that will allow you to travel.

The biggest secret to making your career fit your priorities is to identify all potential deal breakers when finding the right career fit. You then have a guideline that will help turn down the right career path for our life today and in the future.

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Keep your results handy, and add them to the results of the other exercises in this category:

• What you liked and disliked about your past jobs
• What your hobbies and extracurricular activities say about you
• What career aptitude tests might uncover
• What are your strengths and skills
• What you envision in your mind's eye, where you see yourself