How to select your perfect career?
Tell me someone who does not want to be successful in their careers. Each one of us is concerned about our careers. Not only us, but our parents, friends and relatives are also equally concerned about our career success.
In India, our parents start getting worried about our career the day we are born. Some parents decide their daughter’s or son’s career all by themselves. In fact, they start deciding our career before we even start walking.
How do we normally select our career?
We Indians are quite insecure about our children’s future. We believe in their financial safety and security more than anything else. Everybody who is concerned with our welfare are also equally concerned about the income we are likely to earn in our careers. Not only elders but majority of our population expect a lifetime of financial security.
Most of us choose our career based on two aspects. These two aspects are socially acceptable in our country. First and foremost, we are concerned about the minimum income we can expect from our job. The next thing we look at is the number of people who can reach the minimum income level.
Ask yourself, Is that all there is in selection of your successful career?
Would you expect to find happiness with such a career?
Well, I don’t think so, there is something else we have to look at while selecting our career.
Who should select your career?
Before that, let’s understand one more thing. That is determining who should select our career. Our parents, teachers and friends consider themselves to be the most competent people to select our career.
All our elders think they are morally responsible to select our careers, since they firmly believe that they know what is good for us. The problem is that they can only talk about what is good for themselves, but not for others.
Why cant we allow others to select our career?
In short, the definition of career success varies from one person to another based on their individual interests, priorities and values. Have we not two brothers or sisters having different temperaments.
A combination of these priorities and values is what is called our personality or personality traits. Let us look at some examples.
Some of us may be inclined towards a adventurous careers which may appear dangerous to others. A typical example could be that of being a Deep Sea Diver or a Fighter Pilot.
Some of us on the other hand may like to settle for a routine and stable job with fixed income which may appear boring to others. For example, a stable job of maintaining accounts in a large corporation.
A few of us may select careers which makes a difference to people’s lives. Money or properties may not matter much for such people. These people are generally willing to stick their neck out and fight for a cause.
So, in short, what I am trying to say is that the idea of successful career varies between individuals. Therefore, every person should take responsibility for their choice of career based on their personality profile and cannot outsource it to others.
How should you select your career?
Understanding your personality is the only way to select your career. Personality tests are designed to help you understand your interests, values and most importantly your motivation.
I don’t think there is any better way than personality based career selection. Personality assessment helps you to narrow down as well as expand your career options in alignment with your personality.
Awareness about your motivation, strengths and weakness would go a long way in selecting a happy and fulfilling career. That would lead you to more appropriate and rewarding career choices.
What else should you consider in career choice?
The other aspect to be considered is practicality in career selection. We have to consider the opportunities available in our chosen career. That’s because the income levels in various careers vary from place to place.
Careers have to be selected based on the delicate balance between available opportunities and personality profiles. Various aspects of personality are combined in an intelligent fashion to build your personality profile.
Therefore too much of subdivision of personality would narrow down our choices to an unacceptable level. On the other hand, if suitable classification is not made it would lead to inappropriate career choices.
How can you understand yourself ?
The next obvious question is the ways and means of understanding yourself. Is there someway to understand our own personality profile ?
Yes, there are many of them. However, some of them are more accurate than the others. Some of them are more scientific than the others. Some of them are more practical and natural than the others.
First method is self introspection, which means you rehearse and try to understand your own emotions at various points in your life. Your likes and preferences may become clearer if you introspect. This is a time consuming process and may take years for you to implement.
The second method is by questioning, that is to ask people to frankly tell you about your behaviour at various occassions. These could be your family members or close friends. However, the limitation of this method is that the responses are coloured by their own personality.
When you ask people their opinions, they would always compare with their own self while giving their opinion. Therefore the opinions may become biased and hence becomes in accurate. Also there is a danger of conflicting opinions from diffrent people which ends up confusing you.
Are personality assessment tests useful?
Tests designed to understand personality are more neutral and have a scientific basis due to years of continuous research and development. However, various tests are designed for various purposes. Similarly some are free tests while others require substantial investment.
Some personality tests are meant for understanding specific qualities required for a singular profession. For example, Services Selection Board (SSB) analyses personality with the aim of induction into the armed forces. Airlines uses Psychometric Assessments to aspiring pilots before employment.
Short and Free Personality Assessment Quiz
In short, a clear understanding of your personality profile is essential in order to ensure career success. A quick and free Career Aptitude Test provided here could be a good starting point in understanding your personality and selecting a good career.
Thanks for reading and we sincerely hope that the information has helped you. In case you need any clarifications, feel free to write to us at rudderpoint@gmail.com
