What should I be when I grow up?

TLDR: When making choices that impact your education or career, start with what you like to do rather than what you want to be - this drop walks you through the process and provides resources to help you answer the question.

Key Takeaways:

• You’re not the first person to consider this question, there are resources out there to help
• Don’t stress that you don’t have it figured out, you have time. You don’t have to nail it on the first try, it would be impressive if you did.
• Your most important guiding factor should be what you like to do.

What do you want to be when you grow up? 

This is a question everyone gets asked at some point in their life and the reality is, very few people have a clear answer. With a whole life ahead of you and countless decisions to make, it’s a daunting question. The good news is when you are just graduating high school, you have the world’s most valuable resource at your fingertips... time. Not graduating high school? You have time too. Just ask the content king Gary Vee.

When considering what you want to do with your life, start by considering the type of things you like to do now. People who like math may want to try a career in Finance or Data Analytics. People who enjoy working with their hands may want to become a Carpenter or an Electrician. People who like sports and competition may enjoy Sales. There are countless skills and interests that translate to viable education and career options. Start by making a list of the things you enjoy most, then you can start your research on education and career options that align with your interests.

Depending on where you are in your journey, here are six ideas to get the train rollin’ on education and career decisions:

1. Take a Career Assessment - there are countless free career assessments online. If you are having trouble finding something, check out My Next Move.
2. Use your Network - have conversations with family, friends, teachers, neighbors, local business owners, etc. Be curious. Ask people what they like or dislike about their jobs. You can learn a ton about the paths out there that may fit your style simply by asking questions.
3. Google, Google, then Google Some More - if you are curious about a career, do some Google searches. “A day in the life of a Surgeon”, “what it’s like to study Physics”, “pros and cons of a career in Construction”. Thanks to the internet, most of these questions have already been answered by the experts. 
4. Dive into a Youtube Rabbit Hole - YouTube surprisingly has more than funny fail videos, sports highlights, and videos of cats playing the piano. There are a ton of videos about evaluating education and career decisions. Need some help? Start here. 
5. Start a Business - if you have a hobby that you love, think about how you can monetize it. Are you an artist? Try selling some of your art to friends and family. Are you really good at speaking Spanish? Start a tutoring service.
6. Take Free Classes - learn about a topic before you spend a boatload of money going to college to find out you can't stand it. Check out our Knowledge Drop on Free Educational Resources.

No matter where your choices take you, don’t stress. Rest assured, as long as you are moving forward and learning, you are headed in the right direction. Chip away a little bit each day - it’s  like climbing a mountain. The climb takes a while, but the view from the top is incredible.

There is plenty of time to make a career change and very few people end their education or career journey at the same place they started. Keep learning, friend. You got this!

Learn something new. 

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