What Makes People Choose A Career? – Mentor Monkey

The sphere of career has expanded over time, and now it doesn’t fit the conventional definition anymore. Not a long time back, a career meant just a bunch of highly respected professions in society. 

Professions like medical, engineering, academics, and law were the only ones that made it to the final cut of being a ‘career option’. The boundaries were so stringent that any profession beyond this was considered just a leisure activity and not a career. This is exactly where the line between what makes it a hobby and what makes it an occupation was drawn. 

But over time, the traditional professions only lead individuals to disappointment, dissatisfaction and a feeling that it’s not really their calling. Thus a lot more options are being explored. Now is the time that every little talent is being expanded to become a complete career option in itself. 

So what really makes one choose a career? What is probably that one last push that moves you in the right slot? There could be a lot of reasons personally, but those that generally govern a choice of career include:

Interest and talent

While it remained one of the most undermined factors for the longest time, people have now started recognising the importance of choosing a career based on one’s liking. If a person were to choose a job they’re interested in; their productivity would increase manifold.

But if the same individual were to be pushed in a stream that couldn’t interest him/her or nurture the talent they were born with, the outcome would never be productive. It would eventually kill the sapling of talent even before it could see the light of the day. Fortunately enough, many counselling sessions later, people have started accepting the importance of letting the interest and talent naturally lead the person to the career option suiting them best. 

What runs in the family?

The local saying goes a doctor’s offspring is eventually a doctor. This has been a highly accepted norm. But it essentially isn’t a pressure thing. A lot of individuals choose the career option that runs in their family for the safety of it. It is a profession they’ve grown up seeing around.

There is a certain level of comfort in choosing it over an option that is uncharted territory. It feels like a safe haven to always have a family member that can guide you in and out. Being brought up in an atmosphere dominated by a single career option, you naturally start developing a liking towards it. It always feels like you know the nuances too well not to choose it.

Employment and monetary stability 

In a situation like today’s, when unemployment hangs overhead like the most pointed sword, a career option that guarantees employment and monetary stability is easily the first choice. No matter how big a degree another profession has, one would always choose otherwise if the future is stable. Who wouldn’t want to secure their tomorrow? And what better than choosing a career that does so from the very beginning.

Many foresighted individuals go for such a career while balancing their hobbies and passions as an alternative career choice that they can switch over to once they can afford it. Mostly all passionate and hobby-oriented career options require monetary backing. All the more reason for a lot fewer people going for it despite how strongly they feel about it. Economic stability and security somewhat dominate all the other factors.

Peer pressure

A lot of choices are born out of compulsion. A compulsion that is not necessarily a conscious effort, peer pressure being one. Individuals, young individuals to be precise, are often led away blindly following some of their other peers like sheep. This not just results in disappointment but also a failure at times. Following or mirroring what others do just for the sake of being or doing what they do is a far greater risk. 

Whether or not these factors govern career choices, one should always make sure not to be misled. It is essential to introspect and find one’s true calling before putting a step forward. If you think you’re not enough to decide so, a counseling session might help you out.

Related Read: How To Write A Cover Letter To Get Hired In 2021?