If You Want to Land a Career You’ll Love, Don’t Make These 3 Mistakes

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• October 31, 2014
• By Iniobong Eyo
• 1 Comment

You’ve sought advice at one time or the other. Maybe it was about your career or just something that was bothering you.

The advice giver, perhaps more dazed and confused than yourself, or probably trying to sound helpful in his bout of confusion, mutters: “Just follow your heart.”

That’s all.

You start wondering: “If my heart had answers, why am I here with you?”

Either way, you start searching your heart frantically for answers. When you don’t find answers, you might decide to go the safe route and quickly pick a career instead. Wrong move. Here is why the career you pick if you decide to settle might be the wrong choice.

1. You might be peer pressured into a career you hate

Remember when everyone in school wanted to be a doctor, lawyer or firefighter? Fewer kids wanted to be a writer or an artist. And nobody mentioned being a marketer.

The tendency to want to do what everyone else is doing is very strong. That’s natural. That’s why our hearts can easily mislead us into thinking we love a career because everybody else is doing it.

Did you feel driven towards a career path to improve your social status? Or did you feel like this career would earn you admiration or respect of your peers? Just because other people think a particular career is a good move doesn’t mean it’s a good fit for you.

Learn the facts about your career of choice before you finalize your decision. (Click here to tweet this quote.) Explore your options and do your research. You may fall in love with a profession you never thought you could — or perhaps even discover a profession you’ve never even heard of before! In fact, you may find that you love multiple professions once you know specifics about them.

2. You may choose a career because it’s easy

Human nature comes into play here once again. We love when things are easy — who doesn’t? But keep in mind that you can become addicted to comfort.

Sure, it’s easier to work a 9-to-5 job than it is to start your own company. It’s easier to read about successful people and fantasize about their lifestyle than to get your butt off the couch to find your dream job.

Most times, our hearts would rather have it that way. But do not choose a career only because it’s the easy thing to do.

Keep this quote in mind from Theodore Roosevelt: “There has never yet been a man in our history who led a life of ease whose name is worth remembering.”

3. You could chose a career out of desperation

Sometimes you get to a point in your life where you pick a job simply because you need a job. You’re broke, seemingly helpless and you’ve got hungry stomachs waiting to be fed. Plus you’ve got rent to pay and you have to eat, too.

After getting the job, what happens? If you come to love the job, great! But don’t settle if you don’t love it. You shouldn’t stay at the job longer than necessary. This should only be a stepping stone to your finding and doing work you love.

Don’t let any of the above reasons be a sole basis for your choice of a career. Even if you don’t know what you want just yet, you’ll get there. Don’t take the easy route and pick a career because it’s easy or expected. Go your own way to find a career you’ll love.

Iniobong Eyo is an adept writer, and freelance blogger for hire who specializes in creating content on personal development and careers among other things. Learn more about his content writing services at menwelike.com.

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