Choosing what to pursue as a career is understandably one of the toughest issues teens face today, let alone trying to decide which post-secondary school to go to. With the growing number of options, from co-op, to internships, to majors and minors, it is easy to feel burdened with having your future determined within a few months with a few key decisions.
To begin, have an honest “one to one” with yourself. Think about the subjects that you have done or are currently doing in high school which have really caught your interest and make sure you are capable of success. For instance, if you really like probability math, perhaps you should look into Actuarial Science. If you like world issues and law, maybe you should look into political science. This way, if you choose a career path based on what you are truly interested in, you know that no matter how much you have to push yourself to reach your end goal, you will be willing to do it because you truly enjoy it. Due to this fact of life, you do not need to think too deeply about how much you would be paid for the job. However, make sure you do a lot of research through university websites and trusted online sources on the options. You should consider your capabilities, interests and programs that are in demand in the future. Also consider which programs are over-subscribed by students. You could gain so many opportunities just by picking something that not as many people are interested in yet. You might enjoy it. For instance, if you are a female, do not be afraid of engineering. Universities lack females in this department in general so they would be quite willing to accept you to narrow the gender divide.
A lot of people often feel pressured by family, friends, and society in general to aim towards certain subject-oriented careers such as those involving math and science. Though I strongly recommend pursuing something with one or both of these fields as math can be used in almost any job and science is always developing,if you do not enjoy them or do not feel capable of doing them, do not kid yourself. Do not force yourself to mold to them. You could still go into careers like a public relations specialist, journalist or criminal investigator to name a few.
If you do not know what job you want to pursue after hours upon hours and possibly months upon months of research as well as talking to students at university campus tours, do not worry. Just pick a general area you are sure you like, and narrow it down from there in the following years. First and second years of study are mostly general for programs only allowing you to be specific later on. Plus, jobs will exist in the future that do not exist right now. As long as you stay open and flexible, you are golden. Always remember that at the end of the day, anyone and everyone will be telling you to do this and do that and make them proud and make some money but no one will be putting the years of hard work that you will undoubtedly put into your chosen field. If you do it for yourself, you are guaranteed to persevere through your toughest moments and obstacles to become a success!
