Still don’t know what you want to be when you grow up? Here’s how to find a career where you thrive
Read Time: 2 mins
A staggering 85% of workers are not engaged in their work. I count myself lucky to be part of the 15% who are. After 30 years in many different companies, I still love my work. I put it down to my excellent early role models, mentors and coaches. Thank you Millie Miladinovic! They gave me a sense of who I was and what I wanted to be. They helped me look forward and gave me direction. They helped me find my ‘why’.
The working world can be perplexing when you’re just starting out – when you don’t know what you don’t know and you don’t know what’s possible.
Young people are most influenced by what’s around them. While parents and teachers play a role in supporting choice of career, Google remains the top source of information about career opportunities and even TV shows can influence career options.
In one study, nearly 40% of millennials reported their choice of career was based on a television role model. Their favourite shows depict police, doctors and lawyers. Suits has inspired many to pursue a career in law.
But these are all generic sources of information. Without a personalised understanding of your interests, your strengths and where you might thrive, career choice becomes a bit of a lottery. It makes it hard to stay engaged. In fact, people who use their strengths every day are 6 times more likely to be engaged. Workplaces that focus on their workers’ strengths, engagement jumps from 15% to more than 60%.
To choose a career path that is the best fit for you, you need to understand your interests and strengths, set career goals, and make a plan that includes the things you need to do to get you there. Learn more about yourself and the jobs people like you might thrive in.
Get into the 15% club. You will spend more than 90,000 hours of your life working so do what you love and love what you do.
