What are the factors that influence a career choice?

There comes a point in everyone’s life when they have to decide what to do in order to make a living. What are the factors that influence our career selection? As you would expect, this varies from person to person.

Some people seem to have an easier choice than others. People who have an exceptional talent in a particular area will most likely wish to enter a field where they will be able to make use of and develop this talent. A word of warning is necessary here.

In some fields, particularly artistic and sporting ones, you have to have an uncommonly great natural talent, be prepared to work extremely hard and have a great deal of luck. There are a great many talented would-be actors, musicians and football players who never achieve their dreams of professional success.

Then some people are influenced in their career choice by the things that bring them pleasure and the things they like to do. For example, someone who has a particular affection for animals, and has experience of looking after them, may consider becoming a vet. Similarly, someone who is particularly fond of young children, and has enjoyed helping to care for them, may think of becoming a nanny or a nursery nurse.

A parent’s career may well have a great impact on a young person’s choice of career. It seems as though certain careers tend to be particularly common in some families. Many doctors’ children, for example, choose to become doctors. The same is true of the children of teachers.

Family arguments can arise over the question of children following the same career paths as their parents. Some parents are desperately anxious for their children to emulate them in their choice of career. They may even try to force them to do so.

Unfortunately, some children do not want to do the same work as their parents. They want freedom of choice and they rebel against their parents’ ambitions. The situation can be particularly problematic when a child does not want to follow a parent into the family business.

Some young people may be influenced by advice from a teacher. This is often a teacher whose professional responsibility in a school is to advise students on careers. They consider the student’s aptitudes and interests and make suggestions.

Television and magazines can influence young people in their career ambitions. Unfortunately, the media can be the source of many unrealistic career dreams. They can make young people want to be pop stars, models or other supposed celebrities, when this is very unlikely to happen.

Quite a few young people are motivated by money in their choice of career. All they want is a well-paid job, whatever area this is in. Sometimes they choose jobs to which they are not really suited, or do not really enjoy, just because it will make them rich.

Some people are fortunate enough to have a vocation in life. They have a fervent desire to do a particular job from a very early age. This work often involves helping other people. People with a vocation may want to be doctors, nurses, ministers of religion or teachers, for example.

The choice of a career is one of the most important choices you will ever have to make. It is advisable to gather as much information and advice as possible before coming to a decision.