The moment you graduate from college or university, the excitement is likely to falter, and the only feeling you will have is anxiety. You are now entering an unfamiliar territory...a world that is so much different from where you came from. And the questions in your head will start to pile up as well. How do you know which job is right for you? Are you choosing the right career path? There are just so many things in your mind that it's making you feel overwhelmed already. And if there's one thing you need to figure out right now, it's your career identity.
What is your career identity?
You form your career identity during the process of discovering what you're good at, what your career aspirations are, and what you are passionate about. For you to be able to determine your career identity, you need to accurately assess your interests, skills, and career goals. This process seems complicated, so you should use the following tips on how you can reduce the gap between your current situation and your desired career.
Know how you react to change.
How you'll deal with the transition from graduation to your career is greatly affected by how you have handled changes in other areas of your life. If you've known yourself to be anxious and uncomfortable with changes, then it could be difficult for you to build a career path. Take note that this isn't because you are not capable, but because you haven't figured out how to deal with your fears. Thus, you have to learn to manage your negative feelings first so you will have a bigger chance of making good decisions in your career.
Take action and do something.
It's normal to not know clearly what you want to do with your life after college. Many of us go through that stage. However, you cannot just do nothing until you have figured out what you want to do. Don't think it's a waste of time to try a career that you feel you won't enjoy later on. You have to understand that it's the actual doing of something that helps you find your career path. There is always something you can learn from the jobs you hate, and this learning is what will make you a better person for the career you really love.
Don't punish yourself for what you didn't know.
Okay, so you got the job you didn't really like, and now you are stuck in it and you have other personal problems to worry about. Naturally, you hate yourself for your decision to take on this job. You have the right to be mad, but you shouldn't beat yourself up for this. You accepted the job offer because it seemed like the right thing to do back then. Instead of blaming yourself, focus on what you learned from the job, and make an effort to use it positively so it could help you move towards the right career direction.
Get some help.
If you feel stuck and are having a hard time establishing a good career plan for yourself, perhaps it's time that you seek help. A career counselor or a personal coach will help you find clarity on your career goals, improve your ability to make the right career decisions, and eventually achieve a fulfilling career.
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