Are you having a hard time figuring out what to do with your life? Next, continue reading. I share some real tips for finding your career path.
Do you know anyone who knows what they want to do since they were young? Yeah, well, that wasn’t me.
Whenever people ask me what I want to do in my life, I answer something different (grown up in the 1970s): a school teacher, nurse, mom, model, secretary, or flight attendant.
Even when I arrived in high school, I still had no clue what I wanted to do in my life. I dabbled in art, Spanish, sociology, and psychology, but I didn’t feel any strong pull in one direction.
My university days
When I went to university, I started as an undecided major. I took the basics along with many social sciences. And while enjoying the class, I still didn’t know what to do for my career. I eventually switched majors many times before finally settling in anthropology for my major with minors in sociology.
What were I going to do with them?
There are no clues. All I knew was that if I got my bachelor’s degree everything else would fall into place.
After graduating from university, I spent two months off from my job as a waitress, backpacking Europe and realising what I wanted to do with my life. Throughout my trip I continued to remember the folktales classes I had received. In this class I learned about various birth habits from around the world…and suddenly it hit me – I wanted to be a midwife!
When I returned to the US, I began researching midwifery, labor and delivery nursing and decided to apply to nursing school. I was so proud that I finally realized what I wanted to do in my life.
Working as a nurse
Fast forward a few years ago and after one nursing degree I realized I was working in the pediatrics department in the hospital (yeah, I found out I wasn’t enjoying the labor and delivery as I thought).
There were many things I enjoyed about nursing, including critical thinking involved, helping others and working with great teams. But there were things I dislike about nursing, like lack of staffing, odd and long hours, demands, sleazy, mean doctors, and more. Over the course of a year, I was completely burned out with idealism and excitement.
From there, I continued to pre-approve Medicaid, then monitored and used reviews, and finally clinical research at the pharmaceutical company. These roles were better than my hospital days, but they didn’t bring joy. I was often afraid to go to work every Monday morning.
Become a new mom
As soon as I was pregnant with my daughter, I planned to leave the world of work. I knew I was unemployed for a long time, so I saved as much money as I could during the last nine months I worked as a nurse. I saved $15,000, but I thought it would last for me for a few years. However, my savings fell much faster than I expected. My husband’s income covered our big expenses, but I was still hoping to have money for my classes with Mom, playdates and my regular coffee fixes at Starbucks. During this period, I began looking for work at home gigs.
I had no clue what I wanted to do. All I knew was that I didn’t want my daughter to be in nursery and didn’t want to go back to nursing. My goal was to make just enough money so my daughter and I could continue to participate in external activities.
Find my career path
I searched online for work-from-home opportunities and came across a lot of scams. I’ve read a lot of books about changing careers, starting a business, and working from home. I had talked with friends and family about various career options and even thought about starting a personal concierge or virtual assistant business. I also asked self-employed people and friends if they were doing work that I could. My networking efforts finally paid off, and I started working from home. I completed marketing tasks 10 hours a week for a small publisher.
Start a blog
Once I got the money, my mind was free to focus on other things. And I had started blogging about other things that jumped into my head. If you struggle to find a home-based career, there must be others who are facing the same problem. At this point, I decided to create a work with a woman at home.
For months I researched ideas for work from home, wrote content, and researched ways to monetize brainstorming. Eventually, I bite a bullet, hired a graphic designer, and created a website. It was officially released on March 19, 2009.
For six years I continued to work as a publisher freelance work and working on my blog, which continued to grow dramatically. But I was stressed out. My position at the publisher has evolved into a much more dynamic role, just like my blog business.
My blog was still making a fair amount of money, but still provided consistent income every month, so I was afraid to let go of my freelance gig (no basic decisions about fear). I finally decided to let go of my freelance gig and focus on my blog full time. I should have taken this break earlier, but I should have learned living.
Sixteen years later, I still have a career I love. I’m not afraid of Monday mornings. In fact, I look forward to them. In terms of income, I make more money than I ever worked as a full-time nurse. When you have a career that you worship, there are no limits to what you can do.
So, what tips do I have for finding your career path? Continue reading. I’m approaching the good stuff!
11 Tips to Find Your Career Path When You Go Lost
1. I will discover myself
When you are struggling to find a path to your career, you need to dig deeper into what your life will look like. Start by asking yourself a few self-discovery questions to understand your purpose in life.
- When are you happiest?
- What emits your energy?
- Which areas are you naturally skilled in?
- Are you happy to go back to school?
- Do people always ask you to choose your heart?
- If money isn’t your goal, what are you doing now?
- What makes you feel fulfilled?
- What causes you anxiety?
- What do you think is your dream job?
- Why not start a business?
- What are your short-term and long-term goals?
By examining this list of questions, patterns begin to develop and using this information you can explore possible career paths. Conversely, if you find an area that makes you feel unhappy or stressed, you can identify those careers and industries.
If you need more self-discovery questions, check out this list from author Tim Ferris, 17 questions that changed my life.
2. Become a greedy reader
I’m thinking better about some possible career ideas, so reading a few books will allow me to dig deeper into the topic. Don’t worry if you haven’t found a possible career path yet. There are books that can help you!
One of the books I read while trying to understand what to do in my life was, what color is your parachute? Your guide to meaningful work and career success life. The book sells over 10,000,000 copies, and remains a staple food among job seekers today. Author Richard Boles updates the book every few years, so it is still relevant in today’s job market.
Here are some new career books you might want to explore:
Reading can help inspire new ideas, gain valuable insights, and learn new things. It’s also a cheap way to invest in self-development (or free if you use a local library). According to this Tiktok video by Rachel Pedersen, the average person only reads four books a year. If you read one book a week for the next two years, you will go ahead of the rest of your life.
And if you’re interested in starting a business, I have a list of books by top entrepreneurs here.
3. Take the career evaluation test
Another way to find your ideal career path is to take a career test. There are many different online tests that will help you hone the perfect career for your personality. Some popular tests, like The Myers-Briggs (Mbtionline Careers) test, costing $79.95, helps you find career satisfaction by matching personality outcomes with different professions and being satisfied with those roles.
Other career-related tests, including some Enneagram personality tests, are free. When you’re struggling to understand which career paths are right for you, these tests can shed light on new career ideas. I took the Enneagram test a few years ago and it was very accurate to propose a viable career path for my personality: Entrepreneurs!
4. Try something new
One reason people get stuck in career searches is that they don’t leave their comfort zone. And trusting me, I was there. It’s very easy to get caught up in doing the same thing over and over again. After all, we are creatures of habit. So go out there and try something new. Join classes, take part in networking events, take on new hobbies, sign up for online courses, and talk to many people. The more you open yourself up to new opportunities, the more ideas and information will flow down your path.
When I began looking for remote jobs outside of the nursing field, I was immersed in the field of career. I connected with people on social media, read career-related articles, attended networking events, and spoke to people who asked about my career search. The more I put myself there, the closer I became to learning and finding my dream job. Don’t be afraid to try something new. Apply for another job, start side hustle, sign up for a free course, or return to school. With each new step you take, you will be one step closer to finding your career path.
5. An information interview will be conducted
If you have insight into the career path you want to explore, start conducting an informational interview. In an information interview, talk to people who are actually doing what they want to do. For example, if you want to be a nurse, you might talk to a nurse who works in the area you want to work with and ask questions about their role.
Questions to ask include:
- What is the best part of your job?
- What do you dislike about your job?
- Before you enter this field, what do you know?
- What does a typical work day look like to you?
- What was the employment process for ABC?
The goal of an information interview is to give you an internal scoop about your occupation and sometimes the employment company. Getting a real-life explanation of what the role entails will help you determine if this is actually the right direction for you. Information interviews are also valuable to create new connections and step into the door with your company. See this post for more information on conducting an informational interview.
6. Listen to podcasts and ted talk
Just like reading a book, listening to podcasts and ted talks can help you generate new ideas, inspire yourself, and create positive habits. The great thing about this media is that you can do it while driving, cooking dinner, or exercising.
Don’t know where to start?
Check out these curated podcast lists for job seekers and aspiring business owners!
- FlexJobs – 10 exciting career podcasts to add to your list
- Women at Home Work – The Best Podcast for Raising Small Businesses
- Vault – 10 career podcasts to help you find your dream job and unlock possibilities
7. Search by skill rather than occupation
There are over 867 types of occupations, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are so many different jobs you can do, so it’s possible that you are not familiar with some roles you may be passionate about or qualified to.
To find these mysterious jobs, try searching by skills rather than by occupation. You can actually use sites like Robert Half to accomplish this task. Enter your skills and see what other professions pop up. For example, I actually typed a fast typist and the following occupation came up:
- Data Entry Clerk
- Chart Search Specialist
- Document Care Specialist
- Clerk
- Administrative Assistant
Searching by skill rather than occupation will help you learn new positions that you can explore more. If something piques your curiosity, you can conduct an informational interview to find out if it’s right for you. In some cases, no additional training may be required.
8. volunteer
When my daughter was young she wanted to become a veterinarian and work with animals. So one day we volunteered for four hours in the cat sanctuary. Meanwhile, we scooped hundreds of garbage bins and cleaned up cat vomit. As soon as I cleaned all the bins, they were dirty again and I had to start over. There were a lot of cats! By the end of our session, my daughter said she didn’t think it was for her to be a veterinarian.
Volunteering is a great way to give back to the community and find out if your profession is truly everything.
There are many companies that are happy to have you volunteer. I volunteer for organizations like Texas Women and Austin Women’s Technology, doing social media tasks and roundtables. When my daughter was a freshman, she volunteered at our local library and relocated the book.
Volunteer opportunities are endless and look great on your resume! Check out the volunteer matches and find local volunteer opportunities.
9. Hire a career or life coach
If you’re struggling to find a career path and have the funds, hiring a life or career coach is a great way to reveal your new passion. A coach can help you understand what you want to do in your life, establish an action plan, and stay accountable for your journey. Some coaches help with the skills to write resumes and interview.
Hiring a career coach can cost around $75-150 (and sometimes more) per session, but if you feel stuck, it can be worth the price.
When looking for a career coach, you need to do some research to hire people who provide a lot of insight and value. Look at their training, testimony, reviews, years of experience and more. This article has some helpful tips to help you determine whether hiring a career coach is right for your situation.
10. Test the side hustle
Sometimes finding the right path involves testing water. Also, what is a better way to do so than testing side hustles? With technological advances, you can start side hustles with little to nothing, so there’s not much pressure to invest a lot of money.
If you’re talented at graphic design, video editing, or writing, set up an account on Fiverr or Upwork to start freelance. If you like creating Instagram content, try monetizing your efforts through paid sponsorships and affiliate marketing. If you love animals, try sitting down your pet and walking your dog with your rover.
There are thousands of ways to launch a side hustle. This allows you to explore your desired occupation without having to quit your day’s job or return to school.
If you decide you love Side Hustle You started expanding it And make it your full-time business. Don’t you love the hustle on your side? That’s fine. Close the store and try something new.
11. Watch the YouTube video
You can learn anything by watching YouTube videos!
YouTube is not only a great way to learn new skills, but it also helps you clarify what you want to do.
My daughter, a senior in high school, was a college major and scattered between engineering and architecture. After watching YouTube videos in her free time, she went down these potential career paths and learned important lessons from others who decided on a major based on other people’s real-life examples.
Find a rap-up for your career path
You have it: 11 simple tips to find your career path!
The last advice. It took me 30 and over 37 years to find my ideal career path. Don’t let other people’s expectations lead you on the wrong path. Keep taking your baby’s steps, try new things, and learn everything you can. As long as you are consistent and open-minded with your efforts, you are on your path to finding your career path!
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It was originally released on September 6th, 2018. The content was updated in March 2025.