When you ask the question yourself “what career is right for me?” there is waiting a number of things to take into account:

Personality, Is there a good match between your personality and chosen career? This can have a significant impact on whether you find your work fulfilling. There are two main aspects to take into account: whether the career matches your personality (that is, how much you work within your preferences) and to what extent you will need, at times, to stretch outside your preferred style.

Motivation, For long term career satisfaction this one is the most important factor. Find a job that motivates you and you’ve found the right career. Motivation covers a wider range of topics, such as:

• Your interests
• What gives you a “sense of achievement”
• Unconscious motivation factors, illuminated by models such as Maslow, Hertzberg.

Skills, Having the right skill set is the key that opens the door to many careers. The skills you acquire are the result of:

• Your innate ability or aptitudes, developed by:
• The training you receive

Values, This might include:

• The lifestyle you want
• Your beliefs, religion or ethical guidelines you follow
• The type of organisation or people you want to work for
• The product or service you want to contribute towards

Constraints, These might include:

• Financial commitments or limitations
• The geographical location where you can work
• Family responsibilities
• Physical disability or restriction
• Your qualifications/education

Ambitions, What are your long term aims? This might include questions such as:

• If and when you want to start a family and “settle down”
• Whether you want a single job for the rest of your life or have the option to change career
• Do you eventually want to set up your own business or climb the ladder inside a large organization?
• When do you want to retire?

Opportunities, Deciding what you want to do is of no use unless there are opportunities for you to pursue. You can find opportunities through actions such as:

• Responding to advertisements for jobs or vocational training/sponsorship
• Unsolicited approaches to organizations to see if there are any vacancies
• Networking through people you know to get referrals
• Creating your own business