This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Vanderbilt chapter.
This time last year, I was in complete crisis mode. I had no idea what I wanted to do post-graduation. I know that many of you are too new in your college careers to be concerned with this, but if you happen to have Type A tendencies like myself, it may be really bumming you out. I was gifted some sage advice last year about how to achieve career happiness and I wanted to share it with you all in order to potentially alleviate some stress.
1. What are you passionate about?
What makes you happy? What do you really enjoy doing? Do you like working with children? Designing clothes? Whatever it is that brings you self-fulfillment is your passion. Explore this. Don’t let it slip away.
2. What are your strengths?
Now that we have talked about what it is that you LIKE to do, let’s think about what it is you’re very GOOD at doing. Is it writing? Math? Or just generally being fabulous? You may not enjoy doing any of these things, but if you have a talent for them, don’t take them lightly. You’re good at it for a reason.
3. Merge the two.
Okay, so you’ve completed the first two steps. Awesome! Think about how your passions and strengths can be aligned to create your dream career. For example, if you’re passionate about children and are great at math, you might consider becoming a teacher. The opportunities are endless.
Those were the three steps to achieving career happiness. Remember, none of this is set in stone. You may find that your passions and strengths don’t exactly match up. Or you may think that you have your life all figured out. Whatever the case may be, I hope that these tips were able to help shed some light on your future plans. Now go out and succeed!