Why it's so difficult to figure out what to do with your life – and three steps to take
- Written by Marina Milosheva, PhD Candidate, Social Informatics, Edinburgh Napier University
What do you want to be when you grow up?
Practically from the moment you start talking, you’re asked this question. As a child, you’re encouraged to make decisions about school subjects, activities and higher education, all in pursuit of a future career.
These decisions, which have major repercussions for how the rest of your life will unfold, are often hastily made[1].
Careers advice can be challenging to navigate and tends to focus on “moments of choice”[2]: those crucial transition points at which you need to make career decisions, such as when leaving secondary school.
However, “moments of inspiration”[3] are equally important. These are the times in which you are free to reflect on what you would really like to do, free of pressure or external influence.
If you feel stuck, you can get in touch with your local career service for free and impartial career information, advice and guidance. In the UK, these are the National Careers Service[17] (England), Skills Development Scotland[18] and Careers Wales[19].
And if you’re feeling bold, you could also contact people who are in your dream job and ask them how they got there.
3. Find decent and meaningful work
Until you figure out that dream role, you should try to look for what careers scholars such as David Blustein[20] and Amartya Sen[21] have described as decent and meaningful work.
Decent work[22] upholds the basic principles of social justice and human rights. You will know that you are in a decent job when you are fairly compensated, your role is not precarious, and work does not make you chronically stressed or ill.
Meaningful work is aligned with your values and lets you achieve the kind of life that you value. Any work can be meaningful work, as long as it is compatible with what you consider to be important.
A meaningful job can be one that allows you to have a good work-life balance, or one that comes with high pay. It could be a job that helps others, or one that lets you express yourself creatively. It could also be a job that facilitates your personal growth or a job that contributes to the greater good.
Career planning takes time, but so does being stuck in the wrong job. British people spend an average of 3,507 days at work[23] over their lives. Why not spend that time doing something you love?
References
- ^ are often hastily made (www.theguardian.com)
- ^ “moments of choice” (www.bi.team)
- ^ “moments of inspiration” (www.careersandenterprise.co.uk)
- ^ This article is part of Quarter Life (theconversation.com)
- ^ Three mindfulness and meditation techniques that could help you manage work stress (theconversation.com)
- ^ Your LinkedIn doesn’t need to be perfect – four ways to build an authentic profile to boost your personal brand (theconversation.com)
- ^ Worried about AI? You might have AI-nxiety – here’s how to cope (theconversation.com)
- ^ their talents are underutilised (news.sky.com)
- ^ overeducated for their current role (www.ons.gov.uk)
- ^ underskilled (www.mckinsey.com)
- ^ and to some extent, even your personality (onlinelibrary.wiley.com)
- ^ certain sectors (commonslibrary.parliament.uk)
- ^ displacement of jobs in others (www.pwc.co.uk)
- ^ “work” and “career” (napier-repository.worktribe.com)
- ^ Animal Me (animalme.myworldofwork.co.uk)
- ^ Yuri A/Shutterstock (www.shutterstock.com)
- ^ National Careers Service (nationalcareers.service.gov.uk)
- ^ Skills Development Scotland (www.skillsdevelopmentscotland.co.uk)
- ^ Careers Wales (careerswales.gov.wales)
- ^ David Blustein (careerguidancesocialjustice.wordpress.com)
- ^ Amartya Sen (iep.utm.edu)
- ^ Decent work (www.frontiersin.org)
- ^ 3,507 days at work (www.independent.co.uk)
