Here’s Why Choosing a Career Path is so Difficult

When was the first time you heard, “what do you want to be when you grow up”? As soon as kids hit the school-going age, the questions start rolling in. As a result, you might have spent a lot of time growing up thinking about what career you want to pursue as an adult. Still, after all those years of giving it a good thought, most adults can’t help but break into sweat every time people inquire what they want to be when they grow up.

Unsplash | Kids are taught from a young age that they have to pick what they want to be when they grow up

Why is it so? Why, even after all those years of trying to decide, is it so tough to land on a career?

Well, here are a couple of probable reasons:

1. Traditional Paths Have Been Obliterated

Things have changed now, and it is normal to change 10 or more times throughout their career, to the point where one can’t stick to a single industry for more than a decade. Side hustles, portfolio careers, hybrid roles, and new markets have created opportunities that were once impossible to conjure.

Professions can now create mixed-income streams, dip their toes in new fields, and even change the whole trajectory of their careers. So, what you need to do is to stop looking at titles. There’s no way that you can tell the worth of a position just by its job title.

Unsplash | Someone’s directorial role in one company could be equivalent to a managerial role in another, and vice versa

2. Ignore the Outdated Advice

Growing up, you must have been told to “follow your passion” but that’s far from outdated. Now there are two problems with this: some people have multiple passions, while others have passions that can’t translate into ideal careers. Instead, a better piece of advice is to follow your professional energy. Examine aspects that are interesting to you. Think back to a particular activity that you enjoyed. And then look for roles that can revive that activity for you.

3. Identity Clinging Is Strong

While most people are always looking to change careers, they have a hard time seeing themselves in a different way. When you follow a career for a significant length of time, it becomes a part of your core title. This is ingrained within most people to the point where it comes included with the introduction when meeting new people. Clinging to one identity is what prevents people from moving forward in their careers.

Unsplash | Your job is not your identity – it changes throughout your life

Wrapping It Up

The first thing you need to do is realize that we’re living in a very different time. As such, advice from the previous generations is the last thing, you need. Apart from that, take the aforestated revelations and find the flaws that hold you back. Sometimes, the biggest reason you can’t decide or move forward is you.