How do we know which is the right profession for us?

Am I making a right career choice? Do I really love this job enough to do it for a lifetime? I am afraid to venture out, should I ? Are just some of the many questions we ask ourselves before doing a career change or when choosing a new career.

I have been there, trust me it can get a little confusing. You will end up doing a lot of testing the waters, to see if that career is right for you. I mean even I didn't set out to be a photographer from the get go. Initially I explored the idea of becoming a zumba instructor as I danced professionally. I then wrote about fashion for a bunch of city based magazines and even toyed with the idea of becoming an image consultant ten years ago. Heck I even wanted to become an actor, but for obvious reasons I couldn't. As you can see that I took quite the detour before landing where I am. And that's perfectly alright.  Some will figure out what they want from the get go while some won't. There is nothing wrong in taking a little bit more time to figure out what you really want. But if you are frustrated that you cannot figure out what you want, let me help you with that. These are just a FEW TIPS I am going to give you based on my experience, so there is a perfect way to do this, it's just a process of trial and error.

1) The things we love to do subconsciously , whether we do it 10% of our time and 50% of our time could be things we end up doing professionally for the rest of our lives. 

So the first step would be to make a list of such things. This step involves a lot of self assessment and self analysis. You need to understand yourself, your likes, dislikes etc. Only then will you be able to figure out the moments you truly enjoyed. In those moments, figure out which activity made you feel that way. In my example, it’s babies. I realized I love them when I went through 6 months of working with them and never once lost my patience. If you had asked me if I would ever want to do anything with photography, would’ve said hell yes! but  kids? I wouldn’t have dreamt of it but now I know I belong in this space . I couldn’t have asked for anything more fulfilling than this.

2) Based on the list you made above, see what are the different professions you can try out. Do a detailed research on the different branches of the profession.

For example if you love tutoring your cousins or your siblings, teaching could be a profession you can consider. But there is a teacher in every line of work, for example you could become a college professor or a preschool teacher etc. So research and understand the different branches of  this profession. See what is the specific path you want to take.

3) See if you have what it takes to get into that profession. 

Check if you have the necessary skills or knowledge regarding the profession. Nobody is an expert from the get go and there are a lot of things you can learn only through experience. Yes but there are certain basic skills you need to be equipped with for any profession. For example if you want to become a newborn photographer, you have to do courses on newborn safety.

4) Venture out

The last step is to venture out. Go and try out the job for yourself. See if you are suited for it or if you enjoy doing it. The best time to test the waters is when you are in college, because that's when you can go for as many internships as you can. But even if you are out of college, that's okay. You can still venture, it's never too late to find your passion and your profession. 

These are just some of the things I did to get myself where I am today. I really hope this will help you find your passion and profession. Just remember it doesn't have to be a new idea or a job out there that’s of high demand. .  It's something you love, you are familiar with and have already spent hours doing.  If you can marry that one activity, one art you are into and marry that to the idea of making money, you found yourself something *huge* right there.

Till then, keep creating!