Did you know that there are over 1,800 majors to choose from when going to college? That’s a lot of options when you’re trying to decide what direction you want to go in with your career for the rest of your life.

Today, you can put many majors to use in different types of jobs and don’t need to decide as early on what you want your career path to be. Keep reading and we will guide you through how to choose a career that will be fun and rewarding.

How to Choose a Career

When you’re looking to choose a career, you want to put a lot of thought into it and not dive in and take the first job that you see or get. People have lists of the “best careers,” but in reality you want to find what’s best for you.

When you’re looking to choose a career, you want to keep the following things in mind so that you pick the one that’s right for you and that will lead to long-term fulfillment.

Look Inward

You can start with a self-assessment and think about what kind of work you want to do, who you want to work with, and what’s important to you in terms of company culture.

You can ask yourself the following questions to help guide your assessment:

• What are your values?
• What are you interested in?
• What personalities do you work best with?
• What soft and technical skills do you have?

Let these guide your reflection and write down your answers so you can keep track of your thought process.

List Out Your Must-Haves

Once you write out your self-reflection, next to it, make a list of your “must-haves”, or things that are not negotiable in your career. A few examples include a certain salary, healthcare benefits, if you want to travel for work, or if you need work from home flexibility.

Do Your Research

Starting looking at LinkedIn, Indeed, Glassdoor, and other job websites to find jobs/job descriptions that match with what you’re looking for and read reviews of companies to see what you’re looking for in terms of company culture.

With 9.2 million job openings in the U.S., you will need to do thorough research to narrow down your search.

Finding a Job

Once you decide what type of job you want to look for and make a list of companies, the last step is building up your resume.

You want to make your resume appealing to potential employers. You may find that taking extra courses or getting certificates can be appealing.

For example, in an accounting career, you can get a certificate to further your experience and help with tax preparation. You can rest assured knowing this job will always be in demand.

Start Your Career Search

Now that you have the tools on how to choose a career that fits you best, you’re ready to self-reflect.

Once you reflect, list out what you can’t live without in a job, do your research on companies and types of jobs, and bulk up your resume.