You may be good in particular subjects. You also have dreams of making it big in life, and people have told you about careers where you can get on the fast track and make big money. Based on these factors if you take up a course that gives you an entry in that field, you will no doubt qualify yourself, and also get a job – but you will not know whether you will actually enjoy working in that profession. And if you don’t enjoy your work, it is highly unlikely that you will go up the ladder.

Keep in mind that your school and college can only provide you with the theoretical foundation for your vocation, they cannot give you the feel of the real world beyond the classroom and the campus. And more often than not, the real world is completely different from what you learnt through text books. Hence it will help you immensely if you ensure that you know what life is in any particular profession, how much stress is involved, what lifestyle they lead, how the career graph normally goes, and what skills help in faster progress. You can find out these facts by one or more of the following methods:

Meet up with someone who has spent years and decades in that field and discuss what his experiences have been.

Meet a young person who has recently entered that profession, and get his/her opinion of what the latest trends are, how happy he is, etc.

Request someone to give you an opportunity to spend some time in that activity. If you can manage to get an internship (even if they do not pay you), it is much better. Spend holidays, evenings, or even a few months working with them.

Surf the Net for practical information of what is going on in the particular career (but be cautious not to get carried away as all information on the Net may not be reliable).

Talk to professors or training institutes about the students who have already qualified in that vocation, and find out how well they are doing career-wise.

Visualise yourself working in that environment for 40-50 years, and ask yourself whether you will enjoy your work. This is the final and most essential exercise.

Hope this helps
CareerAge Counselor