Incorporating “Reality” into Choosing the Right Career

Throughout my careers, I’ve struggled with balancing economic reality with my interests, passions, and life demands. Choosing careers throughout your life requires you to decide, again and again, how to spend your time, money, and energy – and prioritize them. A big task.

So I’m always looking for helpful ways to incorporate “reality” into choosing the right career. We suggest a number of activities to “Know Yourself” at our website and I recommend adding one more to this list.

I found a helpful resource in Chapter 7, “Align the Practical Realities” of Tamara Erickson’s book, “Plugged In: The Generation Y Guide to Thriving at Work.” Although the book is directed to Generation Y (people born between 1980 and 2000), it has much to offer everyone. I got it at the library but it's reasonably priced on Amazon too. Ms. Erickson also has an excellent blog “Across the Ages.”

In this chapter, Ms. Erickson describes ways you might consider the following issues:

• Time (how you want to spend it),
• Rhythm (how do you like to work),
• Economic reality (financial needs),
• Challenge (willingness to take on learning new skills)
• Responsibility (interest in taking on leadership and management roles)

When you’re evaluating career options that match your Holland personality, consider reading more in this book. It will help you fill in your decision balance sheet you can download for free as part of our “High Quality Decisions” article.