Choosing the best career path can feel overwhelming, whether you’re a student stepping into the workforce, a professional considering a career change, or someone feeling stuck in an unfulfilling role. With so many options, how do you find a career path that aligns with your skills, interests, and values?

I have worked with hundreds of people seeking a career change, some are looking for more fulfillment, some are impacted by market changes such as layoffs, or are wanting to get to know themselves better.

I created this career guide of practical steps to help you gain clarity and make an informed career decision.

Assess Your Interests and Passions

Your career should excite and motivate you. Aligning your work with your passions can lead to greater satisfaction and success.

How to Identify Your Interests:

Journaling: Write down activities you genuinely enjoy. Take a look at your past work experience and write out a list of what you liked in that specific role and what you did not like. Do this by previous job titles, you will then be able to identify reoccurring patterns.
Patterns: Notice recurring themes in what excites you—problem-solving, creativity, helping others, planning, organizing?
Reflection: Think about hobbies, past projects, or tasks that make you lose track of time. What do you do naturally and would spend hours doing so?

Example: If you love problem-solving, you might thrive in engineering, counseling, or business analysis.

Understand Your Strengths and Skills

Recognizing your natural talents helps you choose a career where you can excel.

Ways to Identify Your Strengths:

Career assessment tools like CliftonStrengths (StrengthsFinder) or the High5 Test. My coaching methodology focuses on my clients strengths. We all have a gift, something we do well without much effort. It might seem that we need to be doing something that requires effort for it to be valuable; however this is a myth.
Ask for feedback from friends, family, or colleagues about what you do well. Think about the feedback you would receive from others on what they appreciated you do.
Self-reflection: What tasks do you accomplish effortlessly compared to others? This is often things that we take for granted and think are irrelevant, or common sense, or trivial, because you do it so well it seems like this to you. Here lies your gift.

Example: Strong communicators may thrive in sales, marketing, or teaching, while analytical thinkers may excel in finance, research, or data science.

Explore Your Values and Priorities

Your values influence job satisfaction. A career that aligns with what matters most to you will feel more fulfilling.

How to Define Your Values:

Make a list of career “must-haves” and “deal breakers” (e.g., work-life balance, salary expectations, job stability).
Ask yourself: Do you prefer creative freedom, teamwork, or independence? Prioritizing your preferences in order can help you weed out different choices.
Consider industries that align with your values, such as corporate roles for financial security or non-profits for purpose-driven work.

Example: If flexibility is a priority, freelancing or remote work may be ideal. If you seek stability, traditional employment might be better.

Research Potential Careers

Once you have an idea of your interests, strengths, and values, start exploring career options.

Where to Find Information:

Online resources: LinkedIn, Glassdoor, industry blogs, and career websites.
Networking: LinkedIn is a very powerful platform to network, as are industry events, conducting informational interviews, and connecting with professionals in fields of interest. Often networking in other social events such as hiking, restaurant hopping, art and other types of classes are great ways to get to know people in a more personal way. We tend to be less guarded in non business events.
Job shadowing: If you are already in an organization that has other areas of interest you can ask to job shadow for an afternoon a week to observe other professionals in action to understand their daily responsibilities..

Pro Tip: Explore growing industries like technology, healthcare, or sustainability to ensure long-term career stability.

Consider Your Personality Type

Your personality affects how you work best. Using career assessment tools can help you match your personality to compatible roles.

Popular Free Career Assessments:

Holland Code Career Test: Helps you understand which types of work environments and careers are most likely to fit your interests, talents, and aptitudes.

Big Five Personality Test: Helps understand behavioural tendencies, personality traits and career planning.
MAPP test: Helps you identify your interests, preferences, and motivations in the workplace.
16 Personalities Test: Based on the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator, this test identifies 16 personality types.
Princeton Review Career Quiz: Offers career suggestions based on your interests and style.
CareerFitter: Helps you discover your work personality.

Example:

Extroverts may enjoy public-facing roles like marketing or event planning.
Introverts might prefer independent roles like programming or writing.

Experiment and Gain Experience

Sometimes, the best way to know if a career is right for you is to test it out.

Ways to Gain Experience:

Internships: Get hands-on experience with minimal long-term commitment. While many interns are college/university students, other adults can also participate in internships to gain new skills or transition careers, even if they are already employed full-time. Always check the specific internship program’s eligibility requirements to see if non-students can apply.
Volunteering: Explore industries while making a positive impact. Volunteering is another great way to gain information and find out what you might like to move into next. Many of my clients have gone to offer their services as a volunteer to gain insight and experience.
Freelancing or side projects: Test different roles before making a full transition. Today more and more companies are opting for this option in offering shorter term contracts before taking on permanent employees. You can also start by approaching organizations that you know you can help solve a pain point by being an independent and working on a specific project before jumping in full time.

Example: If you’re interested in graphic design, take on small freelance projects before committing to a full-time role.

Seek Guidance from a Career Coach or Mentor

Talking to experienced professionals can provide valuable career insights.

How to Find Career Guidance:

Career coaches can offer guidance and support in finding your next move. They usually have a wide reach of knowledge in different industries and job role requirements.
Mentors (found through LinkedIn, alumni networks, or professional groups) provide industry-specific advice. Mentors can be paid or free. You might even find some in your current university or organization that would love too give back. Many organizations these days have mentoring program offerings.

Example: A mentor in your target industry can offer insider tips, helping you avoid common mistakes.

Reflect and Reassess Periodically

Your career journey is not set in stone. As you grow and change, your ideal career path may evolve.

Steps to Reassess Your Career Path:

Regularly evaluate your job satisfaction and adjust your direction if needed. What we might have thought of as not being a possibility 3 months ago, might feel like your dream come true now. Reevaluating your current position regularly is a sign of agility, growth and transformation. I have found in working with some of my clients that they first thought that they wanted to change careers, but after working together they end up discovering a new passion for the position they already occupy.
Stay open to new opportunities and industries that align with your evolving skills and interests. The world is always changing, and faster than ever. Stay open to new possibilities with a sense of curiosity, anything is possible.
Remember, career changes are normal and often lead to more fulfilling work. Labor statistics show that the average person changes jobs 5–7 times during their working life.

Conclusion on Finding the Best Career Path

Finding the best career path takes time, exploration, and self-reflection. By assessing your interests, strengths, and values, researching potential careers, gaining experience, and seeking guidance, you can make an informed decision.

Take the first set today and set up a call with me. I have worked with hundreds of clients to help them land their dream job, gain fulfillment in there current roles, get promoted, and start their own businesses.

How to Find What Career Is Best for Me