Having trouble deciding on what your career should be? Well I’ve got good news for you – this is totally normal. You aren’t alone, there are millions of other people of all ages trying to find their way.

Let me start by saying I am no expert in this subject matter, but maybe I can offer a few tips of things that will help you along the way. I’m going to go back to my high school days for a second to explain how I got to determine my career path.

My career path pretty much started in high school for me. I was involved in marching band and theater, which predisposed me for some sort of career in the arts. I was (and still am) passionate about music, and always dreamed of doing something music-related.

In our school’s theatrical productions I was the lighting designer. 

I was responsible for programming all of the lighting scenes into the computer, and then executing those scenes in real time during each show. In addition, I was also responsible for teaching the rest of the lights crew on things like gels, technique for hanging lights, operating spotlights, etc.

The funny thing is, I had ZERO experience with theatrical lighting prior to this. 

I was on lights crew for my first show and took a stagecraft class (which helped me learn a lot). But the next show was the spring musical Peter Pan, which was going to be much bigger than the winter play we did prior.

For the musical, the crew head (this is basically what the leader of the group is called) ended up backing out, so I was appointed as crew head. My knowledge was next to nothing you guys!!

I was literally thrown into this position and learning the entire lighting console/software on the fly. And speaking of “fly”, this was Peter Pan, so of course we had someone actually flying around the stage on a professional rigging system. This was not the time to mess around.

I remember spending all of my lunch periods in the theater reading the manual up and down, as well as spending many hours outside of school. I grew to really enjoy doing this as it became an integral part of the overall performance, only I was making my performance behind the scenes.

Some of my best friends were on the sound crew which, which is responsible for things like SFX, microphones, and anything audio related. I kept telling them (and myself) that if I hadn’t done lights, sound would have been my next choice.

I actually got involved at my church with the media team – I ended up meeting a really nice friend of mine who was also in high school and he was in charge of operating all the sound for the church service. 

He is also extremely talented at piano and music production, which sparked a lot of interest in me. While live sound didn’t end up being my cup of tea, this was the moment that ultimately paved the way for what I wanted my career to be.

My friend and I shared a passion for music and I learned SO much from him!

So when it became time to apply for colleges, I applied to Ohio University (and this actually ended up being the only school I applied to). 

I originally wanted to follow my dad’s footsteps by majoring in business, so I applied for OU’s College of Business. While I didn’t get accepted into the College of Business, I still got accepted into the university as an “undecided” major.

Prior to attending OU, I actually had no idea that they indeed have a music production program. I was so ecstatic when I learned this, so I applied to the College of Communications and got accepted starting my sophomore year. 

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Now that you have more of a background about me and my experience that led me to where I am, let’s talk about some tips that could be useful in helping you navigate your own career path. 

Whether you’re about to graduate high school or you’re 35 and looking for a different career path, let’s dive into this.

Discover What You’re Passionate About

Okay, this one may sound overly simple or maybe it doesn’t. But grab a pen and some paper and brainstorm for a second. What are you passionate about? What are your hobbies? What is your dream job?

Let’s forget about the reality of the job or career for a second – regardless of if it currently exists out there, what would your dream job be? Jot down some ideas and see what you come up with.

Remember, you can always continue to explore what your passions are. And even take up new hobbies! I highly recommend this as it helps you determine what you like and what you don’t like. I just picked up photography last year and I just recently started picking up blogging. 

Spend Time With Others Who Are Doing Similar Things

This is probably one of the best things I could have done for myself in terms of determining my career path. By surrounding yourself with people who have common interests, it allows you to connect and even become inspired and motivated to continue doing what you love to do. This is a really powerful tool.

Something I discovered over the last couple of years is that there are an overwhelming number of Facebook groups that have thousands of people sharing experiences, tips, photos, and more. 

Do you have a passion for sailing? How about cooking? Photography? Geography? Chances are, there are Facebook groups out there waiting for you to join. 

Humans are instinctively social, and we have the power to influence others. By connecting with a community of people who enjoy similar things, it can bring great success and clarity to what your potential career path may be. 

Obtain A Degree Or Take Some Classes

If you’re young and about to go to college, consider majoring in what you want your career path to be. If you aren’t sure what that is, that’s okay! 

Depending on what your interests are, having a degree in business can actually be widely beneficial. Will it cover everything? Of course not. But it is a good one if you’re looking for something versatile. 

Is college long gone for you? That’s also okay! There are several online colleges that will allow you to take paid courses to obtain some sort of certificate or even a degree if you want to pursue that. 

Typically, they offer their courses for credit or no credit, and if you’re not trying to meet any graduation requirements then you can take the courses for no credit (and they’ll be cheaper too). 

You can also find a plethora of information on YouTube these days, but use that at your own risk. There are a lot of really knowledgeable people out there, but there are also a lot of people who may not know what they’re doing. This is a good option if you’re looking for some inspiration without having to pay to take courses.

Seek A Career Coach

This option is probably better suited for people who are a bit more established in the work force, but hey, at the end of the day, you do you boo!

If you’ve been working a 9-5 desk job for the last 10 years and you’re looking for something different, finding a career coach might help guide you in the right direction. If you’re unsure of what exactly you want out of your next job, they can help you work through all of that.

While this option does cost money, it’s a good idea to invest in yourself for greater return. If you’re really stumped on what you should do, this could be the next best step for you.

Research Job Openings In Your Area

It never hurts to explore some of the options available to you. It’s free to use, and it might help you spark some interest and provide some hope if your skills align with an open position.

A couple of sites I’ve used for job hunting are Indeed and Glassdoor. Both are great options for finding job postings of all kinds either in your area or if you’re moving somewhere else, this is a great resource too. 

At first, this option was a bit unsuccessful for me as I was looking for music production jobs in central Ohio. I soon realized that I was going to have to move to LA (or Nashville) in order to dive into that industry. However, there are LOTS of options out there for all kinds of professions. 

It doesn’t hurt to look, right?

Another great thing to do is to network with the people you know. Maybe your brother’s colleague has a sister who works at an interior design firm and can get you a connection. 

Or maybe your best friend knows someone who has a connection into the film industry. You’d be surprised how these types of connections work wonders.

While this is just meant to be a guide for you, hopefully this helps lay some groundwork to help you take steps toward determining your career path. As I mentioned before I’m no expert, but I enjoy sharing my experiences in hopes that others can benefit from it. 

Share your thoughts in the comments below – how did you determine your career path? Is it what you wanted? If not, how do you think you could take steps to get you to your dream job?