Letting Go of Career Pressure
By Mary Skobieranda
“What do you want to be when you grow up?” is the age-old question that has been asked of us since we barely had any idea what a job was. Now, as college students, we are lucky enough to be constantly surrounded by people and opportunities to help us figure out how we want to spend the rest of our lives. A majority of the big decisions that must be made within our college years relate to our career choices, whether that is choosing to apply to a certain internship or declaring a major or minor. In this environment, it is difficult to escape that daunting feeling that everyone else has it all figured out. It’s also difficult to let go of the overwhelming pressure of making important life decisions. To anyone struggling with this burden, here’s why this venture to find a career should not be as scary as it seems.
There is not only one career path out there that is right for you. Any set of strengths or interests can often be applied to jobs in different industries. Take comfort in your own understanding of your strengths and preferences for a work environment. For example, if you really enjoy utilizing creativity and need this in a professional setting, there are many different paths that can allow you to exercise this priority. So don’t let yourself fall into the mindset that your future happiness relies on finding the one singular career path that is right for you.
Furthermore, not everyone has the same priorities when it comes to a career, and that is more than fine! If you are happy with your career decisions, that in itself is a major success that many people might never accomplish in their life. Success is relative when it comes to finding the right career. Your idea of success might be permanent financial stability, the capacity to travel, finding personal fulfillment, or making an impact on a certain community. No matter what it is, hone in on what is important to you in a career and then research what will allow you to achieve that. Recognize that other people may have completely opposite goals in mind when making this decision, so don’t let the path others are taking impact your own decision making.
A career choice is not permanent. In recent times, it has become much more common to have a plethora of jobs in a lifetime and even to switch between industries. There is no way to possibly know what your priorities will be in a few decades or how the world may have changed by then. Twenty years from now, you could end up somewhere that you could have never predicted or in a career path you never even knew existed. If you’re feeling pressure to have your whole life path figured out now, just take a step back. Pursue opportunities and set goals for yourself surrounding topics and fields that excite you now.
Remember that it’s important to continue developing a sense of direction for your professional goals, but this direction will almost certainly change with time. Take advantage of the abundant resources that we have in college to get an idea of this plan, but don’t get so lost in preparing every aspect of the future that you forget to create a life that you enjoy in the present, too.
