Children often dream of becoming astronauts, veterinarians, doctors or scientists. They fantasize about these careers not because of the money and the promise of a nest egg or an early retirement. They choose these careers because of the possibility of immersing themselves in an area about which they are deeply passionate.
Children who love animals want to be vets. Children who are highly curious may want to be scientists. When was the last time you asked a child what they wanted to be and the child replied, “A convenience store clerk”?
Define it. Quiz it.
Think about how we phrase it when talking to children, “What do you want to be?”
Adults are, in a sense, defined by their careers. How will you contribute to society? How will you provide for your family? What will your legacy be?
Fortunately, most colleges don’t require freshmen to declare their majors right away. A terrific way to assess what career is best for you is by taking the personality quiz. Understanding how your mind and personality work will help you to choose the path that will make you happiest, if not necessarily richest.
While women are just as capable of being engineers or scientists as men, we tend to crave community and social interaction.
Factors besides the area of studying
Regarding the college you choose, there are a number of factors involved besides your area of study. Things to keep in mind include the location, the cost of tuition, size of the school, public vs. private and Greek system vs. no Greek system.
According to FastWeb fraternities and sororities, despite their reputation in the media, can be a great way to make lifelong friendships. These connections can even prove to be advantageous when you’re on the job hunt. Sororities are also known for their community service. Making friends and helping others are both factors that can contribute to a person’s overall happiness.
Eudomania!
Speaking of Greek systems, the ancient Greeks knew that money did not buy happiness. They sought a form of happiness that they referred to as eudaimonia. According to PositivePsychologyProgram eudaimonia is “an objective state rather than a subjective state, which characterizes a well-lived life regardless of the emotional state of the one experiencing it.”
This perspective states that happiness can be achieved by helping others, being there for your friends and family and, in general, putting others’ needs before your own. If that is true, might people who choose careers with non-profit humanitarian organizations be “happier” than billionaires who manage hedge funds?
It Takes 3 Years to Make a Profit!
Perhaps your dream is to own a bakery where you make unique, specialty desserts. As most small business owners will tell you, it takes about three years to make a profit. Keeping your business afloat may take blood, sweat and tears but it can also fill you with joy at the end of the day to know that you work for yourself and you are following your dream.
Maybe you aspire to find a cure for cancer. The field of disease research is always growing. What better way to contribute to society, to humanity? But this is a splendid example of a job that isn’t for everyone—you have to be comfortable with spending hours in a lab with limited social contact.
Keeping your business afloat may take blood, sweat and tears but it can also fill you with joy at the end of the day to know that you work for yourself and you are following your dream.
Engineering is a similar path. It’s exciting to muse about building airplanes or rocket ships, but the reality of your day-to-day life will include hours in front of a computer screen with, again, limited social contact. This is why, typically, men are more inclined to be engineers than women. While women are just as capable of being engineers or scientists as men, we tend to crave community and social interaction. That is why one brilliant woman that I know left her job as an engineer to be a high school math teacher—she simply missed being around people.
Shadowing Is Your Career Hack!
If you have an idea of the career you’d like to pursue, spend a day shadowing someone who does it. Pay attention to the rhythms of his or her day and the work environment. Is it something that would suit you? Would you be “happy” there?
Research schools with excellent programs in the fields that interest you. If it’s important to you, you shouldn’t even look up the mean annual income of people that do what you dream of doing. But you know better. Ultimately, only you can shape your life, and you should focus on just that, regardless of your age. Because if happiness really is not found in circumstances, but in your attitude towards your circumstances, then you can achieve happiness regardless of what you decide to be.
