Are you doing what you love for a living?

Choosing a right career is indeed a very difficult and tricky job to do , specially for yourself.
Whether you are starting out as a fresher or have some experience, the most difficult question to answer is 'What do I want to do?'
You might have an idea of what you are good at and what you like to do, but where do you start to get a job that lets you to do what you are good, lets you follow your passion and of course pay you the right salary?
I would suggest you follow these basic steps to understand what you want to do and how you should find the right job that will help build the right career for yourself.

STEP 1
Know yourself Understand your strengths, weaknesess, values, skills and personality
There are various assessments that are available in the Indian market today that will help you assess your skills.
If you are a fresher, you will need to take a Behavioral Assessment that will assess your attributes such as :
* What do you enjoy doing?
* What are you good at?
* What are you not good at?
* What you could improvise on with little help?
* What kind of jobs would be best suited for you?
Consider a commerce graduate, fresh out of college, looking for a job.
If his behavioral traits show that he has an outgoing personality, likes to meet people and is good at communication, a customer service job such as financial sales, customer service etc would be apt for him rather than a back office job.

STEP 2
Know your options and learn about each one
Depending on which industry you are looking at making a career in, you need to understand what are the various job role options available.
You need to read about the industry, what skills they look for and the kind of people they generally hire.
Check the websites of a few organisations from the industry, talk to people within and outside your network to understand their view of the industry.
Never ever take up a job for the following reasons:
* I didn't know where to go.
* My friend/family member was working in the company.
* It seemed like an easy job to do.
* The office was close to where I stay.
Make an informed decision about what job you want to get started with and how your career path can grow.

STEP 3
Ask for advice, but don't always take it
Yes, you need to seek advise from your parents, peers, teachers, family member and friends.
All of them will have nothing but good intentions for you, but ultimately the decision about your career is yours.
So, it is not always necessary to take all the advise given to you.
You need to process all the advise you get from people and take only what you feel is right for you. You can't be going in various directions by following different people's advice.
You will need to identify the right path for you and then take those recommendations that take you along that path.

STEP 4
Be open to all possibilities
It does not matter whether you are a fresher or an experienced personnel, the most important thing to remember when selecting a job or a career is to keep your options open.
Spend time in understanding your interests and explore different career paths around your skills and interests.
Since work is an important aspect of our lives and we spend much time either at work, or thinking/doing work outside of office, it is important that we enjoy what we do.
If you are bored or unsatisfied with the type of work you do , you will not be productive at your job and neither will you be satisfied.
Hence finding the right job and a growth path for your career are very important. Equally important though is to enjoy what you do.
* Try and find some value in what you do at work.
* Balance your work and personal life.
* Pursue an interest outside of work.
* Network with people who you find interesting and enriching.
* Understand the culture of the organisation you work with and whether it aligns with your views and values.
* Constant learning and upgrading skills will give you the edge to be on the right career path.
* If needed, seek help from professional counselling agencies that can guide you to the right path.
- Source: Rediff.com