Examine the people you know.  How did they find their work?  Usually the answer won't be that they took a survey and chose a profession. 

1. Born this way.  Think back to when you were a kid.  Were you unusually drawn to something?  My brother wasn't interested in anything but airplanes.  A pilot today, he listened to his gut.

2. As seen on TV.  Media gives us a good way to live vicariously through others.  Does someone on TV/Internet do something that fascinates you?  A friend of mine became a biomedical engineer because of his fascination with the Six Million Dollar Man!

3. A Good Teacher.  Did a teacher believe in you and guide you?  A friend of mine is an art historian because a professor of hers took an interest in her even after graduation. 

4. Like Father (and Mother#, Like Son #and Daughter).  I know lots of people who followed in the footsteps of mom and dad.  Maybe some of it was biological.  I wonder if it's more about seeing the nuts and bolts of a profession, any profession, to envision yourself doing that work.  What do your family and friends do?  Who are you most like?  Follow them around for a while and ask questions.  Maybe that person can become your mentor?

5. Fall into the Gap.  An awful lot of people take what's available as young people and simply stay.  The sad part of that is that some people hate their jobs for a lifetime.  Others, though, take that first step and build on it.  The next opportunity they take gives them more of what they like and less of what they don't like.  After a while, they understand where they fit and plan a future. 

How did you find work that was right for you?  How about your friends?

Susan Aaron - Career Assessment Coach