Many of us are raised with the notion that we “go to school and then we find a job”. Sounds pretty simple, but it’s not all that helpful either. It makes it sound as if everyone just goes to school and automatically gets a job after. While I have many pet peeves with this mantra, one that bothers me the most is the lack of emphasis on obtaining a job we truly like. I really believe that much of a person’s happiness is derived from having a livelihood they truly enjoy doing.

One of the things I dream about most is having a career that I love – one that I would genuinely be excited to go to everyday. To make that easier to understand, let’s do a thought test. Take any job, and imagine you had to wake up at 4am everyday to go into work. How excited would you be?

I want a career where I would fall asleep, excited to get up at 4am to get to work. To me, that’s the dream. Of course, I understand that’s not for everyone, and 4am is a bit too early for many people. But the main point still stands – if you’re going to need a job anyways, why not strive for one that brings you genuine meaning and happiness to your life?

Finding your dream job isn’t easy. Many of us growing up wanting to be this or that, but really, how the heck do you find out and when should you start learning? That’s what today’s article is about.

How going to university relates to pursuing a career

Stop and think for a second. Why did you apply to university?

As I mentioned before, most of us will respond with “to get a job after”. Getting a university education and then trying to find a job after has become the social norm for many people.

The problem with looking at a university education this way is that it’s completely missing the point, and it misleads students from understanding what it really takes to find a job they truly enjoy.

Going to university doesn’t directly result in a job. Graduating from university gets you a degree, which make help you get a job. But what job this ends up being and whether you get it or not has more to do with you than what your degree is in. Think about it: thousands of students graduate with a biology degree every year, but they all end up in different careers. So what makes the difference? You do.

You are the only one in charge of your career options

What I’m trying to get at is that you need to start exploring your career options. Now.

The real working world is very different from the educational world. Remember, the people teaching you are academics in that field. Unless you plan on pursuing academic biology, then you need to learn what your options are for having a degree in biology. And you need to find that out in day 1 – because what if none of those options are appealing to you?

Too many high school students apply to an undergraduate program they are not even really sure about, because they don’t know what else to do. Students are pressured to just make some choice. It’s unfortunate, but it happens.

But that doesn’t mean you are stuck with it. Starting on day 1 of your university education, make it your priority to start exploring career options in your field. Because once you start having career goals in mind, you can tailor your university education appropriately.

Realize early on in your biology degree that you want to be a writer instead? Good – now you can switch. Why leave career hunting until after you finish your biology degree and then realize you need wanted something different?

By now you’re probably thinking “Okay Josh, I get it, I should start thinking about career options right now. But where the heck do I start?”

Step 1: What can I do with my university degree?

Research, research, research. Wilfred Laurier University has created a fantastic website for what skills your degree should have helped you develop, and what general career options are available. Check it out here.

Stop and go to that website right now. Click on your Degree program and look at those career options – do they appeal to you?

Now stop and click through other Degree programs. Do those career options appeal to you? More than your current degree program? If so, are you sure you’re in the right program?

Step 2: Research the day-to-day of those career options

Now that you know your career options, read about them. See what they’re really about.

Most importantly, shadow people doing those professions. Actually see if you find the day to day work interesting. And shadow them more than once. You’d be surprised how exciting something can be the first time you see or do it, but how much you can lose interest soon after. Ideally, you will find something where your interest is maintained – that’s when you know this might be for you.

And beyond shadowing, talk to people in those professions. Ask them what they like most about their job, and what they like least. Ask them how they decided on that job. Tell them what activities you really like doing, and see if those activities relate at all to that career.

When you do this, you will start ruling in and ruling out potential careers.

Step 3: Research the path to those careers

Once you’ve identified several careers that you have actually explored and still came away interested from, you need to research what steps you need to take to become qualified for that career and to eventually secure a job in it. Do you need any further education? What other experiences are preferred? Can you do a summer internship in it? How should you be building your resume?

Most of your answers to these questions are going to come from personal research and from asking people in those fields. My advice to you is to research as much as you can before asking questions to those individuals. There’s no point asking a physician “What MCAT score do I need to get into medical school?” because 1.) often times their information is outdated, so you should go to the original source (i.e. the medical school’s website) and 2.) it shows you have not made any effort to answer your own questions and reflects poorly on you.

Step 4: Pick a path, and just do it

Once you’ve decided on a path, go for it.

List all of those tasks you need to make your dream career a reality. Then create a schedule for how you are going to accomplish these tasks. Prioritize these tasks, and keep motivating yourself to get them done.

You will be surprised how far ahead of the game you will be if you take all of this time to prepare.

When should I start doing all of this?

1st year of university. It sounds early, I know, but you won’t regret it. The sooner you know what you will enjoy in your career, the sooner you will be able to start getting there.