Your career choice - at what age?

[Dioritt]

My daughter is 16 and taking her GCSEs.

She's recently had to make a decision regarding where her life is going to go from here; whether to try to get a job or go to college to continue studying. She decided on college. But then comes the decision of what to study.

I can remember back to when I was her age and I honestly didn't have a clue what I wanted to do with the rest of my life. I know some people decide very early on that they want to be doctors/join the police/become a nun or whatever, but they seem to be the exception rather than the rule and more often than not, are pushed towards a specific career by their parents (to follow in Dad's footsteps or whatever).

I thought I wanted to work in an office. Looking back, I didn't want to at all. My family influenced me because, in their opinions, office work was safe - you'd have a good job that was decently paid and wouldn't have to worry about unemployment. So off I went and got myself a cosy office job.

Now I'm 44 and I'm a freelance writer. In between my office job and finally finding my vocation, I've cleaned telephones, been a telephonist, worked in various call centres, been a general cleaner, done child minding, and a few other bits and pieces.

I suppose I was about 35 before I knew what I really wanted to do to earn a living.

What I'd like to know is how old others were when they made the 'right' career choice? Did you get it right first time or did it take years before you really knew what you wanted to do?

~Sharon

[Cameron]

Well, I've answered, but I can't be sure. You see, as I change, what I do or want to do will change.

I'm pretty sure I'll keep changing, or growing.

Therefore, as I change who I am, I could well change what I like, including what I like to do.

Most people (especially the parents you mention, the ones who excessively influence their children's choices) are too uncomfortable with uncertainty. They want to know their life's plan, and, what's more, to know it yesterday. And so we imagine that we really must choose the right major in college (or university, as Brits say), as if it's life or death, even when virtually no one ends up doing what they studied and, outside of technical jobs, employers don't care anyway.

Then we think we have to choose the right career, now. We don't realize there are only right careers for certain periods of time, so that it's as impossible to choose the right career forever as it would be to choose the right hairstyle forever. Careers get dated. They grow old on us. They don't fit us any more.

The only constant is change. The only reason I was even able to find work that's as fulfilling as it is -- career and life coaching -- is that I was willing to reinvent myself several times: lawyer, public speaker, consultant, executive, entrepreneur . . .

The fear of change is the largest obstacle to finding the right career. Someitmes that fear is based on security, or money. Most of the time that's an excuse a career coach can help you to unearth. The real fear is just doing something different, or failing -- or succeeding. But that's another conversation.

Best of luck,

Cameron