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Confidently Making Career Choices

Choosing a career at any age can be very stressful. You want something that you enjoy, and that is rewarding, fulfilling, and will help you meet your financial goals. But how do you know that any of that will work out? Especially now, at this age? How do you know that what your interests are now will be the same later in your life? There is no simple answer to any of these questions. However, if you put in some work and research, you can more confidently make career choices for your life.

Being Mentally Healthy

The first and most important key to making a career choice that you can be confident in is to be mentally healthy. Having untreated depression, anxiety, substance use, or other issues will greatly impair your ability to make the right decision, as well as even your decision-making process. If you are lacking in self-confidence, you may sell yourself short of the kind of career you are actually capable of.

It is not just about the lack of wellness impairing your process, however. It is also about having the mental strength and judgment available to make a proper decision. If you are well, and you are using all of the tools that you got in treatment, then your brain is literally and physiologically working better to support you in making a career choice that fits you. When you are managing emotions and stress well, and you are practicing mindfulness as well as utilizing your best communication skills, then you will be more likely to choose a career effectively.

Doing Your Research

Some people have clear ideas about the career or at least the field of study that they want to enter into. For those who don’t, there are plenty of career interest surveys to help you narrow down your choices. You can take these online or at school or with a career counselor. You might also talk to people about what your interests are, what your expectations are, and more to help you find an area of focus.

Once you have some ideas, you can read up on jobs in the field of interest. What specifically do these jobs entail? What kinds of hours can you expect to work? Do you need to live in certain locations? What is the pay like? How much and what kind of education do you need? Read as much as you can about the job or jobs you are interested in, as you will make the most informed decision this way.

Ideally, you might try to talk to someone in this field about their experiences and why they chose that career. You might be able to tour a location, as well, if there is at least one near your city. You can also gather information about the required education, and perhaps tour a school that you might attend. Sometimes, the specific programs offer tours of their classes and give you a chance to talk to students who are currently studying that major. These experiences will help to give you more accurate information about the job you want, and help you to decide if this is really something that you want or not.

Asking for Help

In treatment, you learned the value of a support network. This is the time to really use your network. Talk to as many people as you can. Find out how they chose their careers, and if they are happy or not. Ask them for advice about choosing a career. Talk to them about the interests that you have and ask them if they think they would be a good match for you. Have them tell you what they think your strengths and weaknesses are, and if they feel like they would be a good fit. You are surrounded by people who can help you to make big decisions like this, so please take advantage of the support. 

Trying it On

If you are lucky, there may be opportunities for internships in the career that you are looking at. This is ideal, because you can get an inside look at what the jobs are like and how things work in that industry. You can have hands on experience at a job that is related to what you would like to do, and get access to even more people who can tell you all about the career opportunities. You can see the types of people in that field, the kinds of hours they work, and get a feel for at least one workplace, all while gaining some actual experience that will look great on your resume.

There are so many sources of information for you to choose a career. If you are taking care of your mental health, you will be in the best place to make a decision like this. The more information you seek, the less stressful making a career choice can be. Use all of your resources, especially your support network, to gather information and get good advice. Making a choice like this can be very challenging. But with your health in place and using other resources you gained in treatment, as well as doing your research, you can make the best decision possible for you. You can be confident that you can make the best career choice for your life.

Embark Behavioral Health is like a springboard for life. For questions call 1-855-809-0409. With the new and improved you, you can make the best decisions possible for your life.

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Embark Behavioral Health

Embark Behavioral Health

Embark Behavioral Health is a leading network of outpatient centers and residential programs offering premier mental health treatment for preteens, teens, and young adults. Dedicated to its big mission of reversing the trends of teen and young adult anxiety, depression, and suicide by 2028, Embark offers a robust continuum of care with different levels of service and programming; has a deep legacy of over 25 years serving youths; works with families to adjust treatment in real time to improve results; treats the entire family using an evidence-supported approach; and offers the highest levels of quality care and safety standards. For more information about Embark or its treatment programs, including virtual services, intensive outpatient programs (IOPs), therapeutic day treatment programs, also known as partial hospitalization programs (PHPs), residential treatment, and outdoor therapy, visit embarkbh.com.