How To Choose A Career: Top 10 Tips

Everyone makes lots of important choices throughout life, but the choice of a career is one of the most crucial ones. Choosing a career wrongly will hardly make an individual happy and fulfilled. Find out how to choose a career in Nigeria!


Choose from thousands of jobs at top-paying Nigerian companies on Jiji


1. Learn about yourself

How do you know what career is right for you? You can’t answer this question before you know who you really are! You can take some personality questionnaires or even take a minute to write down your strengths, weaknesses, aspirations, dreams, and what you truly want in life.

2. Take a career test

One of the first steps in choosing a career is taking a career test. In the past these tests were only performed by career counsellors, but now you can find many different career tests online. Based on your answers, these tests will give you a variety of industries and fields where you can find your ideal job.

3. Research

Most of us have strong opinions about the best career to choose and worst fields to work in. However, if you devote time to the research and objectively learning about as many fields as possible, it may turn out that your preconceptions are not true and you may find career fulfilment in the most unexpected position.

4. Make a list

By now you probably already have a list of career opportunities that contains jobs you find attractive and suitable. This list can’t be too long, so if there are more than 10-15 entries, narrow it down. It will be easier for you to focus on the jobs and pay maximum attention to the selection process.

5. Research even more

A list with 15 ideal jobs is not a very effective method of how to find your career. You need to narrow down the list even more, and the most effective way to do it is to do more research – this time read in-depth job descriptions, complete with pros and cons of every position, to throw out the list entries that don’t meet your requirements.

6. Meet people

One of the most helpful ideas on how to choose the right career is talking to the people who have already succeeded in their fields. Find people you admire and find inspiration and try to learn more about their career paths – especially how they started and why exactly they chose this particular field.

7. Get internships

If you’re not too worried about money, you can get some first-hand job experience by signing up for internship positions. They are usually underpaid or not paid at all, but there is no better way to see how your chosen field works and whether it’s the right fit for you.

8. Schedule interviews

If working almost for free isn’t for you and you want to get compensated for your work, try scheduling as many interviews with HRs as possible by applying to lots of open positions. HRs will not only tell you everything you need to know about the job, but also whether you can succeed in the chosen positions.

9. Make a career plan

You can get a job without too much preparation, but succeeding in the chosen field is impossible without knowing exactly what you want. A career plan will define your career choices and accomplishments for the next few years, so you will always have something to base your career moves upon.

10. Don’t be scared to do over

Even if you don’t make a successful choice of a career on the first try, remember that you are not required to work a job you don’t like for the rest of your life. Many people rethink their careers in their 30s or even 40s, so you won’t be alone even if you decide to completely switch careers later in life.


Pick your ideal high-paying job on the Jiji app

My name is Inna. I am a content writer with an English and literature background. As a mother of a 4-year old son, I love learning about children’s health and development, as well as finding new interesting toys and activities for my little one. I am also in love with all things tech and always keep my finger on the pulse of new smartphone and gadget releases. Another big passion of mine is beauty and makeup – every day I read about new trends in skin care and makeup and always look forward to trying them. Plus, I love pop culture, travelling, crafts, and anything that can make our daily life more thrilling!