1303: 5 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Career by Lisa Harrison of Mad Money Monster on Work-Life Balance

[00:00:00] This is Optimal Work Daily, Episode 1303. Five Things to Consider Before Choosing a Career

[00:00:06] by Lisa Harrison of MadMoneyMonster.com. And I'm Dan, your host and narrator here on O.W.D.,

[00:00:13] and I welcome you to this Thursday episode. And we're going to get right to it now as we hear

[00:00:17] from Lisa Harrison and Optimize Your Life. Five Things to Consider Before Choosing a Career

[00:00:27] by Lisa Harrison of MadMoneyMonster.com. A career is a good way to ensure you lead a comfortable life.

[00:00:35] Not only does it help you make money, but it also gives you direction and purpose. It eventually

[00:00:40] becomes part of your identity and influences your personal and social life. However, a wrong career

[00:00:46] choice can make you frustrated or anxious due to a poor career outlook. Moreover, it can also

[00:00:52] cause tremendous stress that can affect your physical health. Fortunately, approximately 65%

[00:00:57] of Americans are happy with their current jobs. You too can also have a fulfilling career if you

[00:01:02] make the right decisions. If you're choosing a career soon, here's what to consider.

[00:01:08] 1. Your Interests Some people believe that you should

[00:01:12] consider money when choosing a career. While this may be true to an extent,

[00:01:16] you don't want to ignore your interests. This is because you can easily become

[00:01:19] dissatisfied when repeatedly doing something you don't enjoy. However, you're likely to stay

[00:01:24] motivated and committed to a job that aligns with your preferences. Therefore, you want to prioritize

[00:01:30] your interests if you haven't already. Identifying your interests doesn't have to be challenging.

[00:01:35] Simply make a list of activities or hobbies you enjoy doing in your spare time.

[00:01:40] Many people consider their sense of purpose when deciding on a career.

[00:01:43] What do you wish to achieve in life? Are there any causes that rouse your passion and

[00:01:47] commitment? It's important to understand your values so that you can pursue a career that brings

[00:01:52] you fulfillment. This might mean fighting for others who can't fight for themselves in a

[00:01:56] non-profit type role where you can offer an opportunity for mistreated people to get a free

[00:02:01] case review. Or it could mean something more technical, like working in the IT industry to

[00:02:06] help businesses improve and protect their networks. The key is to take time and think

[00:02:11] about what you want from your career. Also, analyzing your skillset can help you determine

[00:02:16] what career you'll effectively function in. For instance, you may enjoy accounting or

[00:02:20] office management if you possess skills like organization, record keeping, written communication,

[00:02:26] computer skills, attention to detail, etc. Likewise, you have great potential for being a

[00:02:31] career counselor, psychologist, or teacher if you enjoy social activities, community service,

[00:02:37] or imparting knowledge to others. An interest in culture, arts, and improvisation can be

[00:02:42] helpful if you become an architect, artist, musician, or graphic designer.

[00:02:47] 2. Educational Requirements While some careers require on-the-job training,

[00:02:52] others may require years of education. For instance, doctors, lawyers, teachers,

[00:02:57] and scientists often require intensive specialized training to help them perform their tasks

[00:03:03] efficiently. This involves years of college to obtain a degree and intense postgraduate work.

[00:03:09] However, these jobs may have high earning potential, so keep this in mind. It's essential to ask

[00:03:14] yourself if you're ready to undergo many years of education to achieve your desired career

[00:03:19] or if you want to work as you earn. If you choose the former, familiarize yourself with

[00:03:23] the educational costs and ascertain if you can afford them. If you need to take loans to

[00:03:28] finance your education, ensure that your job can help you offset these debts

[00:03:32] while boosting your financial security. 3. Work-Life Balance

[00:03:38] A poor work-life balance can be harmful in many ways. You are

[00:03:41] likely to neglect other parts of your life to make up for work. Statistics also indicate that

[00:03:46] employees who work more than 55 hours weekly are at risk of developing stroke and coronary heart

[00:03:51] disease. Also, working long hours can lead to dissatisfaction, burnout, and unhappiness.

[00:03:57] Research revealed that approximately 50% of workers turn to narcotics, alcohol,

[00:04:02] or violence to deal with work stress. Seeing these dangers, you want to choose a career that will

[00:04:07] help you balance your work and other aspects of your life without causing undue pressure.

[00:04:12] Sometimes it means sacrificing higher salaries if you have to work longer hours or forgo your

[00:04:17] social life. It's helpful to consider options that allow flexible work options like remote

[00:04:22] or hybrid working. Also, consider the vacation period before deciding. So keep this in mind.

[00:04:29] 4. Career Development Opportunities

[00:04:32] At a point, you'll desire to climb the career ladder and apply for top positions.

[00:04:37] And this can be possible if you develop your career even as you work. Therefore,

[00:04:41] you want to consider a career that allows you to keep learning new skills and provide

[00:04:46] opportunities to apply for advanced posts. However, not all careers offer career development.

[00:04:52] For instance, hourly wage jobs often have little room to grow while entrepreneurship

[00:04:56] allows for it. As a tip, envision yourself in 10 or 15 years and determine what to expect

[00:05:02] before making an informed decision. 5. Job Market

[00:05:08] It would be unpleasant to invest your time, money, and hopes into a career that's in low demand.

[00:05:14] Therefore, it's prudent to research your chosen field to ascertain how much people need it.

[00:05:19] Fortunately, certain sites can help you get the needed information,

[00:05:22] so feel free to consider them. For instance, the BLS, Career Builder, and Glass Door can help you

[00:05:28] understand the job market outlook. Having a career is worth considering to have a good life.

[00:05:34] Hopefully, you'll consider these factors to achieve the desired outcome.

[00:05:37] 6. Mad Money Monster

[00:05:41] You just listened to the post titled 5 Things to Consider Before Choosing a Career

[00:05:46] by Lisa Harrison of madmoneymonster.com. We're driven by the search for better,

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[00:08:03] Gusto. Get started today. And a big thank you to Lisa for the post today. Lisa is a mother,

[00:08:10] a scientist and a financial enthusiast. And she is the founder of Mad Money Monster,

[00:08:15] a personal finance blog chronicling her and her family's journey from doing money all wrong

[00:08:20] to doing it all right. She and her husband are known as Mr. and Mrs. Mad Money Monster on the

[00:08:26] site and they pride themselves on being Gen Xers who have turned it all around and

[00:08:29] are now charting a course toward financial independence. As you can imagine, Lisa has also

[00:08:34] featured a lot over on one of our other shows, Optimal Finance Daily. So you can be sure to check

[00:08:39] that one out if you liked today's post. But that's going to do it for this one. Thank you so

[00:08:44] much for being here and listening every single day. And I'll see you right back here, same

[00:08:48] place, same time tomorrow where your optimal life awaits.